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WA Road Trip 2023WA Road Trip 2023
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WA Road Trip 2023

March - May 2023
Making memories one road trip at a time - Nullarbor Plain, Southern WA, Perth, Coral Coast & Wheatbelt Regions Read more
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  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 47

    Number Crunching

    May 9, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Total distance travelled (including side trips):
    14,154 kms!

    Total cumulative driving hours:
    225 (9 x 24 hr days)

    Time away:
    7 weeks, 5 days

    States travelled through:
    4 (NSW, VIC, SA and WA)

    Favourite place:
    So hard to say. This is such an amazing and diverse country it is hard to pick but we all loved the isolation and beauty of WA. Special mention also to the Bunda Cliffs (Great Australian Bight)!

    Places we missed:
    So many! There is definitely not enough time to travel Australia. We have a long list of places to go back to one day.

    Best ‘swim with’ experience:
    Whale Sharks (Exmouth)

    Best boat ride experience:
    Utopia (Coral Bay)

    Ultimate highlights:
    WA; Bunda Cliffs – Anthony
    Turquoise Bay; Bunda Cliffs – Fiona
    Rottnest Island; Bunda Cliffs – Josh
    Sea Lions; Pinnacles – Ryan
    Whale Sharks; Quokkas – Lachlan

    Best caravan park overall:
    BIG4 Riverfront Renmark; RAC Esperance

    Best site:
    Kalbarri Red Bluff Tourist Park

    Best ensuite/amenities:
    RAC Esperance; Broken Hill Outback Resort

    Best breakfast:
    Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort

    Best lunch:
    Lobster Shack, Cervantes (WA seafood platter)

    Best dinner:
    Foreshore Hotel, Ceduna (SA seafood platter)

    Best bakery:
    Mt Barker; Naranderra (hot cross buns)

    Best pie:
    Green curry chicken pie (Mt Barker Bakery)

    Worst pie:
    Big Joes Breakfast Pie (Coral Bay); The Spud (Hyden)

    Best coffee:
    Gino’s Cafe, Fremantle

    Worst coffee:
    Windmill Roadhouse, Regans Ford

    Best pre-trip purchase:
    WA All Parks Holiday Pass

    Worst roads:
    NSW by a country mile

    Most expensive fuel:
    $2.70 per litre, Nullarbor Roadhouse

    Biggest oversized load:
    7m wide (between Streaky Bay and Port Augusta)

    Most played games:
    Settlers of Catan; Dugong Wars

    BIG things:
    *Big Windmill – Penong SA
    *Big Galah – Kimba SA
    *Big Whale – Eucla WA & Nullarbor Roadhouse SA
    *Big Kangaroo – Border village SA
    *Big Lobster – Dongara WA
    *Big Whale Shark – Exmouth WA
    *Big Prawn – Exmouth WA
    *Big Nugget – Widgiemooltha WA
    *Big Hole – Kalgoorlie Super Pit WA    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    1
    Day 45

    Home Sweet Home

    May 7, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    A very chilly morning, just 6 degrees in Cobar, as we began the long drive home.

    Leaving Cobar, ironically despite being in our home state we somehow felt more isolated than anywhere else on our trip so far. There’s just no one out here. At least across the Nullarbor there was always a road train or grey nomad not too far away.

    We motored onwards through the country towns of Nyngan, Narromine (stopping briefly to check out the statue of Glenn McGrath), Dubbo and Mudgee, before finally crossing the Blue Mountains and descending into Sydney. But not before a bit of excitement climbing the hill out of Lithgow… at just 2 degrees it started snowing, really putting the MUX (and my nerves) to the test. I’m pleased to say both car and driver handled the conditions marvellously - although it was reassuring to have 4WD!

    After driving towards what appeared to be heavy rain for most of the day, we never quite found it and eventually arrived home to a beautiful, albeit chilly, evening 🥶

    As we round the last corner into Hartigan Avenue we reflected on the amazing adventure we had, the near perfect weather we were blessed with, the fabulous company we shared, and the forever family memories we will cherish for a lifetime.

