We first travelled the Nullabor (1970) when it was a gravel, well more like dirt, road and in the past 44 years would have done the trip on average 2 times a year. The telephone line was graded more often and had less traffic so many a trip we used that instead of the holey road.Bull dust holes, the old Ivy Tanks road house with 2 long drop loos, one lying on its side and the other doorless and facing the road, indigenous folks cadging lifts, fuel or food by standing in the middle of the road so you had to slow down or stop. Torrential rain on one trip and we were the last car allowed out of Eucla, The road was underwater all the way to Nundroo , at times seeping into the car, the occassional rise would find another car stopped with the driver just staring ahead at the water still to be traversed. We were towing a trailer with camping gear and had enough fuel to get to Ceduna so fuel wasn't an issue but our camping gear was all very wet. From memory it took us almost 10 hrs to do that section of the highway,Auto Fairlane in low and we just puttered along and had no issues. Had all the oils etc changed when we got to Vic just in case we had picked up water.
As an aside on this trip, we left Esperance the morning after the town street party and Santa was there on the fire truck. Got to Ceduna and there was Santa on the fire truck, Got to Grand Parents in Vic and there was Santa on the firetruck. No way would our kids (4 and 3 yrs old then) believe in reindeer and sleighs from then on!! In Australia Santa uses a firetruck. Even now 40 years on they still say he uses a fire truck when in Australia.
Now it is tar all the way. It is still a long way but there is a roadhouse every 200kms or so and the excitement of trip is not as great but there is always still something to see.
We first travelled the Nullabor (1970) when it was a gravel, well more like dirt, road and in the past 44 years would have done the trip on average 2 times a year. The telephone line was graded more often and had less traffic so many a trip we used that instead of the holey road.Bull dust holes, the old Ivy Tanks road house with 2 long drop loos, one lying on its side and the other doorless and facing the road, indigenous folks cadging lifts, fuel or food by standing in the middle of the road so you had to slow down or stop. Torrential rain on one trip and we were the last car allowed out of Eucla, The road was underwater all the way to Nundroo , at times seeping into the car, the occassional rise would find another car stopped with the driver just staring ahead at the water still to be traversed. We were towing a trailer with camping gear and had enough fuel to get to Ceduna so fuel wasn't an issue but our camping gear was all very wet. From memory it took us almost 10 hrs to do that section of the highway,Auto Fairlane in low and we just puttered along and had no issues. Had all the oils etc changed when we got to Vic just in case we had picked up water.
As an aside on this trip, we left Esperance the morning after the town street party and Santa was there on the fire truck. Got to Ceduna and there was Santa on the fire truck, Got to Grand Parents in Vic and there was Santa on the firetruck. No way would our kids (4 and 3 yrs old then) believe in reindeer and sleighs from then on!! In Australia Santa uses a firetruck. Even now 40 years on they still say he uses a fire truck when in Australia.
Now it is tar all the way. It is still a long way but there is a roadhouse every 200kms or so and the excitement of trip is not as great but there is always still something to see.
G'day sufil,
Its incredible, you have just described our trip over that desert back in 75,
at that time they still had 150 km to go in sealing the highway, the same as you, it had been raining for over a week at the time,
we were bound for Sydney to get our car on the ship for N,Z. and had less than a week to do it in, so nothing could stop us.
I remember when we arrived in Coocklebiddy the local Copper stopped us and told us the road was closed and it had been for a week,
When I told him that we had to be in Sydney by the end of the week, he replied, " well the roads closed" so if you go ahead, "don't expect us to come and get you" I then went into the garage and bought a length of plastic hose and a can of C.R.C.,
I fitted the hose over the tail pipe and tied the other end to the roof rack, used the entire can of C.R.C. on the motor and then after turning the air filter towards the rear of the motor, we rounded the drums and signs across the road and took off.
The next 150km was done in first gear with the water bow waving off the windscreen and as we couldn't see the road at all, I had to drive the car on an angle with the right side running along the graded side of the road, where I could see it breaking through the water.
At one stage we caught up to a couple of other travellers and finding a dry spot we all stopped for a break, while chatting to these other people we heard a roar from back down the road, next thing this little V,W came flying up to us straight down the middle of the road,
Just as this car reached us it completely disappeared into a hole fill of water and then came flying out the other side, leaving all of his exhaust pipe somewhere back down the track, seeing us he came to a sliding halt, opened his door and let all the water out, he turned out to be a Uni Student and he had to be in Melbourne that night, with a wave he took off and we never saw him again.
