The Nullarbor

We left Ceduna at just before 10am. The van park we used (Shelly Beach) is one to be recommended - nice sites, sheltered by trees and separated from the others by some reasonable distance and foliage.

It is a 3 klm drive into the town though, but that's no great hardship. 

We were happily content that we had left our indigenous cousins behind, but Ceduna has its share of people conducting loud conversations across the street (or park) and otherwise lounging around when everybody else is working.

Still, that's life and we have to take the rough with the smooth. 

There is not a lot to say about getting from there onto the Nullarbor - it just sort of evolves from the treed areas into the un-treed areas. 

We visited the Head of the Bight (paying $7 each admission for stuff all really) and checked out the views. This time of year there are no whales around, but it is still a spectacular place. Can you believe that water colours like these exist for real?

The cliffs (the Bunda Cliffs) stretch off towards the west for a few hundred klms and they are magic.

While we were out on the walk we spotted a shark cruising around, just looking lazy and graceful. The photo is not very good, but you can see him if you look closely. It isn't a big shark, maybe two metres, but it is big enough to demand some respect.

And just to prove that we were there . . . . 

We stopped for the night at the free camp area just outside the gates.

The feeling of being out there on the treeless plain with no human support around you was unspeakably wonderful. And then another caravan pulled in and set up. This comforted Karen as she perceives it as security, but I'd rather not have anyone else around at all.

We took a look at the night sky, expecting it to be a blaze of stars (there were no clouds), but there was a full and very bright moon and this put most of the stars back in their box. Still, it was a beautiful sight.

We left the Head of the Bight and drove westwards, stoping at the various points where the road gets close enough to the cliffs to get a photo or two (see those following this paragraph) and headed across the plain until we reaced the WA border where a very efficient search for vegetable contraband was carried out. 

You can see where we parked on the top of the cliff opposite.

Lonely looking place isn't it?

Further on the cliffs drop away, but the water is still that same wonderful blue.

Tonight we spend at the lookout at the Madura Pass. The pic below shows the view out over the plains from where we slept.

No story about crossing the Nullarbor would be complete without a picture of the start of the longest straight bit of road in Australia.

Tonight we stop in the Newman Rocks area - free camp stuff again.