28 December 2011 - 7 January 2012

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Rachel and I started floating the idea of travelling around Australia at the start of 2010. On 28 December 2011, after a lot of preparation and hard work the dream was realised and we rolled out of our driveway in Lobethal to see what lied ahead.

The previous two months of final preparations and renovations on the house, not the mention the chaos that is the lead up to Christmas, had left us exhausted and on day one we decided to set up camp in Riverton (Clare Valley). To this point in time I cannot claim to be a well seasoned campaigner on the road and spending time in caravan parks has been few and far between; however, I know quality when I see it. In the end the Riverton Caravan Park was so good we stayed four nights after initially pencilling it in for one.

Its main advantage was that it is not a popular holiday destination so we did not have to deal with the masses. If you ever feel like setting up base in the Clare Valley for a few days I highly recommend this quaint retreat. It was very cheap, the grounds were in excellent condition and there was plenty of grass and the bathroom and laundry areas were modern and immaculate.

John and Carol are the live in caretakers at the moment and their hospitality and willingness to go out of their way to lend assistance and to have a chat with their customers was second to none. Double spuds up.

We spent the first few days getting accustomed to living out of the van, unpacking and re-packing and in the end it was time well spent as we offloaded about 15% of our gear that we realised was no longer required.

It was a relaxing experience and a great way to start the trip and the highlight was getting to spend time with family in Clare (Brendan and Lynette) who went out of their to show us around the town and the surrounding areas – a big thank you to you both.

After a few quiet ones with a group of travellers at the caravan park on New Year’s Eve it was time to start making tracks on New Year’s Day and what a baptism of fire it was. A feeling of vagueness welcomed us as we packed up and that was a combination of a lack of sleep and the brewskies from the night before. There was a sense of urgency to hit the road as early as possible as hot weather was forecast.

The plan was to free camp in Iron Knob; however, as the day progressed it was evident we would need a shower and something that provided a little more certainty for us newcomers. As we passed through Port Augusta the petrol station attendant informed us that the forecast was for 43 and it felt every degree of that. Six hours after the journey began we pulled off our initial course and settled on Whyalla for the night.

By this stage we were in struggle town as we did not use the airconditioning on the way for fear of overheating the van. We found a vacancy at a caravan park for the night and set up shop. So far this has been by far the most challenging section of the journey and given it was our first real day of driving I think we pulled through pretty well. Given the extreme temperature we decided against sleeping in the van or pulling the tent out and opted for the swag. In the end it was a great experience sleeping out under the stars and managing to stay cool for the night.



Next stop – Smoky Bay. The increase in cloud cover as we moved west made for more comfortable driving conditions and we were able to sit back and enjoy this part of the journey. The route took us through Iron Knob (there was no way we would have survived after seeing the camp grounds), Kimba and Wudinna. At Poochera we stopped off at the roadhouse and as I ordered a coffee the young girl commented it was a hot day for a fresh brew. As we got talking she informed me that the day earlier had brought a staggering 49 degrees to the town..............I was stunned to say the least and even moreso when she said the previous Christmas had been 52!

Smoky Bay was a nice little spot and it is a recreational fishing destination. At the caravan park (fully booked) there was only one other van and the rest of the guests were geared up with 4WDs, caravans and fishing boats. We spent two nights there and sorted out some finances and those other bits and pieces that cannot be avoided even when on holiday but we did manage some nice walks along the shore and a swim. When I say swim I mean a paddle in the shallows.

On the second night an early night was required as it was early to rise the following morning to tackle the Nullabor Plain.

Up with the sparrows and off to Ceduna to re-fuel and have a bit of breakfast and off we went. The Nullabor Plain is not as desolate as you would imagine. There are plenty of roadhouses to stop at along the way and there was never really a section that was completely lacking any vegetation; in fact it is quite green in areas on the way across. We stopped at one point to look at a stunning view across the Great Australian Bite and got to take some equally impressive photos.

The end of the first part of the Nullabor journey was Eucla which is about 13 kms over the Western Australian border. The quarantine check at the border was not a problem; this is one aspect of the trip to research to avoid delays.

The following day had us off early to complete the Nullabor. As we drove out of Eucla there were a few emus on the side of the road which is something you do not see everyday. However, out on the Nullabor the less wildlife you see the better. When we read up about the drive across one writer commented that he saw the aftermath of a semi vs roo collision and it did not end well for either party.

This section of the trip included the longest stretch of road without a bend in Australia (just over 140 km). Not too bad if you have someone in the car to keep you company but you can easily imagine how someone could drift off given you are effectively in cruise control for a long way.

The final 30 to 40 kms into Norseman (end of the Nullabor) was the most eventful part of the trip to date. Ahead on the horizon were some nasty black and blue clouds and yep, we drove straight into a thunder storm. We later found out from another traveller that he saw a bolt of jagged lightning hit the ground but fortunately we made it through in one piece. At one point we were down to about 40 kms per hour as the bucketing rain brought visibility down to about 10 metres in front of the van.

Enough driving – we checked into the Noresman Caravan Park for the night (let’s just say you wouldn’t choose to stay there if you had a choice).

When it is all said and done the Nullabor Plain should be no problem for a novice provided you have researched the trip including where to stop for fuel (yes the fuel is a little more expensive out there but keep your pants on....you aren’t going to be filling up out there every day). If you have adequately prepared (car serviced prior to trip), regularly check tyre pressure and oil and coolant levels then you would be unlucky to break down.

We did some reading provided by other travellers who had been across the Nullabor Plain plenty of times and from Ceduna (SA) to Norseman (WA) you are looking at a two day trip. No need to stretch this out any longer unless you are keen on some outback camping but anything less than that with only one or two drivers and you are probably pushing things.

Out of Norseman the following morning and onto Kalgoorlie for lunch. I am sure there were a few tourist attractions to see but we were not feeling the vibe. As we pushed on Rachel did a bit of research on the net and found a caravan park at Bruce Rock which is off the beaten track but had very good reviews.

Good choice – for the first night we were the only ones there! It was a nice little spot and we decided to stay the following night to have a day off of the road. With a free washing machine and a seemingly newly built camper’s kitchen there was nothing much to complain about.

We went for a little walk in the morning to see what the town had to offer and although most shops were closed the town provided some diamonds in the rough. There were immaculate garden areas in the main street, an outdoor theatre and also a very inviting pool and recreation area. I am unsure if the locals have been working very hard to find some private funding to upgrade the town or Bruce Rock is in a marginal electorate – either way it was impressive.

The afternoon was wisely spent taking advantage of the local pool which was complete with a small waterslide and the facility also provided an enclosed cricket pitch and a mini basketball court. Not bad at all.

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Comments

[Shay]

Great blog!
Not bad for a novice blogger! I'll print out all your blogs and show them to Grandpa on Australia Day :)