Nullarbor

Ger08 · Senior Member

Nullarbor

PeterD · Guru

They are pretty all much the same. Unless there has been rain they will all be dry and dusty. The main difference between them is a few have dunnies and the rest do not. If it has been raining then many of them will be swamps.

My advice is to keep driving until you think you are ready to drop and then head for the next one. WikiCamps will tell you which ones have dunnies.

Ger08 · Senior Member

Thanks Peter

my concern as you say is that some maybe swamps - we will no doubt keep driving

aussie_paul · Guru

Off topic a little but these 3 couples are crossing the Nullarbor at the moment. They are travelling clockwise around Australia from Sydney. biggrin

Australia by Gyrocopter Face Book page.

Aussie Paul. smile

jrg · Senior Member

Just done a quick over to Elliston and back there are heaps of good camps have done 10 trips and never had a wet one some windy but not wet so cant comment on the sites in the wet . With most of the camps you can get upto a 1k off the road quite safely and would rarely be home alone but noone seem to park on top of you . As stated some more so in WA have toilets . This trip due to our traveling companion we stayed at Frazer range power and water $30 and Nullabor r/house again $30 no water both great spots .Nullabor is very green at the moment due to the cyclone whats it,s name that went through in February but June its will have dried off so there will be the Roos and Emu,s at dawn and dust your call to drive at those times .

Gaylehere · Guru

It's been 3 years since we went over the Nullabor. We used the then Camps 8 (now 9) book to see where spots were. Going over the Bight we just pulled off the road where other campers were. We are self contained so wasn't worried about facilities. Stayed at the ****lebiddy Roadhouse caravan park though as Hubby changed a tyre so I did washing. Showers were hot and clean. Are you heading across the top of Eyre Peninsular or going around the bottom? Lovely spectacular cliffs on the western side. Did the Eyre Pen. last year. Take winter woolies. Enjoy your trip. Cheers. PS: Up in "search" above type in Nullabor Camping and there are a couple entries from last year you can read through.

-- Edited by Gaylehere on Sunday 29th of April 2018 11:23:37 PM

The net is sensitive tonight and won't let me type the full roadhouse name.

-- Edited by Gaylehere on Sunday 29th of April 2018 11:26:00 PM

Kebbin · Guru

PeterD wrote:
They are pretty all much the same. Unless there has been rain they will all be dry and dusty. The main difference between them is a few have dunnies and the rest do not. If it has been raining then many of them will be swamps.

My advice is to keep driving until you think you are ready to drop and then head for the next one. WikiCamps will tell you which ones have dunnies.

That's the most irresponsible driving advice I've heard in my memory! Ger I would plan your days and how far you wish to travel to avoid getting caught out, there are plenty of stopovers along the way either to rest up or stay a couple of days.

https://www.caravancaravan.com.au/find

https://www.fulltimecaravanning.com.au/nullarbor-7-camps/

SouthernComfort · Guru

PeterD wrote:
They are pretty all much the same. Unless there has been rain they will all be dry and dusty. The main difference between them is a few have dunnies and the rest do not. If it has been raining then many of them will be swamps.

My advice is to keep driving until you think you are ready to drop and then head for the next one. WikiCamps will tell you which ones have dunnies.

Really???

JeffRae · Guru

Ummmm, depending on the person driving, this could mean after one hour or twelve hours. Stop being critical, open your eyes

It really is an "off the cuff" remark

"My advice is to keep driving until you think you are ready to drop and then head for the next one"

-- Edited by JeffRae on Monday 30th of April 2018 10:19:08 AM

Kebbin · Guru

Hours weren't mentioned only fatigue, I thought you were supposed to get smarter with age, not dumb down.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Done the Nullarbor several times - loved it every time. Back on topic - coming from the west, the first place we usually stop is Meckering, great little free camp, good meals at the roadhouse, and the best ice creams at the corner shop/café/gift shop. Camps toilets, dump point and water. I know it is not far, but it is far enough after packing and leaving Perth area to have a good rest. There are about five camps along the road from there to the border that have toilets, dump point, rubbish bins, and plenty of room.
Baxter - Fraser - can't remember the others. At Head of Bight is a great camp - huge flat area, no facilities at all, but you can use the loos at the Whale watching centre, about 1k down the road, when it is open.

