Driving holidays – Esperance to Port Augusta (WA)

Driving holidays – Esperance to Port Augusta (WA)

DESERT ROAD DREAMING

The great vastness of the desert …The Nullarbor. What  a drive! We set off early in the morning thinking we would get a big day of driving in. Silly idea. The amount of wildlife playing on the road was bordering on being ridiculous. Certainly, this provided terrific photography opportunities, but not a particularly safe environment when towing a 4000kg road beast in their path.

The Nullabor is deceiving and almost every person we bumped into (not literally!) along the way, which wasn’t many mind you, had a great yarn about their journey. And make sure you experience the Nullarbor Roadhouse, which is a real treat. There is an old bike there that some silly dude rode on for the entire Nullarbor Plain back in the 1950s. There isn’t much there, however. In fact, there isn’t much anywhere along the plain. We were very lucky to run into not one but two herds of camels. They are such beautiful, mighty creatures.

One thing we had totally forgotten about was the Great Australian Bight. And, boy, what a sight that is. We sat in awe for almost two hours admiring how untouched and magnificent our southern coastline is. I never knew it was quite like that and I never knew that it ran for such a great distance. Be sure to call into every lookout along the way – there are five – as each one offers a totally different aspect.

The photo opportunities along the Nullarbor are absolutely magic. There is a stretch of road that is 114km
in a completely straight line. No joking, you could almost lock the steering and take a nap! The road is perfect and in great condition, but one thing you won’t see a lot of is people. We drove one day for almost seven hours and only passed three vehicles. Not sure if that’s because of the time of year – we actually did it in mid-January – or whether people are put off by the sheer length of it. But here’s some sound advice: don’t be put off! It’s a fantastic trip and we will most definitely do it again. Just remember to stock up on petrol and water every chance you get, because it’s a long way between drinks – for you and your car.

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT

(catch Peter and family exploring Australia on the Great Australian Doorstep on Foxtel)

Scott Podmore

Scott Podmore

Award-winning writer, editor, photographer, videographer and owner of October Grey Media. Specialising in travel and lifestyle content and a full member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers. Has contributed regular content for the NewsCorp stable of newspapers and magazines, TravelTalk mag, The Departure Lounge and many more publications in Australia and internationally. Follow on Twitter & instragram #scottpodmore

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