    Now for a long hot shower and a good night sleep before tackling the mountain of washing and cleaning tomorrow 😬    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 44

    Cobar NSW

    May 6, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The moment the boys waited more than 13,500 km for…

    In 2018 we stopped here in Cobar on the way home from our SA road trip (Adelaide, York Peninsula and Flinders Ranges). We chanced the most memorable pub dinner ever at the Great Western Hotel, for no other reason than the meals were enormous. I’m talking schnitzels and steaks hanging off all sides of the plates, piled high atop a mountain of chips and veges. The boys have talked about it ever since. We couldn’t not attempt to repeat the experience - even if it meant sitting in the Bistro watching the Coronation of King Charles III 🤦🏽‍♀️

    Predictably, the memory exceeded reality. Not that it was bad. In fact I’d say the quality has improved. It was actually very nice. But it just wasn’t the huge meal that had wowed us the first time. The boys’ disappointment was easily overcome with icecream 🤣

    Tonight we’re at the Cobar Caravan Park. We had a lovely conversation during happy hour exchanging travel tips and advice with a friendly grey nomad couple behind us. We now have at least another three more trips worth of places we need to visit! We also received some ‘interesting’ caravan hacks and ‘how to’ advice from a well-intentioned but socially inept fellow traveller missing all but two teeth. They’ve got all sorts out here!

    Fun Fact: The Cobar Great Western Hotel (1898) in the Main Street is the most interesting and the most prominent building in town. The pub's timber veranda with cast-iron balustrades and lacework balcony is 100m long and, as such, is reputedly the longest cast iron veranda and balcony in Australia.    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    1
    Day 43

    Broken Hill NSW

    May 5, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Driving out of Port Augusta this morning we saw our first sign to Sydney - via Broken Hill. It’s a welcome call to home after nearly 8 weeks on the road but also a sad reminder that our awesome trip is coming to an end.

    As the highway wound its way towards Horrocks Pass we admired the graceful rotations of the wind turbines at the foot of the Flinders Ranges - so much nicer than the coal fired power stack that accents the Blue Mountains from the west at Lithgow. Urgh!

    We cruised through the historic railway town of Peterborough and on through some very barren grazing land before crossing the border back into NSW, landing in Broken Hill. East of the border almost instantly the road quality deteriorated, the surface became bouncy and potholed and the shoulders narrowed and crumbling. Not good - up your game ‘Premier’ State!

    We had already spent a few days exploring the highlights of Broken Hill on a previous trip so this time we tried something a little different - the nostalgic Bells Milk Bar, a Broken Hill icon for over 100 years.

    Bells is known as one of the longest continuously running businesses in Broken Hill. Originally it was called Fenton’s confectioner and cordial maker in 1892, and has endured several major renovations over the years, now preserved in time with 1950s decor and memorabilia.

    The boys were in milkshake heaven with over 50 flavours to choose from! They eventually decided on Choc Turkish Delight (Anthony), Butterscotch (Josh), Bells Signature Malted Vanilla with Nutmeg (Ryan) and Coconut Rough (Lachlan), while I had a Bells Signature Sundae with Cherry Ripe topping 😋 You know they’re good milkshakes/thickshakes when the straws stand up by themselves and were so big not even the boys could finish them!

    Tonight we’re staying at the Broken Hill Outback Resort on the site of the original Mount Gipps Hotel, just east of town. After years of neglect, the heritage building has been restored to its former glory and is now the centrepiece of the caravan park, which incidentally has perhaps the best layout of amenities we’ve seen (LOL small things excite us in the outback).

    We enjoyed a lazy evening on the veranda as the sun set and the full moon took its place between the big old gum trees growing along the creek.    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 42

    Port Augusta SA (return)

    May 4, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We’re back at the ‘Crossroads’ - an uninspiring yet unavoidable stop-over on our return trans-continental journey. The only positive in having to repeat a stay here in Port Augusta is that approaching from the west you get to appreciate the stunning backdrop of the prehistoric Flinders Ranges.

    Today exemplified the sheer size of our country. We’ve been driving for 6 days since we left Perth and yet only just reached the halfway point! Another round of happy snaps with the Big Galah at Kimba and we can all officially now claim to have driven halfway across Australia.

