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I note our last part of our travels as relayed to the group ended at Esperance. From there we travelled north ..
stayed a small caravan park at Grass Patch where Sue caught up with the washing. Wheat harvest was in full swing .. the
silo complex at this small settlement can hold 270,000 tonnes of grain. All small towns have these complexes, some smaller,
but once again amazed at the quantity of grain produced.
On to Norseman the western end of the Nullabor crossing .. 1200 km to Ceduna on the other side. Stocked up with
fuel, water and food and set out. Took 4 days (taking it easy) to reach Eucla near the border. Stayed 2 nights there in
caravan park .. the town is up on the escarpment with views over the narrow coastal plain and the Southern Ocean beyond.
Continuing on, initially, the highway is only a few hundred metres back from the top of the cliffs that form this
section of the Great Australian Bight .. lots of tracks to lookouts on the cliff tops .. guess cliffs are 200 ft high on an
average .. quite dangerous as tops are often under cut .. lots of warning signs. Visited most of them. After about 150 km
the highway moves inland.
An electrical storm/front moved over us while we at Eucla .. we were starting to catch up with it (it must have been
moving slowly!) .. anyway we stopped early for lunch one day to avoid the heavy lightening that was ahead of us.
After this, had more head winds that slowed us down/increased fuel consumption a lot. At one stage our max. speed
was only 60 odd kph. The fuel situation caused us to stop at a servo, the servo door would have been ripped from its hinges
if I hadn't had a good grip on it. This indicated the strength of the wind, so we only continued a short distance past the
servo and stopped early that day.
One passes Yatla, an aboriginal community roadhouse. Have heard a couple of stories since;
a) there are outstation type settlements in this vast aboriginal landholding designed to house the "uncontrollable" elements.
One must be careful not to park (particualarly overnight) near these.
b) just yesterday, was told by someone who was driving through there some time back, that there was 16 cops sent to Yatla
to control disorder.
c) They also control, thus charge, for access to the Head of the Bight .. a road built by the taxpayers. A gate is fitted
across the entrance to this road (gate and lock, no doubt also bought by tax payers) .. gate was locked. We, and the others
that had stopped there, were disapointed that we had no access. We learned later that there was some disagreement in
progress. We suffer!!! These things are not reported by the media, so the population, in general, is not aware of these and
other continuing like situations. Best get down from my soap box!
Got to Ceduna, via fruit fly check point where they relieve you of your fruit and vegetables .. then one goes to the
supermarket in town and buy a new lot. Caught up with Wayne and Gorgie who we had met earlier. Spent 2 pleasant evenings
(at different spots) with them. They were keen to visit the horse races in Ceduna, so they shouted us. We each took our
motorhomes into the race site! Wayne towed a house float which they used as a trailer .. I suggested the locals could be
concerned that a foreign and unknown horse was going to enter against them. Wayne has West Australian number plates!
We continued, initially to Poochera, where we tried to look up Graham, the kangaroo shooter. We had met him and his
wife up at Dundee Beach, near Darwin. However, Graham was away "up north", so we had a bit of a yarn with his wife and left.
We were going to check into the caravan park there to catch up with our washing, but learnt they had no laundry facilities.
So we headed back west to Streaky Bay and then down the west side of the Eyre Peninsular. Met up with Adrian and
Anna (in a similar vehicle to ours) at a couple of places .. including where they parked at the lookout overlooking Coffin
Bay. For interest sake, an e-mail message to Vern .. "Hi Vern, No contact on 20m today, Monday .. still at Coffin Bay van
park .. will be a 3 night stay. Still S 6/7 noise level here .. sounds like power lines, though we are not real close to
them. Quite hot yesterday, 38 in vehicle. Change last night .. rain and wind from west. The van park is close to the Post
Office, shop and a servo .. though we haven't checked them out yet." Interesting, Richie, VK8RR's, grand father owned/ran
the van park here many years ago, so we asked a few questions, but no answers. took a few photos to forward to Richie.
Then to Port Lincoln near the bottom of the peninsular .. just did some shopping during the day and started moving
up the east coast. Caught up with Adrian and Anna again at the new motorhome camp spot at Tumby Bay .. had 90 kph winds next
day, so stayed put. Detoured west to Cummins where Richies grandfather was buried .. the girl in the council office was
extremely helpful in assisting in locating the grave. Went to the cemetery and took some more photos to forward to Richie.
Back to the coast and north to Port Gibbon .. caught up with Anna and Adrian again .. stayed a number of days
over Christmas .. was pleasant to have some nice company with like minded people .. total of 3 motorhomes (including Tom
and Merrill in large bus) + 2 caravans there. The locals visited us for "happy hour" and they apparently bring vegies when
they have an excess. While we there a new CMCA/Kea sponsored dump point was being installed by council workers. We spoke
with them and they said they had no instructions on where the dump point should be located .. neither were any "guide lines"
given by the CMCA/Kia as to its suitable placement. Consequently, the dump point was installed in a corner where it is
impossible for most vehicles to get close to it .. thus it is only suitable for cassette toilets. We all thought this was a
great pity!
Another old e-mail came to light .. which we sent from Cowell, just north of Port Gibbon .. "To the Port Gibbon mob,
Got out to the highway .. strong wind from the north .. patches of dust being blown off fields etc. 50 kph max. speed of
vehicle most of the time along highway .. had to change down a gear at times. Currently in Cowell parked near waterfront
.. 5 litre casks white lambrusco still $10. Special ends today! Good to have the few days with you all".
Continued , via a long route through the interior of the Eyre Peninsular .. Cleve, Lock, to Wudinna, thence via the
Eyre Highway to Iron Knob .. then to Whyalla and a place on the coast to the north of Whyalla Lowly Point. We spent New
Year with another couple of motorhome/caravan people. New Years Eve was very hot .. 46 degrees! We lost some food as the
refrigerator cannot cope with these temperatures.
On via Pt. Augusta and then via Quorn, Wilmington, Snowtown etc. to where I am finishing this at Ardrossan on the
Yorke Peninsular. Immediate plans are to trip around this peninsular for a few days.
Diesel fuel prices across the Nullabor ..listed west to east.
Norseman $1-33.9
Balladonia $1-61.9
Caiguna $1-61.4
Cockabiddy $1-67.4
Mandurin $1-61.3
Mandrabilla $1-39.9 *
Eucla $1-42.9
next day $1-39.9 *
Nullabor $1-58.8
Yatala $1-49.9
Nundroo $1-23.9
* = best price.
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