Nullabor trip

Whenarewethere · Guru

RE: Nullabor trip

oldvanman · Member

Thanks for the info on the water so it is true. Wow, looks like I will definitely need to take a water tanker following me along with my caravan !!!
And lots of deodorant as well i suppose.

Regards Oldvanman

Long Weekend · Guru

Hi Oldvanman,

Most of the road houses have attached caravan parks. Very basic with power but no water. Nor drains - I used a bucket and emptied it around nearby trees.

As I mentioned the roadhouses obtain their water from bores. Although people might think that there would be plenty of free water from a bore, the fact is that it has to be pumped up and instead of a swimming pool every hour or so they just get enough for their own use.

If you are able to do the trip in June as you plan, then being winter you won't get too smelly for the couple of days it will take going across!

At the Eucla caravan park at night take a walk to the cliff edge and watch the cars heading east down below. It is amazing how far you can see their lights. During the day there is a great view across to the sea.

I wished I had tried the hamburger at C*cklebiddy as Whenarewethere suggests. Going over we simply had a toasted sandwich to go, and on the way back had a knife and fork meal in the dining room.

Enjoy the trip.

Murray

86GTS · Guru

Many roadhouses on popular iconic RV routes are under pressure to supply the needs of travellers that think they are entitled to a free lunch.
Water is precious in many remote areas without "wasting it" on adventurous retiree RV tourists.
They've been happily living out there for many years & despite what many newbies think, they don't need RV travellers money to survive.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

We buy a pack of water bottles for drinking to take with us . Often stop to spread some money around, buying snack
or lunch . After topping up with fuel. Checking tyres, oil
Etc . A break makes for better concentration! No rush .

Whenarewethere · Guru

We are only in a car, so only one 5L container per day in remote areas or we don't get to see much. It's not actually that hard to keep usage to a minimum.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Even though we have 200l of water it can be used quick if wasted . We wet our selves in shower . Turn it off, lather up with soap and wash off . Ive check usage! Only had 3lites of grey water !! Including washing my hair . Can easy use 10litres. Funny thing is due to lathering up letting the soap work before washing ? Seems to do its job better !!

Whenarewethere · Guru

Once I tried to see what I could get it down to. So with 2 container, used 5L to wash me. Then used the water to wash a few small clothes. Then used the water to wash the car.

With air compressor & water, about 0.5L per minute, I can rinse off & it works on the car as well.

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woolman · Guru

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

About 200klm

Neil

Whenarewethere · Guru

Petrolspy

https://petrolspy.com.au/map/latlng/-32.27958174674989/125.39410657559642

Long Weekend · Guru

The shortest distance is 12kms between Border Village and Eucla.

The longest is between Balladonia and Norseman - 196kms. We didn't stop at the Fraser Range caravan park so do not know if they have a fuel outlet - I would check rather than take a chance.

Then there is the stretch between Eucla-Mundrabilla-Madura-Ciagana-C*cklebiddy that have relatively modest distances between them, the shortest being Ciagana-C*cklebiddy. Sorry, I don't have my map handy to give the actual distances.

By the way, there is quite a distance between Coolgardie and Southern Cross. Just over halfway was a roadhouse called Yellowdine. A friend was driving to Perth and stopped there to refuel, then when they pulled out turned right instead of left. They drove right up to the 'Coolgardie' sign - 75-miles there and 75-miles back, 150-miles out of their way! They were not happy. For those that haven't been that way the countryside is featureless with no farms or buildings anywhere. At night it is hard to know which direction you are heading.

(Yellowdine was closed when we went past in 2019. Don't know if it has been reopened since then.)

Murray

yobarr · Guru

Long Weekend wrote:
The shortest distance is 12kms between Border Village and Eucla.

The longest is between Balladonia and Norseman - 196kms. We didn't stop at the Fraser Range caravan park so do not know if they have a fuel outlet - I would check rather than take a chance.

Then there is the stretch between Eucla-Mundrabilla-Madura-Ciagana-C*cklebiddy that have relatively modest distances between them, the shortest being Ciagana-C*cklebiddy. Sorry, I don't have my map handy to give the actual distances.

