The remants of Tropical Cyclone Rusty crossed the country to SE WA, refreshing this usually dry and dusty region of Australia to a glowing "forest".
The foliage shines in the morning sun, and muddy puddles still reflect the glistening foliage of every shade of green overhead. A carpet of grasses appears to be mown to a uniform height resembling a well-watered golf course. Some of the vegetation is even flowering to show its appreciation for the refreshing rain.
Numerous travellers from both directions are enjoying this late summer phenomenon.
It's really worth the trip.
jules47 said
05:02 AM Mar 30, 2013
Another reason to do the Nullarbor is - just because!!!!!!!!! Love the trip over to the west, hope to be doing it again soon!!!
Great to see you back on line - working so hard - enjoying every minute I trust?
Grams said
05:25 AM Mar 30, 2013
The reason the Nullabor is on our list is because it's there...lol. I have only travelled it once on a bus at night from Perth to Bolivar in SA. I am so looking forward to seeing every inch of it. Thank you for the lovely description, I can only imagine it.
Hylda&Jon said
06:11 AM Mar 30, 2013
Just don't get bogged on the Nullarbor like we managed to do a couple of years ago
elliemike said
06:37 AM Mar 30, 2013
Hylda&Jon wrote:
Just don't get bogged on the Nullarbor like we managed to do a couple of years ago
BOGGED !
How long ago was this.
You must have been off the road on the dirt surely, not the bitumen.
Come on tell us the story.
Dougwe said
04:30 PM Mar 30, 2013
Do you need a reason?
Hylda&Jon said
04:39 PM Mar 30, 2013
elliemike wrote:
Hylda&Jon wrote:
Just don't get bogged on the Nullarbor like we managed to do a couple of years ago
BOGGED !
How long ago was this.
You must have been off the road on the dirt surely, not the bitumen.
Come on tell us the story.
Was a couple of years ago.
The South Australian side of the Nullarbor was a fantastic drive and we stretched it over 5 days, even spending 3 glorious nights camped on the cliff edge.
Not long after we hit the Western Australian leg it started teaming down with rain and continued all the way across.
As we approached the the end of the Nullarbor we didn't want to pay for a caravan park at Norseman so we swung into a truck stop about 7km short. It was a smooth unpaved surface which looked good so I swung the car & caravan into it.
Unluckliy I found out the surface was smooth only because no one had been silly enough to drive on it yet. Lesson learnt...clay is not a good surface in heavy rain and there is lots of it in this region. After about 30mtr into the truck stop we managed to get well and truly bogged.
Thankfully we chose a spot close to the town of Norseman so we were in Mobile phone range. The RAC took less than an hour to get to us which we were thankful for as it was about an hour before dusk. After nearly getting bogged himself, the RAC guy gave up deciding it was too risky. He rang a mate with a 4WD and snatch strap to come out. Another hour later and right on dusk he managed to pull us out...just. Of course it was still pouring with rain through all this.
We limped into Norseman, mud caked up to the wheel arches and covering our shoes, gratefully excepting the hospitality of the local caravan park and happy to be saftely back in civilization.. Many thanks to the RAC (and at no charge)
Cheers
Jon
scottynbulldog said
04:48 PM Mar 30, 2013
Hi CG, we are hoping to leave at the end of April to slowly (very slowly) make our way across the Nullarbor. Hopefully we may catch up with you this time around, somewhere.
_wombat_ said
05:23 PM Mar 30, 2013
another good reason to do the Nulla is to see the Nullarbor Nymph
Just don't get bogged on the Nullarbor like we managed to do a couple of years ago
BOGGED !
How long ago was this.
You must have been off the road on the dirt surely, not the bitumen.
Come on tell us the story.
Was a couple of years ago.
The South Australian side of the Nullarbor was a fantastic drive and we stretched it over 5 days, even spending 3 glorious nights camped on the cliff edge.
Not long after we hit the Western Australian leg it started teaming down with rain and continued all the way across.
As we approached the the end of the Nullarbor we didn't want to pay for a caravan park at Norseman so we swung into a truck stop about 7km short. It was a smooth unpaved surface which looked good so I swung the car & caravan into it.
Unluckliy I found out the surface was smooth only because no one had been silly enough to drive on it yet. Lesson learnt...clay is not a good surface in heavy rain and there is lots of it in this region. After about 30mtr into the truck stop we managed to get well and truly bogged.