There is a spot where you can camp on the cliffs, no facilities again, but the air from the ocean is fantastic to wake up to. You will see others out there. At Minnipa in SA there is the fabulous Pildappa Rock - a lovely camp, where you can walk to the top of the rock, the view is terrific, 16k down a good gravel road, go to the left when you get in best camping. Kimba has two camps - the Lions/Apex Park, and also the recreation ground which is donation - toilets, showers, water and a dump point. Not bad shopping in town either.

Iron Knob is a great camp, toilets, and a huge covered area with bbq, tables etc. Then you have the Sports Club at Port Augusta, toilets (when club is open) dump point and water. Must be self contained. No grey water on the ground, collect in container and empty at dump point. It is $7 night I think, but close to town, and great meals at the club.

Enjoy your trip - take your time - if you feel weary, stay two nights occasionally, refreshes you I find.

Treecrest · Veteran Member

There is a good free camp at Minnipa with toilets (just on the eastern side of the town. We left our van there and did the round trip to view the 3 huge granite outcrops.

Tony Bev · Guru

Ger08 wrote:
Hi all
we will be crossing the Nullarbor in late June early July - West to East and we were hoping to get some tips on some free camps. We have Wiki but if anyone has done it recently we would appreciate some tips on some good ones.

As you already have Wikicamps, then you already know where they are

Just take your time and have a look at every camp

On the Nullarbor they are mainly close to the road, some in WA have toilets and dump points, the ones in SA do not

As we are all different and like different camps, just stop for a few minutes to have a look to see if any particular camp will tick your box, for future stays

I like the one about 80 killometers east of Norseman, on the north side of the road, as each time I pass throught I clean the rubbish

Kimba in SA is well worth the visit. there are three donation camps, with one having hot showers for a gold coin
Please do not forget to donate, and spend some money in the town, otherwise there would be no reason for the locals to give us a free camp

JeffRae · Guru

Good read here - www.nullarbornet.com.au/

We have been across numerous times, and last trip decided to look for new bush camps. Found some that we subsequently marked as favourites

PeterD · Guru

Kebbin wrote:
PeterD wrote:
They are pretty all much the same. Unless there has been rain they will all be dry and dusty. The main difference between them is a few have dunnies and the rest do not. If it has been raining then many of them will be swamps.

My advice is to keep driving until you think you are ready to drop and then head for the next one. WikiCamps will tell you which ones have dunnies.
That's the most irresponsible driving advice I've heard in my memory! Ger I would plan your days and how far you wish to travel to avoid getting caught out, there are plenty of stopovers along the way either to rest up or stay a couple of days.

Maybe you push things too far if you attempt to do that but most travellers can judge an hour or more before their fatigue becomes a danger. The camp spots across that road are close enough for you to pass a couple of camps before you become a danger on the road.

PeterD · Guru

Ger08 wrote:
Thanks Peter
my concern as you say is that some maybe swamps - we will no doubt keep driving

There is not much chance of rain across there. You are dead unlucky to get heavy rain across there. However the place is so flat that water will pool on the tracks where you get off the road. If you do strike rain then you will find the rest areas that will be dry rather crowded. You may even be forced to stop at one of the roadhouses. Just stop a bit earlier than you normally would and you will find something. It may not be as nice as when you have more choice but "thems the breaks."

PeterD · Guru

JeffRae wrote:
Ummmm, depending on the person driving, this could mean after one hour or twelve hours. Stop being critical, open your eyes
It really is an "off the cuff" remark

"My advice is to keep driving until you think you are ready to drop and then head for the next one"

Looks like some here are not very well versed in the Australian idioms aren't they.

PeterD · Guru

Kebbin wrote:
Hours weren't mentioned only fatigue, I thought you were supposed to get smarter with age, not dumb down.

