Early to rise at 6.00am (for a change just like the old grey nomads) and all prepared to set off for the big trek across the Nullarbor. A big thick fog had set in so the driving started with some slow going, but it soon lifted and we were well and truly on our way out of South Australia and heading towards Western Australia. The first time I took the journey I thought it was going to be nothing but desert, but how wrong I was. Along the way you get to see The Bight and many different roads along the way taking you to the cliffs edge where you swear you can imagine it has just been snapped off from the rest of the world all those millions of years ago. The road isnt all straight and not all flat infact there was a big range that we climbed at some stage and drove beside for ages
The scenery along The Nullarbor Plain is mainly thick dense shrub with no trees and the name was derived from Latin "nulla" (meaning no) and abor (meaning trees).
Along the way we saw a dingo, a wild dog plus fourty thousand crows sometimes moving a couple of inches to stop being run over. Because of us both loving birds marveled at the beautiful big eagles we saw just sitting in dead trees, resting, as big as a medium sized dog. I wish we could have taken a photo but when you are travelling at 110km per hour by the time you pulled over they would have taken off anyway. The signage along the way is quite unique to this area with warnings of camels, wombats and of course kangaroos all on the one sign. We didn't see any camels,live wombats or live kangaroos though, rather disappointing. We did see one thing that made our eyes bulge, the price of fuel at Bordertown (where SA meets WA) with the bowser stating a princely sum of $1.99, needless to say we only did a top up not a full tank. The road is fairly straight with one sign boasting the road being straight for the next 96 miles (146.6 kms)!!
Everyone should do this trip at least once in their lives and I know Crowey enjoyed the drive, just as I did for the second time. The first day saw us do over 700 km's as we settled in a camping area west of Caiguna as the sun was setting for the day.
I love cliffs (if you havent noticed)
the idiot copying a sign
beautiful sunset at our campspot just off the road
21.04.2012 to 22.04.2012 Kalgoorlie
Up early once again we headed off for the mining town of Kalgoorlie. I lived in Kalgoorlie for over 3 years and wanted to show Crowey the history, atmosphere and the still very active mining in this remote town sporting a population of over 30,000 people (it has been amazing to have seen so many places built up with mining then die once the mining had run out). Arriving in Kalgoorlie about lunchtime we set off to explore a man made marvel "The Super Pit". This super pit is the biggest open gold mine in the country and produces over 850,000 ounces of gold per year. The pit is currently 3.5 kms long, 1.5 kms wide and 360 metres in depth. I have seen this pit many times, always amazing me how big this hole in the ground is. You will see in the photos how small even the massive dump trucks look in comparison.
As we toured around Kalgoorlie taking in the gorgeous old pubs, historic buildings and of course a drive down Hay Street where the history of the "ladies of the night" are situated, what should we come across our driving around town...................... a couple of bulldozers, so of course keeping in with Crowey's ambition to take a photo of every bulldozer he sees, here are some more (he has to deal with me taking hundreds of pics of the coastal cliffs so I have to deal with it and you can also share my delight from time time to time, lol).
Sunday we pack up once again to head for my favorite spot in WA, Esperance!! It is here that we will get to meet up with our friends Mike and Alana who are also doing the semi grey-nomad stuff and travelling around the country.
a big boy now retired (the bulldozer that is)
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