Thankfully we chose a spot close to the town of Norseman so we were in Mobile phone range. The RAC took less than an hour to get to us which we were thankful for as it was about an hour before dusk. After nearly getting bogged himself, the RAC guy gave up deciding it was too risky. He rang a mate with a 4WD and snatch strap to come out. Another hour later and right on dusk he managed to pull us out...just. Of course it was still pouring with rain through all this.
We limped into Norseman, mud caked up to the wheel arches and covering our shoes, gratefully excepting the hospitality of the local caravan park and happy to be saftely back in civilization.. Many thanks to the RAC (and at no charge)
Cheers
Jon
The joys of the open road.
We know the situation as it happenned to us in South Australia. Pulled off the Highway for morning coffee when we saw a sign saying "Something" LakePicnic area. About a Klm off the higway on a sealed road. Except the last bit to the pic nic table (about 50 metres) which looked like Smooooth Bitumen was Smoooooth Black Clay. Not a tyre track in it, Sunny morning, green grass verges, lovely lake. Looked just like the Bitumen road that last 50 metres.
The rest is like your story above.
jules47 said
05:47 PM Mar 30, 2013
That's right Wombat - you have quite a fancy for that nymph don't you???????????
_wombat_ said
05:54 PM Mar 30, 2013
jules47 wrote:
That's right Wombat - you have quite a fancy for that nymph don't you???????????
that was one of my best trips across the Nulla
jules47 said
05:57 PM Mar 30, 2013
Just thought of another reason to cross the Nullarbor ---------to meet Wombat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dougwe said
01:44 AM Mar 31, 2013
Come on Jules, don't be too nice to Bigw as his head is big enough now.
_wombat_ said
03:04 AM Mar 31, 2013
Dougwe wrote:
Come on Jules, don't be too nice to Bigw as his head is big enough now.
you leave Jules alone you bully, she's a mate of mine
Dunmowin said
07:00 AM Mar 31, 2013
Cruising Granny wrote:
The remants of Tropical Cyclone Rusty crossed the country to SE WA, refreshing this usually dry and dusty region of Australia to a glowing "forest".
The foliage shines in the morning sun, and muddy puddles still reflect the glistening foliage of every shade of green overhead. A carpet of grasses appears to be mown to a uniform height resembling a well-watered golf course. Some of the vegetation is even flowering to show its appreciation for the refreshing rain.
Numerous travellers from both directions are enjoying this late summer phenomenon.
It's really worth the trip.
Hey GC, really were looking out for you as we crossed! Agree, the vegetation is absolutely beautiful at the moment, the green is so clean, and yes the early flowers are delightful. Our 11 day crossing was a delight. If only I could find my little note book with facts that I promised I would give on this forum/./..
Scotty01 said
03:53 PM Mar 31, 2013
Why do you need a reasong for that drive? Have only done it twice but will be doing it again!
_wombat_ said
04:01 PM Mar 31, 2013
Scotty01 wrote:
Why do you need a reasong for that drive? Have only done it twice but will be doing it again!
The main reason most people do it is to get from east to west or from west to east
jimricho said
06:11 PM Mar 31, 2013
I crossed the Nullarbor a month ago. Not the wimpy little bit of Nullarbor near the Head Of The Bight that the Eye Highway crosses but the real Nullarbor in this rig.....
Gerty Dancer said
08:00 PM Mar 31, 2013
Woo Hoo! Fantastic journey on that train Jim, would love to do that.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip across the Eyre highway, I was surprised there was so much to see along the way.
But recently met a bloke who complained he hated driving long distances on the Eyre or Stuart Highways, he said its so boring he tries to get it over with as fast as possible...!!!! Oh well, it takes all kinds.
elliemike said
09:19 PM Mar 31, 2013
Yes we know of people like that who do 700 klm's a day as they only like being at places. The driving is a boreing part of camping. Takes all sorts.
gwb said
09:57 PM Mar 31, 2013
WE are doing the Nullabor again in May as we "have" to be over there for the birth of a grandchild late July or early August, so we will once again be enjoying the run over. Hope to see some other members on the run over and/or back. Geoff and Bev
Cruising Granny said
05:16 AM Apr 1, 2013
_wombat_ wrote:
another good reason to do the Nulla is to see the Nullarbor Nymph
I think it's best to put your vivid imagination about this fictional Nullabor character to sleep. Leave the poor girl her privacy and dignity in her tgwilight years. I'm not sure she still lives in Ceduna.
She was a real person, the girl friend/wife of a rabbit shooter, before the road was sealed. It sure kick-started the imaginations of generations, and Wombat is living proof.
Well, I think he's still living. Or is he a figment of someone's vivd imagination too?