By the way, there is quite a distance between Coolgardie and Southern Cross. Just over halfway was a roadhouse called Yellowdine. A friend was driving to Perth and stopped there to refuel, then when they pulled out turned right instead of left. They drove right up to the 'Coolgardie' sign - 75-miles there and 75-miles back, 150-miles out of their way! They were not happy. For those that haven't been that way the countryside is featureless with no farms or buildings anywhere. At night it is hard to know which direction you are heading.

(Yellowdine was closed when we went past in 2019. Don't know if it has been reopened since then.)

Murray

Yellowdine is open, with great service, cheap fuel and fantastic meals. They are happy for vans to park out the back, where there is plenty of room. Toilets and free showers, but I seem to remember that they close at 10pm. Great little place, with an abandoned house across the road to have a look through. Cheers

Long Weekend · Guru

Thank for that Yobarr - and for those travelling to and from Perth.

When I was working I used to drive across to the west for Christmas leave every year, but now that I'm retired I only manage to make the trip every couple of years. Yellowdine was always welcome as it was the only roadhouse between Coolgardie and Southern Cross.

Murray

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

If you realy want to get the feeling of the Nullarbor, get away from the highway and travel north-south.

Travelling north from Nullabor Roadhouse.

https://youtu.be/7vK-7cMyKUw

A 360 degree south of Watson.

https://youtu.be/cv7iE2ly9FY

Cheers.

Peter

yobarr · Guru

Long Weekend wrote:
Thank for that Yobarr - and for those travelling to and from Perth.

When I was working I used to drive across to the west for Christmas leave every year, but now that I'm retired I only manage to make the trip every couple of years. Yellowdine was always welcome as it was the only roadhouse between Coolgardie and Southern Cross.

Murray

Vibe servo, Eastern end of Coolgardie, does huge meals for low prices, and staff are just so friendly. Acre of parking across road and in surrounding areas, with an official "free camp" near the Railway station, and only a stone's throw from the local pub. Was once a great town, but now a bit dead although lots of old buildings have plaques with their history explained, while the museum is a great place to spend an hour or two. Cheers

peter67 · Guru

Was in Coolgardie at the Denver Hotel when they opened the last keg of the locally brewed Hannan's beer, 76 I think.

yobarr · Guru

peter67 wrote:
Was in Coolgardie at the Denver Hotel when they opened the last keg of the locally brewed Hannan's beer, 76 I think.

Pub's still going, getting very busy in evenings with locals drinking, eating and playing pool. Good meals at low prices, typical country pub. Cheers

Long Weekend · Guru

peter67 wrote:
Was in Coolgardie at the Denver Hotel when they opened the last keg of the locally brewed Hannan's beer, 76 I think.

I went through Coolgardie a couple of years earlier on the way from Exmouth to Melbourne. When I told my wife we were staying in Coolgardie that was a ghost town she freaked out!

In 2019 we had a meal in the Denver Hotel - it was for sale at that time but we passed. They had a large aquarium in the dining room with a single yabbie in it. They weren't happy with me when I enquired if the yabbie was on the menu!

Murray

FMC · Veteran Member

Love the Nullabor, we have only done it twice but each time we have enjoyed the scenery and the places to stop and chat, used to manage the Kimba hotel many years ago and the family came from the West Coast so just love anywhere over that way.

Ger08 · Senior Member

We have just completed the Nullarbor crossing this week and a few observations. The free camps were fantastic and seemingly everywhere, had one of the best hot dogs ever at Madura, Balladonia was the worst of the roadhouses in terms of stock availability - empty fridges and shelves, all the others were well stocked, the showers at the BP Norseman are awesome for $5, fantastic coffee at Boarder Village. There were some downsides, we saw the after affects of a devastating crash just east of Caiguna - Prado towing a large van had lost control and both van and vehicle total write offs, luckily everyone was ok and one group of three vehicles a motorhome and two caravans sitting on 75 kph.

-- Edited by Ger08 on Thursday 5th of May 2022 08:14:34 AM