EUCLA ET LA TRAVERSEE DE NULLARBOR
Home to various sites and establishments: Norseman, Balladonia, Caiguna roadhouse, Cocklebiddy, Mundrabilla roadhouse,
The name of Nullarbor, which is not an aboriginal name as one could expect but from the Latin meaning "no tree", gives you a small idea of what awaits you if you embark on the crossing, to join South Australia. There is some vegetation, but very few houses. Distances are long, and above all, you have to check your vehicle before crossing, imagine the price of the tow truck! Then provide plenty of water in case of breakdown, it is often very hot on the road. There is not more than 100 or 200 km between the roadhouses, but watch your gas gauge anyway. Possibility to sleep in the roadhouses.
The road is named after John Eyre, the European who first crossed the full length in 1841. In 1877, a telegraph line was strung across the plain for gold seekers to follow. A road was built in 1941, like the one from Alice to Darwin. It was only a dirt track, and by the 1950s only a few cars ventured across the hot plain.
It was fully paved in 1976.
Norseman, the starting point of the Eyre Highway, 187 km from Kalgoorlie in the north or 203 km from Esperance in the south
Balladonia, first refueling stop at 220 km from Norseman, famous for having received the debris of Skylab, the American space station that fell from space in 1979
Caiguna roadhouse. From Balladonia, 145 km of straight road, the longest in the world!
Cocklebiddy, 65 km away, a former mission for Aborigines, is home to a cave where a French team made, in 1983, what was then the longest cave descent in the world ever attempted (6,250 meters).
Madura, 90 km away. You are halfway between Kalgoorlie and Ceduna! Beautiful views on the plain.
Mundrabilla roadhouse, 117 km away, where the biggest meteorite of the country was discovered (22 tons!)
Eucla, 89 km away, located just before the border with South Australia, with the sand dunes that move in the nearby National Park, and the Koonalda Caves.
Border Village : bravo, you have arrived in South Australia ! Nullarbor roadhouse then Ceduna. Beautiful views on the cliffs and the ocean.
The Nullarbor plain is also home to the longest golf course in the world. The 18 holes are scattered along the road, between Kalgoorlie and Ceduna. Check out the Nullarbor Links website and find golf clubs!