Cruising Granny said
05:27 AM Apr 1, 2013
I've "done" the Nullabor fairly often in the last 2 years. I do jobs from border to border because SA has some different rules about oversize loads. SA is 1403 kms wide from ****burn to Border Village if we go straight through Pt. Augusta over the bridge. If we have to go via Yorkey Crossing if the job is over 4 m wide it adds another 30 kms to the trip. Yesterday I drove the 1200 kms from the border to Adelaide to get home. I was rewarded this trip with the live view of a living Echidna between Madura and Eucla. I even had the opportunity to take a couple of pics. I just love seeing our critters in their own habitat. There's a patch of land between Penong and Nundroo which is the habitat of just about the entire hairy nosed wombat population in Australia. You can see the bare earth mounds both sides of the highway, not far off the road where they burrow. During mating season many fall victim to the traffic. It's a sad fact of wildlife out in the wild. Along the Eyre Highway you will cross the Dingo Fence, and west of the fence you will see dingos running along the highway, their dens, and the resident dingo at Nullabor Roadhouse. Then the whales head to the Head Of The Bight from June to late September. Southern Rights have increased their population by hundreds at the foot of the cliffs. Another amazing view. There are the caves at ****lebiddy and several other interesting geographical and historical features of this isolated region which has temperatures which could fry you on a summers day, to frosts and winds in the early morning which could freeze parts of the anatomy of a brass monkey. Please sit up and look. Take in the scenery. Don't read a book and convince yourself "it's boring".
Cruising Granny said
05:32 AM Apr 1, 2013
Dunmowin wrote:
Cruising Granny wrote:
The remants of Tropical Cyclone Rusty crossed the country to SE WA, refreshing this usually dry and dusty region of Australia to a glowing "forest".
The foliage shines in the morning sun, and muddy puddles still reflect the glistening foliage of every shade of green overhead. A carpet of grasses appears to be mown to a uniform height resembling a well-watered golf course. Some of the vegetation is even flowering to show its appreciation for the refreshing rain.
Numerous travellers from both directions are enjoying this late summer phenomenon.
It's really worth the trip.
Hey GC, really were looking out for you as we crossed! Agree, the vegetation is absolutely beautiful at the moment, the green is so clean, and yes the early flowers are delightful. Our 11 day crossing was a delight. If only I could find my little note book with facts that I promised I would give on this forum/./..
When did you cross? I thought I saw a similar rig and wondered where you might be. Safe travels.
Dunmowin said
02:08 AM Apr 2, 2013
Cruising Granny wrote:
Dunmowin wrote:
Cruising Granny wrote:
The remants of Tropical Cyclone Rusty crossed the country to SE WA, refreshing this usually dry and dusty region of Australia to a glowing "forest".
The foliage shines in the morning sun, and muddy puddles still reflect the glistening foliage of every shade of green overhead. A carpet of grasses appears to be mown to a uniform height resembling a well-watered golf course. Some of the vegetation is even flowering to show its appreciation for the refreshing rain.
Numerous travellers from both directions are enjoying this late summer phenomenon.
It's really worth the trip.
Hey GC, really were looking out for you as we crossed! Agree, the vegetation is absolutely beautiful at the moment, the green is so clean, and yes the early flowers are delightful. Our 11 day crossing was a delight. If only I could find my little note book with facts that I promised I would give on this forum/./..
When did you cross? I thought I saw a similar rig and wondered where you might be. Safe travels.
Hi CG, we left Ceduna on 13th March, arrived Norseman 22nd March
The remants of Tropical Cyclone Rusty crossed the country to SE WA, refreshing this usually dry and dusty region of Australia to a glowing "forest".
The foliage shines in the morning sun, and muddy puddles still reflect the glistening foliage of every shade of green overhead. A carpet of grasses appears to be mown to a uniform height resembling a well-watered golf course. Some of the vegetation is even flowering to show its appreciation for the refreshing rain.
Numerous travellers from both directions are enjoying this late summer phenomenon.
It's really worth the trip.
Another reason to do the Nullarbor is - just because!!!!!!!!! Love the trip over to the west, hope to be doing it again soon!!!
Great to see you back on line - working so hard - enjoying every minute I trust?
Just don't get bogged on the Nullarbor like we managed to do a couple of years ago
BOGGED !
How long ago was this.
You must have been off the road on the dirt surely, not the bitumen.
Come on tell us the story.
Was a couple of years ago.
The South Australian side of the Nullarbor was a fantastic drive and we stretched it over 5 days, even spending 3 glorious nights camped on the cliff edge.
