A Holiday in Australia - Crossing the Nullabor Plain

For a more adventurous holiday in Australia try The Nullabor Plain. The Nullabor Plain stretches from Norseman in Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia, a distance of 1200 kilometers. Nullabor is basic Latin meaning no trees because it is a treeless plain. There are no towns, only roadhouses several hundred kilometers apart but the road is sealed and in good condition.

Unless you are very familiar with roads and driving in the Australian Outback you need to do all your driving during the day. Kangaroos are especially hard to see and have a habit of being attracted to the headlights of moving cars and running for them causing accidents. They generally come out at dawn and dusk and at night and rest in the shade during the day.

If your holiday in Australia is to include the Nullabor then you should carry plenty of your own water and basic food supplies in case you break down. You are able to buy petrol and limited supplies from roadhouses but everything is about three times as expensive on the Nullabor so make sure you have budgeted for this. Most roadhouses have a restaurant where you can have a cooked meal or get something to take away. We found the ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches found at every roadhouse to be the perfect breakfast food when temperatures are low.

The Nullabor has ensured that many pests are unable to move across the country and quarantine laws are strictly enforced. Traveling east you will need to surrender all fruit and vegetables at Ceduna and traveling West at Border Village.

Accommodation can be found at all roadhouses. Most have camping sites and basic motel style units. There are no five star resorts and most would be considered quite dingy but after a day driving it is wonderful to sleep in a bed and have a shower.

For a holiday in Australia on the Nullabor the wildlife and scenery are spectacular. We saw emus, kangaroos, wild camels and lizards but our favorites were the wedge tail eagles soaring above us and landing on the road just outside of Madura. Nothing compares to the Great Australian Bight which you can view from lookouts near Eucla on or near the border between South Australia and Western Australia. Other attractions include meteorite deposits at Mundrabilla and caves at Cocklebiddy.

Crossing the Nullabor Plain usually takes two to three days and is a holiday in Australia you will never forget.