Road To Forrest

 

The road was in average condition and after winding through a landscape of stunted low bush land, opened up into the salt bush wide open country of the Nullarbor. With this change came the deteriorated, rocky condition of the road. This made for slow going, zig zagging and dodging large rocks on the road, most embedded into the clay surface.

In a few places along the length of that road you would come to a spot where at the side of the track would appear flat areas of exposed rock and in the centre a hole, some large and some small.

 First one we came across was shallow and with water and grass growing in it, others were openings to large caverns, which when looked into, were caves disappearing into dark depths.

Scattered along the way were the usual wombat homes and signs of camels, though we didn’t sight any, Did pass some lizards, some slow to move and some very quick.

Two and a half days later we arrived at Forrest, a former meteorological station, the whole infrastructure of the former town was bought some years back by someone and now offers a campground for travellers. It is also the site of an airstrip and is used by the royal flying doctors and a lot of private aircraft, as well as companies. It is a convenient fuel stop for aircraft travelling from Perth to Adelaide and reverse. While we were there, a helicopter dropped in for refuelling and a stop for the night, as the pilots were ferrying the air rescue aircraft to Perth from Adelaide.

Stayed two days at Forrest and did some washing and treated ourselves to a meal provided by the managers of the business, while having a very interesting chat to the pilots.

Crossing the border

 

Half way across the Nullarbor is Nullarbor Roadhouse, just before is a sign marking the start of the Nullarbor National Park. Along the boundry is a road, or to be more presise, a couple of wheel tracks. We followed them towards the coast. At roads end, you are standing what seems like the edge of the world. It is in fact the very edge of Australia. High above the water, you look out over Southern Ocean, cliff faces on each side of you, and the Nullarbor stretching to the horizon behind. We made this our home for the night.

Next day it was back to the highway and westward bound. 10K before Border Village we again detoured to the coast for a camp. At this point the coastline is not farr from the road. Found a spot overlooking the sand dunes and waves. Spent the evening tidying up and preparing our remaining fresh veges and freezing them as quarantine doesn't allow you to take any fresh fruit or veg over the border.

Next morning we fronted up to the border. After filling up with fuel at $2.10 per litre, we drove to the check point. After some questions from the border control officer and showing our passes, then a check from the quarantine officer, we were over the border and on our way.

Eucla is a small township not far from the border, we went in and had a look around then got a sandwich from the cafe while we contemplated our next move.

Heading Northwest from Eucla is a dirt road going 112k to Forrest, a former railway town on the Indian Pacific railway, of course, we took it.

Nullarbor Plain

 

Nullarbor Plain

When we arrived in Ceduna, first it was groceries, then Din was feeling a bit worn out, so off we went back out of town for a bit and found a suitable camp site. Good enough for anovernighter, we would be back into town in the morning to finish resupplying and fueling up.

That night, as always latly, when we have phone signal, I checked the WA border website to see if we could cross any time soon. The status of SA came up as green, good to go.

Next morning it was an early start and back into town to finish off fuel, water, and any little thing we might need.

On to the web again and filled our border passes as required and in a matter of minuets we had our applications accepted and were good to go.

Our plan at the beginning was to lesurly drive the Nullarbor and detour off to the coastline where ever possible. Covid now dictated our plans, so, as the status of the state could change at any time, we would have to get to the border and cross while we could. 479K from Ceduna to Border Village, where the border is. Some could do it in about five hours, we were going to take four, days. I had stated the date on our pass and it was approved, so off we went.

We left Ceduna late and travelled about 70k to Penong, then another 15 or so to Port Le Hunte on the coast. A lovely drive in, passing on a causeway where the water on the left was typical sea water colour, though the shallow water on the right was a distinct pink.

At the end of the road was a nice area with a jetty and shark net enclosure, also a n undercover area with tables and some boards telling of the local history.

A few ks back down the road was a camp area where you could camp for $15 each person per night. Too many others camped up so decided to head back to the highway and find another camp site, which we did.

Next morning, back on the road. Head of the Bight was to be our next stop. There is a visiter centre there where for a small fee you can go down to the viewing area and search the ocean for whales. Being the time of year that the whales hang around here, we couldn’t pass up the chance to whale watch.

As we approached the boardwalk, dark shapes appeared from the depths. More than 10 whales were swimming around in the bay, some with calves by their side. They rest up here and feed up in preparation for the journey into the Southern Ocean in summer. How privileged we felt watching these magnificent huge creatures, gracefully passing by.

Pt. Labatt Sea Lions

 

Pt. Labatt

On the other side of Baird Bay is Pt. Labatt, the home of the largest sea lion colony on the Australian mainland. Couldn’t drive past that one.

There is a viewing platform high above the shoreline, perched on the cliff face. From there you can see the sea lions lying about and frolicking in the water. We arrived early in the morning, most of them were just lying about, still waking up. Some of the young ones were up and about annoying the adults and having a swim. Another highlight on our travels.

Travelling on, we followed the coast into other small bays and beach side villages, till we finally reached Streaky Bay, the largest town of the area. There we looked about and got a few supplies as Ceduna wasn’t that far away where we would resupply and consider our next move.

Wudinna to Baird Bay

 

We had decided to hang about in SA till WA allowed us in without 2 weeks quarinteening. So southward to the coast it was. SA was already down to a low risk state according to WA, only one more step to go.

We hit the highway at Wudinna and promptly checked out the town. It had a laundromat and a large vehicle car wash as well as a pub and RV park to get water, we were set.

First it was do some washing, dropped off Din at the laundry and went to the car wash and spent a small fortune cleaning the mud and salt off Ned.

Then checked out the RV park for a camp, had a look, it was OK but we talked ourselves into getting a room at the hotel/motel for the night.

Rested and long showers later, we headed out of town.