Well we did make and finally got to the new sealed section with-out missing a beat ,I'll always say it was the can of C.R.C. that got us through and probably a heck of a lot of luck thrown in as well.
One last thing that amazed me was that just before we left Perth, I had my car, a 1970 Holden Premier repainted a metallic sky blue with a white top, what did I meet when we got to the S.A. side of the Nullarbor? "Yep" an identical car with the same paint job !!
K.J.
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From Coast to Coast, We'll see it all.......One Day
My first crossing was in 1976. At that stage the SA side was dirt from Penong to the SA/WA border. The new road was being constructed but of course we couldn't use that.
The bitumen started again at the border, it was like driving on silk.
Two years later I crossed again from east to west, road sealed all the way. Little did I know then I was to become a permanent WA resident.
We have probably done 25 return trips from WA to points east to catch up with my family.
We are off again late Feb next year.
I love it, every trip is different, something new to see.
Wow memories hey well I first crossed in January 1976 ( I were 19 ) in my Holden premise only a 202 motor with twin 2 inch exhausts can't remember how much dirt but about 100 k or some such it was dry and hot a mate Uky and I were ticking along quietly when we were passed by a car and caravan and thought that's not right so down went the foot and passed him went almost flying over the cattle ramps and on to Perth with nearly a rattle from the exhaust worked there for 9 months first at a garage in Mullewa then on Widge Warra a farm own by Allan Bond ( he was still a good guy then ) had a ball sowed 11,000 acre of crop there , shore sheep for a while came home in September with another mate who went over at easter can't remember where but on the way home we pulled up and got some fuel and couldn't remember which way we pulled in to the servo ( may have had a drink or three ) so slept the night there what a trip. Returned 2 years later for a mates wedding 4 of us only one with a licence boy what a trip ( may have had a drink or ten ) on that one .
Flew back there this year went up to Mullewa and down to Albany in a hire car can't wait to go over in the van for a more leasurly look.
Yep Memories
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When the power of Love becomes greater than the love of power the World will see peace ! 24ft Trailblazer 5th wheeler n 05 Patrol ute and Black Series Dominator camper trailer ( for the rough stuff)
I'm gonna boast a bit. First crossing was in 1966 in a Holden EJ ute. Bad roads, bad dust but good memories.
Best memory was pulling up at the Penong pub in SA on a Sunday night after the pub closed and ordering a meal. Had to produce my driver's license to prove I was a bonfide traveler to get a beer. The WA license proved I had traveled more than 25 (I think) miles that day.
While I am not an early Nullabor traveller I did manage this - Emigrated 1986 (aged 25). Passed my drivers test in September, brought a car November (Datsun 200B - no aircon!) and drove the Nullabor December (on P plates!) I had a brother living in Brisbane so drove over for Christmas. Driven over a few times now but usually fly due to time constraints.
great stories folks - keep them coming. We've had about 16 crossings over the last 15 yrs - thank goodness its all sealed. Last trip in June we called into Koonalda homestead which was a fuel stop/station on the old Eyre highway. - about 15 k's north of the current hwy. Its now a car 'grave yard' and certainly worth a stop over.
-- Edited by villatranquilla on Friday 12th of December 2014 09:11:11 AM
I'm only new to this crossing, only done it once there and once back again., loved every mile of it, glad its sealed., Look forward to doing it again soon. -fran
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"I'll know what I've been searching for, when I find it"
great stories folks - keep them coming. We've had about 16 crossings over the last 15 yrs - thank goodness its all sealed. Last trip in June we called into Koonalda homestead which was a fuel stop/station on the old Eyre highway. - about 15 k's north of the current hwy. Its now a car 'grave yard' and certainly worth a stop over.
-- Edited by villatranquilla on Friday 12th of December 2014 09:11:11 AM
Not just the car graves, but interesting history as well. We camped there for a few nights, shared a camp fire with National Parks who were working further in the park. Great spot. Supposed to pay for camping at Ceduna.
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Pay it forward - what goes around comes around
DUNMOWIN is no longer on the road and still DUNMOWIN!
