Crossing the Nullabor – Alice and Jen

Read about crossing the Nullarbor with Alice and Jen! This mum and daughter team are completing the Follow the Sun Relay section between Perth and Adelaide.

The Must Do’s

Whether travelling East to West or West to East, you’re crossing the great treeless plain of the Nullarbor, definitely a huge tick off our bucket list! We were travelling from West to East, prepared with food, water and fuel but we were not prepared for the beauty, the expansiveness, the magnificence of the isolation and the power and greatness of Mother Nature. It is a journey that everyone will have their own individual experience of so although we loved getting lost in our thoughts as we drove, having no phone coverage for a majority of the way and spending much of the time just trying to get our head around how there was nothing but nature for thousands of kilometres, we will provide you with the must do’s and the knowledge that will practically serve you in your journey, and leave the rest up to you when you get to traverse this great stretch of the country yourself.

Where to Stay

Fraser Range Station is a beautiful Outback experience with optional tours. There are great facilities and helpful owners and staff.

Balladonia Roadhouse and Caravan Park has simple amenities and friendly service, museum, fuel station and small shop. Great for an overnight stay on your way to the Nullarbor or coming off the Nullarbor.

Eucla Hotel Motel – with ocean views and friendly staff we really loved our overnight stay here before crossing the border into South Australia. The caravan park was clean and tidy. With all amenities that you need for an overnight stay. You can go to the beach with a 4WD and explore the area (lookouts and old telegraph station). The hotel motel also has a roadhouse and fuel station, a pool which overlooks the ocean and beautiful gardens behind the bar/ restaurant area. Travelling in a fully serviced Winnebago Campervan we did not need to use the BBQ/ camp kitchen, however we had heard that there was no gas available for the BBQ’s.

Fueling Up

Balladonia and Norseman before reaching the Nullarbor are recommended for fuel.

Along the Nullarbor there are fuel stations every 200 km’s. We recommend refueling even when it is not seen as necessary as fuel prices do fluctuate and at a few fuel stations/ road houses the fuel prices were quite high (at Nullarbor Roadhouse on SA side – diesel was $1.99 per litre).

Penong is a little town when you come off the Nullarbor in SA – this is a great stop for cheap fuel before going on or off the Nullarbor.

Water

You can not fill up your tanks in your caravan or campervan along the Nullarbor from Balladonia to Penong. There is no water accessible for the public other then to wash your hands in restrooms at the roadhouses.

We recommend filling up water tanks and making sure you have enough water for the two day trip in Norseman (WA side) or Ceduna (SA side) and always be over generous with water as it can be extremely hot on the Nullarbor and you may need more water then you think you will.

Crossing the WA/SA Border

To cross from WA into SA – there is a quarantine check in Ceduna 500 km into South Australia. Here they check for fruit and vegetables. It is okay to have cooked vegetables and fruit cut into a fruit salad however they will take and throw away any uncooked vegetables or uncut up fruit. There are some exceptions for vegetables and you can check online what the requirements are.

To cross from SA into WA – the check is at the actual border in Border Town about 12 km’s before Eucla. The regulations to go into WA are different then going into SA so please check online in Ceduna before you start your journey on the Nullarbor.  

Things to see along the way

• Longest golf course – THE WORLD’S LONGEST GOLF COURSE, The Nullarbor Links Golf Course is spread across the Nullarbor with golf holes at most roadhouses. We loved see what they named the golf holes and how rugged and outback the locations of the holes were.
• The big stuff – along the Nullarbor keep an eye out for ‘the big stuff’ at roadhouses such as the big whale, the big kangraroo etc
• Head of Bight – A whale sanctuary for Southern Right Whales during June and October (this is the peak season) and entry fee is $15. In off peak season (entry $7) you can still go down to the lookouts, see the amazing cliff views and the crystal blue hues of the ocean but you will not see the whales. During peak season, you can see adult whales and baby whales as well as this is where they come to breed for the season.
• Lookouts – along the Nullabor once you cross into SA or are heading to WA, there are amazing places to stop and take in the cliffs and ocean along the Nullarbor
• Penong – Australia’s largest Windmill, a charming country pub and fuel station
• Ceduna – beautiful coastal town with an art centre and a thriving oyster industry
• Eucla – spectacular sand dunes, an old telegraph station
• 90 mile straight – the infamous 90 mile straight is a journey that allows you to feel the expansiveness of this country.
• Flying Doctor Service – along the Nullarbor there are parts of the road that are used as an emergency airstrip
• Madura Pass – spectacular scenic views across the plains

Crossing the Nullarbor is truly an experience that every Aussie should have once in their lives. We’re excited for the next part of our travels!

–Alice and Jen

What’s Next?

Check out the rest of the Follow the Sun Relay posts on our website.