Contrasting the Nullarbor

jules47 · The Happy Helper

RE: Contrasting the Nullarbor

Duh · Guru

_wombat_ wrote:
Sorry John, but Vic made me do this

Yep......blame me!!!.........you know the saying "what the butler saw" well this is "what the wombat saw".......

No wombat, what did you do with the pic of the Nullabor Nymphs playing golf ??????

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Duh wrote:
_wombat_ wrote:
Sorry John, but Vic made me do this
Yep......blame me!!!.........you know the saying "what the butler saw" well this is "what the wombat saw".......
No wombat, what did you do with the pic of the Nullabor Nymphs playing golf ??????

oh those ones, I'll go and look for them, probally in my nudist folder biggrin

PnM, love your Nulla shots, somebody has stolen the blacktop biggrin

Duh · Guru

jules47 wrote:
I loved crossing the Nullarbor - but will agree with John (rockylizard) that the Lillydale Hills - Cawnpore Range in western Queensland is breathtaking!!!

I don't think you can really compare Lillydale Hills with the Nullabor, it is a bit like comparing the Nullabor to the Adelaide Hills, or Perth Hills, Stirling and Porongorup Ranges in WA, South West area etc.

Totally different type of landscape.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Wasn't comparing Vic - just agreeing with John re the Cawnpore Range. And I agree, the Nullarbor is spectacular in it's own way!

rockylizard · Guru

Duh wrote:
I don't think you can really compare Lillydale Hills with the Nullabor, it is a bit like comparing the Nullabor to the Adelaide Hills, or Perth Hills, Stirling and Porongorup Ranges in WA, South West area etc.
Totally different type of landscape.

Gday...

Sorry Vic, I wasn't comparing Lillyvale Range with the Nullarbor .... what I said was -

"Last year, the area west from Winton to Boulia and then up through Dajarra to Mount Isa would probably top my list. It had all I had hoped from the Nullarbor crossing isolation, remoteness, rolling plains with stunted vegetation, endless blue, big-sky country. To contrast the flat, endless stunted, struggling vegetation and waterless plains was the Lillyvale Range........."

I simply added the Lillyvale Range as contrast to the "Nullarbor Crossing" ..... as you know full well, the "Nullarbor Crossing" (Ceduna-Norseman) is a varied and interesting drive in its own right. My comments are probably best directed to the 'moderness' of the Eyre Hwy these days. There are heaps of journeys around OZ , for instance, with fuel stops considerably further apart then the Eyre - and with considerably less traffic - such as Winton to Boulia.

In no way was the article meant to develop a "Top 10" of remote drives biggrin or deride 'remote drives' enjoyed by others.

Cheers - John

Duh · Guru

Points taken Jules and John......we were over the Winton/Longreach areas last year and loved it too smile

Cruising Granny · Guru

The train line runs a long way north of the highway. I have now done the Nullarbor several times and from season to season, week to week, day to day it changes. I do it both directions as work requires, and prior to that I'd done it twice west to east with the caravan and without. The wind presents a challenge most of the year, and with a caravan, a bigger challenge.

Never underestimate this part of the world. It's alive with wildlife and vegetation. The seasons change it.

Just enjoy it for what it is, sealed roads, roadhouses, traffic and all. Just enjoy.

Duh · Guru

Cruising Granny wrote:
The train line runs a long way north of the highway. I have now done the Nullarbor several times and from season to season, week to week, day to day it changes. I do it both directions as work requires, and prior to that I'd done it twice west to east with the caravan and without. The wind presents a challenge most of the year, and with a caravan, a bigger challenge.
Never underestimate this part of the world. It's alive with wildlife and vegetation. The seasons change it.
Just enjoy it for what it is, sealed roads, roadhouses, traffic and all. Just enjoy.

I think unless you are doing side tracks off the main road, those travelling the Nullabor need to bear in mind it is a Highway, so you would expect more fuel points than the area mentioned in Qld which is a development road and some of those development roads are not the best or wide, having to negotiate cattle trucks etc and not having places to pull over too often can be a bit harrowing. There are often wash outs and soft edges etc at certain times of the year.

In general, Qld has the worst reputation for the condition of their country roads but in more recent years big improvements have been made but still a long way to go compared with other states. Some of them were a legacy of governments gone by but last time I was over there I was pleased with the condition of most compared to my earlier trips.

Standing or camping on the cliffs on the Gt Australian Bight is one of the greatest experiences you can have, especially if you are doing it during whale breeding time.

Peter, your photo's, was that the Nullabor Highway before it was sealed or an area off the Highway?

-- Edited by Duh on Wednesday 12th of September 2012 08:47:10 AM

-- Edited by Duh on Wednesday 12th of September 2012 08:50:07 AM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Duh wrote:
Peter, your photo's, was that the Nullabor Highway before it was sealed or an area off the Highway?
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That is a track leading north from Nullarbor Roadhouse towards Knownes Cave and Cook and another leading north from Cook towards Vokes Hill Corner on the Anne Beadell Highway.

Cheers,
Peter

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

if you are camping at the Australian Bight make sure you face your tug towards the sea, parking side on to the sea and you will really feel the wind, if it's windy at night when you are trying to sleep.

Duh · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Duh wrote:
Peter, your photo's, was that the Nullabor Highway before it was sealed or an area off the Highway?
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That is a track leading north from Nullarbor Roadhouse towards Knownes Cave and Cook and another leading north from Cook towards Vokes Hill Corner on the Anne Beadell Highway. Cheers,Peter
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Thanks Peter, they are great photo's, I know you and your wife are a very experience outback travellers and have seen some of your previous great shots.
You are right about the wind Wombat, I was once parked side on to the wind there with an Avan camper trailer, the missus noticed the long, large back window was lifting a bit, on closer inspection found the three top hinges on the window had worn through, the only thing holding the window on was the wind out flat chain and lever locks at the bottom.
If I had turned into the wind (northerly then, blowing out to sea) to leave it would have ripped the window off and it would have been last seen floating in the ocean. I used some wire to wire the hinges on until I could get it repaired, called into Bordertown which has a mechanic, but he was out playing golf on a bush golf course somewhere (not the Nullabor Links) and they had no idea when he would return.
Ended up driving home to WA like that and fixing it myself.......

dogbox · Guru

i first crossed the nullabour in the early 70's when it was unsealed some of the adventure has gone with it being sealed but it is still one of the great must do drives in this country.

if you take your time for such a barren place the wild life is abundant whales, camels,kangaroos,wombats,emus,dingos,wedgetail eagles,the ever present crows just to name a few

why is it every thing (whales excluded)gets hit by viehicles except crows never seen one of them as road kill

Cruising Granny · Guru

Crows are very smart birdies. I watch them in my travels, and it does amaze me how smart they are. They know when they are safe and when to get off the kill. Wedge tails are bigger and need more area to launch, so they fall victim to trucks from time to time.
Even dingoes get caught out and run over. There are always a couple of wombats lying dead on the roadside.
Do not ever try to run over them or straddle the body. They are a solid little beasty and you vehicle could roll. Stay away from wombats, dead or alive.
There are many ways to hit the road in this country. You can follow the railway line, and you can also follow the dog fence. These are regularly maintained and patrolled, so they have fairly good tracks, and with caution, you can enjoy a good bush travel experience. There are no roadhouses or pubs, so you will need much more fuel and water than on the highways and bi-ways.