Not long after we hit the Western Australian leg it started teaming down with rain and continued all the way across.
As we approached the the end of the Nullarbor we didn't want to pay for a caravan park at Norseman so we swung into a truck stop about 7km short. It was a smooth unpaved surface which looked good so I swung the car & caravan into it.
Unluckliy I found out the surface was smooth only because no one had been silly enough to drive on it yet. Lesson learnt...clay is not a good surface in heavy rain and there is lots of it in this region. After about 30mtr into the truck stop we managed to get well and truly bogged.
Thankfully we chose a spot close to the town of Norseman so we were in Mobile phone range. The RAC took less than an hour to get to us which we were thankful for as it was about an hour before dusk. After nearly getting bogged himself, the RAC guy gave up deciding it was too risky. He rang a mate with a 4WD and snatch strap to come out. Another hour later and right on dusk he managed to pull us out...just. Of course it was still pouring with rain through all this.
We limped into Norseman, mud caked up to the wheel arches and covering our shoes, gratefully excepting the hospitality of the local caravan park and happy to be saftely back in civilization.. Many thanks to the RAC (and at no charge)
Cheers
Jon
another good reason to do the Nulla is to see the Nullarbor Nymph
The joys of the open road.
We know the situation as it happenned to us in South Australia. Pulled off the Highway for morning coffee when we saw a sign saying "Something" Lake Picnic area. About a Klm off the higway on a sealed road. Except the last bit to the pic nic table (about 50 metres) which looked like Smooooth Bitumen was Smoooooth Black Clay. Not a tyre track in it, Sunny morning, green grass verges, lovely lake. Looked just like the Bitumen road that last 50 metres.
The rest is like your story above.
that was one of my best trips across the Nulla
you leave Jules alone you bully, she's a mate of mine
Hey GC, really were looking out for you as we crossed! Agree, the vegetation is absolutely beautiful at the moment, the green is so clean, and yes the early flowers are delightful. Our 11 day crossing was a delight. If only I could find my little note book with facts that I promised I would give on this forum/./..
Why do you need a reasong for that drive? Have only done it twice but will be doing it again!
The main reason most people do it is to get from east to west or from west to east
I crossed the Nullarbor a month ago. Not the wimpy little bit of Nullarbor near the Head Of The Bight that the Eye Highway crosses but the real Nullarbor in this rig.....
Woo Hoo! Fantastic journey on that train Jim, would love to do that.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip across the Eyre highway, I was surprised there was so much to see along the way.
But recently met a bloke who complained he hated driving long distances on the Eyre or Stuart Highways, he said its so boring he tries to get it over with as fast as possible...!!!! Oh well, it takes all kinds.
Yes we know of people like that who do 700 klm's a day as they only like being at places. The driving is a boreing part of camping. Takes all sorts.
Geoff and Bev
I think it's best to put your vivid imagination about this fictional Nullabor character to sleep. Leave the poor girl her privacy and dignity in her tgwilight years. I'm not sure she still lives in Ceduna.
She was a real person, the girl friend/wife of a rabbit shooter, before the road was sealed. It sure kick-started the imaginations of generations, and Wombat is living proof.
Well, I think he's still living. Or is he a figment of someone's vivd imagination too?
If we have to go via Yorkey Crossing if the job is over 4 m wide it adds another 30 kms to the trip.
Yesterday I drove the 1200 kms from the border to Adelaide to get home.
I was rewarded this trip with the live view of a living Echidna between Madura and Eucla. I even had the opportunity to take a couple of pics. I just love seeing our critters in their own habitat.
There's a patch of land between Penong and Nundroo which is the habitat of just about the entire hairy nosed wombat population in Australia. You can see the bare earth mounds both sides of the highway, not far off the road where they burrow. During mating season many fall victim to the traffic. It's a sad fact of wildlife out in the wild.
Along the Eyre Highway you will cross the Dingo Fence, and west of the fence you will see dingos running along the highway, their dens, and the resident dingo at Nullabor Roadhouse.
Then the whales head to the Head Of The Bight from June to late September. Southern Rights have increased their population by hundreds at the foot of the cliffs. Another amazing view.
There are the caves at ****lebiddy and several other interesting geographical and historical features of this isolated region which has temperatures which could fry you on a summers day, to frosts and winds in the early morning which could freeze parts of the anatomy of a brass monkey.
Please sit up and look. Take in the scenery. Don't read a book and convince yourself "it's boring".
When did you cross? I thought I saw a similar rig and wondered where you might be. Safe travels.
Hi CG, we left Ceduna on 13th March, arrived Norseman 22nd March