The whole basis for driving time management with the truckies is "fatigue management." Most of our members know fairly well their driving habits. Some on the forums have expressed that their fatigue limit is only to drive to around lunch time so they call it a day then. Others can manage their fatigue by frequent breaks and can safely drive for most of the daylight hours. Some including myself manage fatigue by getting the navigator to drive for an hour or two on the straighter sections. Different people travel different distances and times, that's why I did not mention distance or hours to determine where to camp. Maybe you need further training on fatigue management.

Ger08 · Senior Member

A big thanks to everyone for all the comments, advice and links, Im really looking forward to it

-- Edited by Ger08 on Tuesday 1st of May 2018 02:53:19 AM

KevinC · Senior Member

G'day Ger08,
We came over home from the West just last week. We'd crossed over to Perth about 2 months ago. I have to say it's the easiest road we've ever traveled, and probably as interesting as any as well. All the negative stories we'd heard about heat and boredom proved to be rubbish. It's an ever changing, exciting place to be with beautiful sunrise and sunset and scenery as good as any in the world.
The most frequent vehicles seen are caravans and campers, most drivers give a wave as they pass as do many truck drivers as well.
I think PeterD got it right with his comment (although many have taken him too literally.) We drove until we started thinking we'd had enough. Maybe we'd spent too much time playing golf, maybe we could feel the shadows starting to appear, maybe we were somewhere we wanted to wake up at. Whatever the reason we just looked for the next camp spot and settled in. Some are a bit close to the road, some are a bit too far from the road. You choose to suit yourself.
The only negatives we experienced were rubbish left by previous travelers, and headwinds. The headwinds can slow you down a bit but don't seem extreme for days on end. At least that's our experience.
We're glad we didn't plan our crossing, and I reckon when we do it again our stops will be different.
Enjoy.

Granty · Senior Member

We are doing the crossing to WA for our first time in early August. After reading your post KevinC I wont do too much planning and are really looking forward to it. Rod.

aussie_paul · Guru

aussie_paul wrote:
Off topic a little but these 3 couples are crossing the Nullarbor at the moment. They are travelling clockwise around Australia from Sydney.
Australia by Gyrocopter Face Book page.
Aussie Paul.

Did the link work?

Aussie Paul. smile

PeterD · Guru

aussie_paul wrote:
Did the link work?
Aussie Paul.

The link works but I still can not view the page. You need to be a facebook subscriber to do that, I am not subscriber.

aussie_paul · Guru

PeterD wrote:
aussie_paul wrote:
Did the link work?
Aussie Paul.
The link works but I still can not view the page. You need to be a facebook subscriber to do that, I am not subscriber.

Thanks Peter.

Aussie Paul. smile

Gaylehere · Guru

Thanks Aussie Paul. I had a look. Some good looking photos there. Places look different from the air. The wheat silos at Tumby Bay weren't painted when were there last year. Cheers.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

The ones at Ravensthorpe WA are painted now as well, I believe. There are some at Toodyay too.

Phil C · Guru

Ah the magnificent Nullarbor.

We have been on that track a few times and love it.

From Perth.

Coolgardie. The old rail station. Bit red dirt but has a dump point. Self Contained
Norseman showground. Now actually on the western side of the showground. Self Contained
Baxter 100 odd clicks east of Fraser Range. Self Contained has dump point Go down the track a bit loverly gravel area that few know about
Moordini Bluff 25 clicks east of Madura. Self Contained toilets but no dump point, watch out for inch ants as you go further in
Any of the Bite camps are worth a night stay. Not a thing at most of them except a magnificent view
Pildappa Rock 20 odd clicks North of minipa on the eyre hway. Take the dirt road just after you get into the northen part of town. No dump point BUT there is one in Minipa, magnificent spot. Self Contained
Kimba Showgrounds, GREAT spot, showers, nice town etc. Self Contained follow the road to the left on the main drag in town.
Alford divert off A1 and take the road to Wallaroo, great spot Self Contained
Thats all I can think of at the moment. Enjoy your trip.

Phil C

KevinC · Senior Member

Oh, and by the way, if you intend to play golf on the way over, make sure you visit the road houses to get your card stamped BEFORE you try to find the holes. Saves much time and frustration.

Ger08 · Senior Member

Thanks again to everyone for the info. Please feel free to keep adding