Nuytsland NR has a frontage to the sea of about 500 km - the longest of any Australian conservation reserve. The Reserve lies primarily in the Southwest Interzone region of the Eramean botanical province and is characterised by mixed mallee woodlands and kwongan thickets fringed by coastal heaths.
Israelite Bay to Wattle Camp
At Israelite Bay you'll find a significant telegraph station ruin and this is an attractive
camping spot with good access to
beach fishing and to Point Malcolm. The 55 km section from here to Wattle Camp, trending NE, is reasonable going over sand and through dry lake systems (which might be a problem after rains). This is a scenic and diverse area with a third being vegetated dunes, a third being salt lakes and the remainder woodlands. Camp spots abound around the lake systems (although a bit exposed) and Wattle Camp holds a lovely large grove of mallees which looked great for an overnighter.
Wattle Camp to Culver Campsite
The 53km section can be done via the inland telegraph route or as a long beach run. Note special warnings in the Preparation section. You must head these warnings as there is a real danger of becoming trapped against the sand beach cliffs halfway along. However, this section is too easy when the conditions are good and has the advantage of going past the magnificent
Bilbunya Dunes, up to 100 metres high. Just don’t be tempted to go too quick as in hooning as there are frequent shallow ‘hidden’ sand gullies lying across the beach. Entry/exit at Wattle Camp is marked by two poles straddling the track. The beach entry/exit by Culver campsite is marked by a pole with an arrow on it. The track through the dunes is easy and leads past the campsite. Culver campsite is very neat and appealing with many spots in and under the coastal heath and mallee.
After leaving the beach, you'll ascend the steep Wylie Scarp. Previously this was a major challenge due to severe gullying but there is now a beltway comprising recycled conveyor rubber which has made the climb very easy to negotiate. The top of the scarp marks the coastal boundary of the mallee woodlands. The view at the top is sensational and makes a great spot for a break. Note that it is possible to continue on the beach beyond the access point for about 7 km to the base of the cliffs but advice received from DEC is that the going becomes increasingly soft.
Culver Campsite to Toolinna Cove
The Track proceeds through extensive mallee woodlands over mainly limestone pavements resulting in slow going. At about 7km from the Scarp there is a signed track north to the
Eyre highway (if heading to Balladonia). Take the right fork and continue on the Telegraph Track through dense vegetation. There are no ideal or designated campsites, however an overnighter is possible in any of the clear patches.
At the Toolinna end the track T junctions. Take the right for 1 km to the Baxter Cliffs
lookout for spectacular views; continue to the left for about 9km to the Cove itself which was for those years the only point in the cliffs where supplies for the telegraph line could be safely landed.
Toolinna Cove to Baxter
From Toolinna the track passes through continuing similar woodlands although increasingly scratchy but with less limestone outcropping. It is easy to do damage to mirrors and the like. There are two
places as indicated by waypoints in this route file that are excellent for overnight camps, although numerous other alternatives exist. At about 54km the track junctions with the track north to the
Eyre Hwy at
Caiguna. Continuing eastwards on stony ground to right for 13 km is the Baxter
Memorial (easy to miss) and a further 3km leads to the Baxter Cliffs, again with outstanding views.
Note that this trek did not use the Baxter to Twilight Cove section of Telegraph Track. Recent advice from DEC is that the track is trafficable but in spite of recent limited pruning is very scratchy and that vehicles larger than a Troopie probably wouldn’t be able to push through. The western end of this section is very hard to find apparently. However, advice from another traveller puts it at 32* 27’ 34” S 125* 31’ 50.5” E adjacent to some old rusted watertanks. By proceeding past the tanks a track can be found but, as it was not explored , proceed with caution.
Baxter to Twilight Cove
The trek retraces back to the Toolinna section/
Caiguna track junction then north to
Caiguna; 22km away, then onto Cocklebiddy via the
Eyre highway. The last 10km is open and easy and is much more akin to Nullabor Plains topography. You are then on the
Eyre Hwy between
Caiguna and Cocklebiddy. At Cocklebiddy seek directions to the Twilight Cove track as it is easy to miss in the maze of tracks behind the roadhouse.
From Cocklebiddy to Twilight Cove the track is similar to that for the last 8km of the
Caiguna track but then becomes progressively rockier through woodland. At 23km the track is very rough but then becomes mainly deep sand quite open through woodlands. Tyre pressures need to be reduced to between 20-25psi.
When arriving at the Twilight Scarp it is advisable to descend down onto the Roe Plain in low range due to severe water erosion gullying but it can be done safely. At about 30km near a beach shack (Carlisle’s Hut) the track forks to campsites on left and to beach access and to the cliffs on the right, or to a further fork right through soft acacia to some scenic claypans behind the beach dunes.
Twilight Cove to Eyre
Continue through the campsites area to arrive at another beach access. Just behind the beach dunes is an unmarked track paralleling the beach eastwards. Proceed on this track as it gradually trends away from the coast through sand dune country. At a few points the track is obscure. After about 15km the track trends back to the coast down to Kanidal Beach coming out at a place known as the ‘nine mile’.
The run from here to the
Eyre (about 14 km) exit is easy, provide tides are below 0.6 metres and low to moderate swell conditions prevail. If the tide is too high there is a challenging, slow but rough going track just inland behind the foredunes; the entry onto this track is about 500 metre east of where you originally descended the dunes.
On the beach, travel behind the weedbanks for a few hundred metres until reaching open beach. The odd looking posts on the beach dunes are for bird count measurements and are staged approx. 1km apart but distances can’t be accurately re-standardised for historical count reasons.
Note that from Twilight the Bird Observatory should be contactable on UHF 12. The custodians, always great people and volunteers, would appreciate a call advising your prospective arrival.
The exit from the beach is unmissable as there is a substantial commercial
fishing boat wreck adjacent. Proceed through a low relief dunefield past the sign to
Eyre and the
Eyre, Baxter, Wylie
memorial, to come rapidly to the Observatory and trek end.
Eyre Bird Observatory is located at
Eyre and is housed in a beautifully restored telegraph station. EBO is a delightful spot well worth a day. Bookings can be made for
accommodation and meals or for day visit
tours at a nominal fee. No supplies are available but interested visitors are welcome to help with their local research and activities.
(Final note - The track from EBO to the
Eyre Hwy is through identical country to the Cocklebiddy to Twilight leg but the track condition is much much better. The sand is regularly graded and the jump-up over the scarp has been engineered to road standard. At the radio tower at the halfway point the track becomes formed road. Proceed to the Hwy km east of Cocklebiddy).