Southwest to Port Kenny on the coast. A sleepy little town, one servo/shop and not much else. Called into the servo and asked about Venus Bay Conservation Park Down the road,access and stuff. The lady in the shop looked out at the truck and said “I wouldn’t recommend it with that, most lickely get stuck.”

Didn’t argue with her and bought a bag of hot chips and continued on. Her words did make me a bit aprensive to go that way, but Din as usal was all for giving it a go, after all, that lady didn’t know what Ned was capable of and we could always turn back. So into the Park we went.

The track winds around the Bay and was no match for Ned. Although you could see in places if it was a bit wetter the track could become very boggy. With deep wheel ruts off the side where others had come to greif.

Made it all the way to the bottom edge of the cape where there is a vermin proof fence and a large gate to go through. Ned however could not fit through. A disappointment, would have loved to go all the way out to the point, but we went down to the shoreline at that point and camped the night.

A short way back was a road out which we took, and further up that road was one that went back to the coast on the other side of the conservation park.

It came out on a cliff face overlooking the coastline. Spectacular views of the rugged coast in both directions. A way over we could see a track disappearing over the hill, and it was too interesting not to find and follow. From our maps and GPS we could determine the track should go all the way to the next little fishing village of Baird Bay around the coast, maybe.

Off we went, and found the track. A slow, bumpy, but solid footing underneath us, we proceeded along the cliff edge.

Some hours later we hadn’t gone a great distance but were spoilt with magnificent views of the coast beneath these jagged towering cliffs.

Perched high above the ocean we selected a spot to stop for the night.

 Next morning we continued on and finally came to the back of Baird Bay, only thing was there was a large sand dune to cross to get to the village and it was the only way to get there. Tyres right down and into low range 4x4, with a short run up Ned launched himself at the dune. I was a bit doubtful if he could do it given the steepness of it, but without skipping a beat he powered on up the incline and reached the top with hoots and squeals of laughter from us, good old Ned.

Ceduna and beyond

 

Ceduna

After scraping off most of the mud caked on to Ned, we headed to the coast and the town of Ceduna.

The highway was damp and rain was on the way. Not a bad thing as it washed off most of the remaining mud.

Found the supermarket in town and stocked up again. Fuel next and water. A couple of ks out of town we found an out of the way campsite and settled in for the night.

Our Goal at this time was to cross into Western Australia across the Nullarbor Plain. After some reserching while we had phone signal it was apparent this wouldn’t be so easy, as WA had shut it’s border with SA, we couldn’t cross till SA was deemed a very low risk state re: Covid. This could take up to 28 days if the situation in SA stayed stable.

Another way was to go through the Northern Territory, which was very low risk, according to WA. But we would have to spend at least two weeks in NT before crossing into WA.

We decided to head up into the Gawler ranges near where we had come through the Lake Gairdner road to weigh up our options.

Minnipa, south of Wirrulla, where we had come out on the highway, is the next road leading into the Gawler Ranges, so we headed there. Just out of town is Tcharkuldu Rock, a camp ground which is easer to spell than it is to say.

A pile of huge rocks scattered over a rock formation which had been pushed up out of the earth many millions of years ago.

The resent rain was evident in the surrounding country with green, the depth of we hadn't seen for some time.

A beautiful place, and quiet.

Spent a couple of days there and moved on.

Just up the road was another rock, Pildappa Rock. It was on our way so we called in.

 This rock is likened to Wave Rock in WA and it is similar. We liked it so much we stayed another couple of days.

The Organ Pipes

At the entrance to the Gawler Ranges National Park, there is a side road leading to a place called the Organ Pipes. Never wanting to leave any road untraveled, we turned down it.

The Organ Pipes are a set of rock formations in a small valley, after a short walk from the car park they appear on the hillside. A rock terrace a little further on glisten in the sunlight with water trickling down it.

Back to the Ranges road and Old Pany Homestead was our next call in. A well preserved slice of the pioneering days, with story boards telling of the various aspects of daily life back then.

Back on the road and we were joined by an emu running along side, then without warning, as they do, he swerved in front of us and crossed the road. Fortunately I was anticipating this and he crossed without harm to himself or us.

With an overnight camp at Waganny campground, it was off again in the morning. Shearers Quarters was next on our agenda. This sheep property was operating up to 2003 when it was acquired by SA parks. They have preserved the shearing shed its equipment and the quarters the men used to live in. Very interesting to look around.

 

Now we were on the road out of the park and on our way back to the Highway. Except, one more detour, we came to a turn off going to Sturt Lake. Why not? The road skirted this salt lake, we went for a look.

Good clay road to start then becoming sandy, not a problem.

A sign directed us to a place called The Coloured Rocks, ended up at a small turnaround at the lakeside. On the shoreline were rock shelves and fragments displaying an assortment of colours.

After a wander, we decided this was our camp for the night.

In the morning, we carried on around the lake. Not too far up the track the sand got softer and the track got narrower. A couple of times we couldn’t go under overhanging trees and so had to find a way around. Also scraping through a lot of narrow patches we had a new set of pinstripes on the side of ned and a new garden on the roof.

With the tyres down and in low 4x4 we crawled along, till at one spot , ned stopped and stayed put. A bit of digging and filling the wheel ruts, as the diffs were dragging in the sand as the ruts were so deep, we finally crawled out.

Being about half way around the lake, it was a case of keep going, it can’t get much more difficult, can it?

So a bit further on a flat area next to the lake came up and we set up camp and I cleaned off the rooftop garden and checked everything else was OK, it was.

Ended up staying a couple of days there, the first afternoon a dad emu and his 4 kids came around in front and wandered about.

A lovely visit.

Also a couple of ring neck parrots landed in the tree in front of us and frolicked about for a while. These are the moments in these isolated places we love.