Nullabor trip

clazandaza · Senior Member

Nullabor trip

jonathan · Senior Member

.. Hi Ian & Pauline ..

I just loved travelling that track .. good to see your out there enjoying it all. Not sure when you plan to back at your old digs, but I'll be back up there at Mareeba again .. could cross paths next year sometime as I do head north each year ..

enjoy your trip guys .. take care

Jon

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Thanks for the reminder Cazandaza, fascinating journey!
One of our more interesting events on that road was the RFDS plane landed while we were camped behind the Nullarbor roadhouse. The Nullarbor Golf Course has a hole there which interstects the runway, and a neighbor-caravanner was out playing golf at the time. When he returned he said it was the first time he'd allowed a plane to "play through".

neilnruth · Guru

Thanks for the fuel prices. Our neighbours at Nyngan tonight are heading across the Nullarbor. I'll tell them - if they haven't headed out before I get up. We're here for ? days. Waiting for repairs to our caravan - just happened to strike Show day weekend at Nyngan.

aussietraveller · Guru

Fuel costs across the Nullarbor are high but on our last trip across we discovered that at Norseman the BP on the corner was 12 cents per litre dearer than the Caltex just a short distance on the road into Norseman.

sufil · Guru

Also at most roadhouses you can have a lovely hot shower for about $3.

golivers travels · Guru

Aussietraveller the Shell one in town is even cheaper, only a very small, old petrol station. We discovered this years ago when we had a Shell Card, now always fill up there. Glenda

sufil · Guru

We always use the servo in the town centre too.

neilnruth · Guru

I guess the first one thinks 'Ah, everyone thinks they can't go another km without getting fuel so let's nab them!' Good tips.

milo · Guru

whats the distances between towns or fuel stops along the nullabor ?

Cruising Granny · Guru

It's a bit relative to the cost of getting the stuff out there, and the rest is the "grab".
I'm camped at Border Village tonight.
I must be following Pauline and Ian again.
How are you 2 going?
I'm not going any further west from here. Back eastward tomorrow some time.
Safe and happy travels folks. Sorry I missed you.
If you see 2 really big yellow dump trucks at 5.5metres wide, they're the ones I escorted across from Pt. Augusta. This arvo they've gone on to Kalgoorlie.
They're a very congenial group of blokes. Talk to them on the 2 way.

delapan · Senior Member

thanks for that info, we are in ceduna tonight and tommorrow and then across the nullabor, cheers, gary

jimricho · Guru

My suggestion (for what it's worth) is to allow sufficient time to take in the scenery between the Head of the Bight and the border, also Eucla.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

jimricho wrote:
My suggestion (for what it's worth) is to allow sufficient time to take in the scenery between the Head of the Bight and the border, also Eucla.

allow some time for Eucla, as you head into the service area go to the right you will see a sign for the telegraph station head down the road, there is a big area near the TS that will aloow you to turn around with a large van in tow, once you have seen the TS walk another 30 mins towards the coast and you will see this

Dougwe · Chief one feather

The trip across the Nullabor sounds very exciting indeed. I might just head West instead of North when I take my 1-2 month trip later in the year. I have always wanted to see the SA Coast as well.

Hydeeeho · Senior Member

Hi Ian We must be just in front of you as we stayed at Fraser Range Station on 7th and 8th May, now at Busselton WA, Fraser Range was a fabulous place to stay, especially the fire and beer o'clock and I did the walk up the hill some 579m and stoney walk ways.

clazandaza · Senior Member

Cruising Granny wrote:
It's a bit relative to the cost of getting the stuff out there, and the rest is the "grab".
I'm camped at Border Village tonight.
I must be following Pauline and Ian again.
How are you 2 going?
I'm not going any further west from here. Back eastward tomorrow some time.
Safe and happy travels folks. Sorry I missed you.
If you see 2 really big yellow dump trucks at 5.5metres wide, they're the ones I escorted across from Pt. Augusta. This arvo they've gone on to Kalgoorlie.
They're a very congenial group of blokes. Talk to them on the 2 way.

Hi Chris

Saw a few escorts such as that on road out of Coolgardie towards Perth. Was looking for your Rosie whenever we saw one. In WA until September due to two new grandkids arriving over here.

Take care

Ian

Cruising Granny · Guru

Pity we missed each other. I have met a couple of people from my past lives this week, but not you two.
Safe and happy travels.
There are heaps of big things traversing the highways right now.
Please listen to UHF CH 40 for instructions.
I spent my day calling nomads up on Ch 18 to get them to monitor Ch 40, so my time wasn't totally wasted.
It's very important to monitor all the transport on Ch 40 for you own welfare and safety.

rockylizard · Guru

milo wrote:
whats the distances between towns or fuel stops along the nullabor ?

Gday...

We just came across the Nullarbor as well and can confirm fuel prices as stated in original post.

Roadhouses are quite close (relatively speaking), ranging from 60km to 180km. At the risk of being offensive only a fool would run out of fuel crossing the Nullarbor - or a miser.

My idea was to fill up at each roadhouse - even if not staying overnight - and therefore spread the cost. I haven't done any calculations to see if it worked out cheaper/less expensive but if I do I'll share the result.

I was surprised to find diesel 1.999 at WA/SA Border and 1.869 12km down the road at Eucla and also at Mundrabilla only a further 65km along. Then back to 1.969 at Madura.

I guess it is not just the fuel companies that are making a quid out of the traveller.

We were also surprised we didn't see a single live animal all the way across the Nullarbor - and we took almost three weeks from Ceduna to Norseman. There was very little roadkill as well - so where have all the animals gone??

