The Nullarbor
Album photoBefore reaching the plains of the Nullarbor, the authentic treeless region (Nullarbor meaning "no tree" in Latin), we first have to leave Western Australia. The journey really begins in Norseman, last populated place before oblivion : get a taste of nothingness through browsing the "Gallery of splendid isolation". The photographer, probably thankful for the distraction, shows us with great enthusiasm all his good spots along the road: location on Google Earth and what it's like through the lens (when you are gifted). See for yourself ... We are even offered a desert bottle (to promote this rather local business) and his business card ("call me if you can't find the places").
Norseman, named after the horse of a pioneer who got a gold nugget stuck under his hoof, is a small town lost in time and space. Gold has been mined here for almost two hundred years. Today the relugar tourists would just stop to fill up with fuel and food although it was a thriving hub of camel caravans connecting inland farms to the sea in the past.
The distances to cover would definitely make a European dizzy: there are 1200km between Norseman and Ceduna, i.e. crossing half of Europe (from Brussels to Zagreb). No much civilisation on this section, apart from the asphalt on the road, the odd station or road house. Arriving at this petrol station / grocery store / campsite / museum / pub is like reaching the oasis. First stop: Balladonia road house. Less than 50 years ago, this remote area made the headlines when Skylab space station crashed in the "neighbourhood". A small museum exhibits some fragments. It was also here that the road was blocked by fires at the beginning of the year. Except for a few blackened trees and a faint smoky smell, everything seems to be back to normal.
We then rush on Australia's longest straight road : 150kms without the slightest deviation (guess who won the game of "who is first asleep" ?). Every so often, the road widens to become, in case of emergency, a landing strip for the RFDS plane (Royal Flying Doctor Service), the flying doctor. In addition to the kangaroos and the wild camels, the wombat is also entitled to stand on the road signs "beware of wildlife".
Our best camping spot is on a cliff, right at the border between both states. The dirt road is winding, the sun is about to set, at each turn we fear diving in the sea, dead straight into the South Pole. Further, the isolation of the plains of Nullarbor is overwhelming : no matter where you look, you can only see a sea of small bushes. It is actually a huge limestone plateau and scarce rain water still manage to sculpt it into caves in some places. A last glance at the huge wombat burrows and we are off again for the last stretch before reaching a populated place again.
Finally a village, Penong. A popular destination for windmill groupies, the Penong open-air museum has the largest specimen: a 10.6m wide Comet. Friday night is not a good time to be a partypooper, we are invited to spend an evening full of encounters with the locals until late in the night. Maddy and Bo invite us for a bbq / table tennis / poker tournament next time we happen to come along.
It's going to get nasty, the vegetables will not surrender without fighting back the greedy quarantine officer. Curcubitaceae are the losers : they are seized in Ceduna (note: a quarantine is imposed between the two states to limit the flow of parasites). The time has come, Katy just landed on the continent. We indulge in two extra strolls: a pretty rock here and a picturesque harbor there. All three of us shall meet for an unbeatable australian custom : breakfast, in one of Adelaide trendy cafe.