Across the Nullabour

You'll head down the Stuart to Portagutta then off to Perth I assume?

cliffs - presumably you mean on the bight. You can get near the cliffs at the head of the bight and take a regular vehicle into one or other of the numerous cliff top spots.

There are few if any places to get down to the water...

dead trees ... chuckle. No. ... well yes.

There are a few salt lakes. THere are a few treeless plains. THere is some saltbush country. There is some spinifex.

There is some limestone carsts on the Nullarbor.

There probably are colourful rocks, but I'm struggling to think of much - perhaps head out to Gawler Ranges, where if I remember rightly you might get the car in to the organ pipes and rocks...

Breakaway country up at Coober Pedy reasonably accessibly by conventional vehicle but without stark white gums... in fact not too many stark white gums in the area you are planning...

Hi Laurie,

I've been to a few Edward John Eyre spots. Unfortunately a couple are non-sedan friendly.

From memory there is a plaque at Fowlers Bay where Eyre started his journey.

At Eucla there is a plaque attached to a boulder overlooking the plain.

At Eyre (non-sedan friendly) on the beach there is another plaque. To the immediate north east (~50-60m) behind a large bush is the original soak that Eyre used. There is a trapdoor which reveals water at about 3 metres.

Baxter Memorial is just down the way (non-sedan friendly) where he was killed.

There is another plaque at Rossiter Bay where ole' Captain Rossiter rendered assistance to Eyre and Wylie.

I'm not sure of Albany or of any others.

Cheers

Alan

Laurie,

Have a look at my trip report. May give you some ideas.
Site Link

Hi Laurie,

Depending on your time frame this option may be worth consideration
When you get to Norseman turn left and travel south to Esperance, through Salmon Gums and Gibson, both towns with some history and photo oportunities.
Esperance and surrounds is worth a look from a photo point of view. Many areas are 2wd friendly but some require 4wd.
From Esperance you can continue on to Albany then north to Perth, or turn north just west of Ravensthorpe (Big Mining development) to Perth via an interesting drive through the farming area (Hyden Wave Rock etc).

Hope this is some help.

Disco.

When you hit Eucla stay at the motel or van park and take the rough gravel road down to the old Telegraph Stn. Some nice dune, ruins and dead stuff photos to be taken and the colours are pretty specky as well. You can walk over the dunes to the beach to the old jetty I think (my wife couldn't be bothered walking down to the beach when we were there).

Just remember to turn right after pt Aug. I didn't once and ended at at Iron Knob.. :-)

Morning Laurie,

We are planning a trip in the opposite direction, from Perth to Tassie. We are leaving in 44 days, not that we are counting. My daughter (10) has been using our trip plan as a project for school. Anyway to cut a long story short, my mum, her parents and brother did a the trip across the nullabour in 1961, before it was sealed. I have find a photo of them at roadhouse, in 1961....taken with a box brownie camera, it is still a great photo, and we still have the camera, I have scanned it and used it in my daughter school project, at the her age she still has not heard about Eyre, Baxter or how the Nullabour was made....sad really.

If you want a copy sent to you, let me know. I will email it to you. I am not sure what car it is....possibly a morris minor/major...someone would be able to tell you though.

Debbie

"Breakaway country with stark, white gums?"

When you hit Norseman, take the Norseman Hyden road. Along there are some nice salt lakes and a spot called the breakaways. A great camping spot and some spectacular breakaway country. It is a dirt road, well maintained, however if too much rain has passed, it may be closed. They fine per wheel on the road in them there parts.

It will also take in areas such as Victoria rocks??,, mount holland, wave rock to name a few.

Have a good trip

Thanks Mike.

Sounds like a good little detour for me. I like salt lakes.


Teatree Creek where it enters Lake Torrens.

Regards,
Laurie.

Hi Laurie

The gate to the Head of Bight should be open for whale watching season (fee applies), and the viewing platforms give views of cliff to the west and dunes to the east. Then when you get to the cliff top lookouts, the first ones you meet coming from the east are probably the most spectacular, although i have been into them all with camera clicking. When you get to Eucla, the dunes predominate.

I suggest you take the Norseman Hyden road. It is a very well maintained wide gravel road, as it is a mine haul route. There are some interesting rocks along the way, all well signed, and Mike beat me to recommending the Breakaways (picture in my gallery). We got there in the afternoon, and i thought the morning might be better - but afternoon was best anyway. Stop for the night there if you can. Most of the rocks are designated camping spots with a long drop or two.

McDermid Rock is one of many many granite outcrops, and has an interesting wave face (common feature too).

Before the Breakaways and McDermid Rock, you cross Lake Johnston, a large silver salt pan.

If you wanted to take the deviation, further north towards Coolgardie is Cave Hill Rock. This has many small dams as the rocks were the only source of water collection. It has colours and textures and softer white rock has eroded to form 'caves' on one face as well as the 'wave' face.Victoria Rock road, the road going north from Lake Johnson for the first 10 or 20 kms has patches where wheel ruts have formed in wet weather, so this patch could be slow in a car, but as soon as you leave the Dundas Shire it improves. The road from Victoria Rock Road to Cave Hill had just been graded and goes through sand plain country ablaze with colourful wildflowers when we went through late last month. Where it had been recently burnt was the most colourful.

When you get into the Wheat Belt, you will find dead trees in many of the expanding salt pans.

Motherhen

Thanks to all of you.

That's some great info to get me started.

I'll need to allow a couple of extra days to look around.