Cheers

John

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

I think it is a bit 'easy' to explain the variety in pricing as "freight" or "State taxes/levies".

Nullarbor Roadhouse (SA) $199.9, WA/SA Border Village (SA? or WA?) $197.9, Eucla (WA) 189.9, Mundrabilla (WA) 189.9, Madura (WA) 196.9, ****lebiddy (WA) 197.6.

Whichever way the fuel comes from - east or west - why can Eucla and Mundrabilla be different to the others? And 2c difference between Nullarbor Roadhouse and WA/SA Border Village?

Cheers - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Friday 25th of May 2012 10:18:41 PM

clazandaza · Senior Member

rockylizard wrote:
milo wrote:
whats the distances between towns or fuel stops along the nullabor ?
Gday...
We just came across the Nullarbor as well and can confirm fuel prices as stated in original post.
Roadhouses are quite close (relatively speaking), ranging from 60km to 180km. At the risk of being offensive only a fool would run out of fuel crossing the Nullarbor - or a miser.
My idea was to fill up at each roadhouse - even if not staying overnight - and therefore spread the cost. I haven't done any calculations to see if it worked out cheaper/less expensive but if I do I'll share the result.
I was surprised to find diesel 1.999 at WA/SA Border and 1.869 12km down the road at Eucla and also at Mundrabilla only a further 65km along. Then back to 1.969 at Madura.
I guess it is not just the fuel companies that are making a quid out of the traveller.
We were also surprised we didn't see a single live animal all the way across the Nullarbor - and we took almost three weeks from Ceduna to Norseman. There was very little roadkill as well - so where have all the animals gone??
Cheers
John

Hi John

You must have missed the skinnest dingo in the world that crossed our bows near Fraser range. Other nomads at the range also saw it so we agreed that it was likely looking for hand outs from cars.

Ian

Cruising Granny · Guru

We saw 3 or 4 dead wombats on the Penong end of the highway. Not much else. There hasn't been much rain out there and so there was no green pick on the road shoulder.
After this week everything should green up.
Whales start coming into the Head Of The Bight from now on. In the 90's when I lived in Pt. Lincoln a couple of cows would come in for a rest after the long trip from Antarctica. They's wallow around Boston Bay for a couple of days, and then head out the southern entrance to give birth at the Bight. They would return with their calves to show off we thought.
There were about 50 whales assembled in those days, but I've read several hundred southern right whales now assemble there. Last year I visited the Whale Watching Centre late in the season and there was just 1 cow and calf left.
It's a wonderful experience to watch these huge gentle beasts going about their lives in such peace and tranquility.

Cruising Granny · Guru

As for the fuel prices, each state adds its own taxes and levies etc. I'm sure that accounts for the difference of fuel prices between SA at Border Village RH and Eucle in WA. Of course there's always "freight".
There was a time I was going to go into the freight business. I wasn't going to actually move anything, just charge "freight".
It seems to be the most lucrative business, judging by the price they charge for a newspaper in Broome, all attributed to "freight".

Cruising Granny · Guru

It's always hard to come to terms with those prices no matter which direction we're travelling. Fortunately we don't have to fill there every time. I've had to do it about 3 times in the last 12 months. Nullarbor RH is the place I avoid for fuel stops.
I was only stating the commonly used excuses for the variation and inflation of prices in remote regions of the country.
Like I said, "freight" seems to be the most common, profitable product.
The variation indicates that freight charges are also inconsistent. The fuel at Border Village SA comes from Ceduna which comes from Adelaide or somewhere.

oldvanman · Member

A quick question please , I will be picking up a new caravan in June and then heading from Sydney over to Perth across main normal route. I have been told that there are no places across that route where you can fill up your caravan water tanks when you are in the middle sections ?? I was also told that if you use the caravan parks during the trip over you can get showers etc but you still cannot fill your caravan water tanks from the caravan park where you are staying overnight . The caravan parks dont have enough water.

IS THAT TRUE or not please ?

Im dumbfounded and you could knock me over with a feather if that is correct?

If and experienced traveller in those areas let me know it would be appreciated.

Kind Regards Oldvanman

Long Weekend · Guru

True.

At both ends of the Eyre highway the piped water stops at Norseman and Penong. In between the road houses have bore water which is very hard, you wouldn't want to put it in your van anyway. The roadhouses process just enough 'soft' water for the kitchen and bar so there is none available for caravans.

At Kockbiddy (that beats the censor!) they have a coin operated dispenser for fresh water - if my memory from 2019 serves me it was $2 for 10-litres, you provide your own container. At that rate it would be very expensive to fill up your van tanks. Timed showers were by tokens and if you wanted to wash your hair at the same time then you had to buy the special shampoo for the hard water. Ladies, don't say you haven't been warned, it will take a week or so to get your hair back to normal if you use your normal shampoo.

By the way, while nothing to do with water, but with drinking! When leaving Eucla to return east we were pulled over and breathalised 100-metres from the SA border! Luckily, we only had a coffee, but a warning to other travellers having a last WA beer for the road!

Murray

Whenarewethere · Guru

Correct.

One just needs to manage water better. We each use 2.5L a day, in hot weather 3.0L each.

Rince cereal bowl with tea. Eat things that don't need to be washed. You can't take fruit & veggies into WA anyway (look at border quarantine restrictions)

Quarter of a cup to clean teeth. Wash yourself with a damp flannel. Wet wipes save water.

In the morning depending on weather you can collect condensation off metal surfaces.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Long Weekend wrote:
At Kockbiddy (that beats the censor!) they have a coin operated dispenser for fresh water - if my memory from 2019 serves me it was $2 for 10-litres,

Cocklebiddy

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<span>Co</span>cklebiddy