    Despite retracing our steps for a big part of the day it wasn’t all the same. This morning as we left Streaky Bay we stopped to check out Murphy’s Haystacks, an ancient rock garden as old as time itself. Of course they’ve nothing to do with haymaking and are in fact great examples of weathered granite inselberg formations (German for “island-mountain”). Gradual weathering over the past 30,000 years has unearthed and shaped the granite to reveal the weird and wonky pillars and boulders that now stand proudly in a paddock overlooking Sceale Bay.

    This afternoon as we pulled into the same Discovery Park as we stayed at on our way to WA, we were ushered to the exact same site as we had last time. What are the chances!

    Tonight we’re ‘dining’ in Port Augusta’s No.1 restaurant according to Trip Advisor - KFC 🤦🏽‍♀️ At least the boys are full and happy. And in a nod to the class of the town there’s a queue at least 10 cars long for the drive-through.    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 41

    Eyre Peninsula SA

    May 3, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We didn't know what to expect from Streaky Bay, but it's actually been pretty cool and definitely whet our appetite to return to the Eyre Peninsula one day to explore it's full glory.
     
    We started the day slowly with a lazy coffee at the local bakery before browsing the main street. From there we drove around the Cape Bauer Loop Road through some very pretty farmland to discover a few hidden gems - Whistling Rocks and the Blowholes. Through no planning of our own we jagged high tide which meant the blowholes were pumping! Amazing to see and hear the ocean at its most powerful.
     
    Back in town we splurged on a delicious local seafood platter at Drift Restaurant in a cosy little setting with poll position overlooking the Bay. We've learned that the area was in fact named Streaky Bay because of the actual streaks visible across the water caused by the reflection of light and seaweed.
     
    However, today's highlight (up there with the seafood lunch of course) was witnessing the resident sea lion colony lazing in the sun on the rocks below Point Labatt. It’s apparently the largest mainland population of Australian sea lions in the world. The colony varies in size but is estimated at around 50 sea lions. The rocky edge of the shore is also home to both Australian and New Zealand Fur Seals, Osprey, White-bellied Sea Eagles and Peregrine Falcons. We may have seen a few of these too.
     
    Not a bad day for somewhere we knew very little about before coming here - other than it was somewhere different to break up our return trip home. We wish we had another week to head down to Port Lincoln but that adventure will have to wait for another time. We'll definitely be back...    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 40

    Streaky Bay SA

    May 2, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we officially completed our second epic crossing of the Nullarbor Plain. Strangely it seemed a lot quicker this time.

    Contrary to common belief, the ‘treeless plain’ is actually quite short (no more than 100km) and only in SA. However, the full Nullarbor experience is understood to be the ‘nothingness’ between Ceduna SA and Norseman WA.

    We suffered our most expensive fuel so far and encountered several slow vehicles and oversized loads with some interesting passing experiences. At one point we even spotted a guy walking the Nullarbor for mental health. An admiral cause and credit to him but surely that in itself would send you crazy. 😝

    We passed through another quarantine checkpoint as we approached Ceduna. We had been surprised at the ‘no requirement to stop’ upon re-entering SA from WA. Makes sense they let us keep our fresh food for the Nullarbor and only have to dump it once returning to civilisation - not that we had any food to declare or dump - the boys had already eaten it all!

    A welcome change of scenery as we left the Eyre Highway at Ceduna and headed south towards the Eyre Peninsula with its picturesque farmland and backdrop of clear blue water.

    Tonight we’re at the Islands Caravan Park, Streaky Bay. It’s a fantastic set up, just out of town with generous sized private tree-lined sites overlooking the beach.

    Exploring around town we saw two people snag decent sized sharks while fishing off the jetty - from the swimming enclosure no less 😳. That was our cue to retreat to the Streaky Bay Hotel for an early dinner and congratulate ourselves for successfully completing a double crossing of the Nullarbor.

    Fun fact: Lachie has developed a remarkable skill of spotting oncoming vehicles at a distance. While Anthony and I struggle to determine if it’s coming or going, Lachie has already correctly identified the make and model of both car and caravan, or the number of trailers attached to a roadtrain. He can even pick the difference between a Landcruiser, Ram, Chevy or Ford F Series up to half a kilometre away! #lifeskill 😜    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 39

    Bunda Cliffs SA

    May 1, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    #livingthedream. Happy hour on the edge of the continent 🥰

    We gambled on the weather and it paid off. Free camping on the edge of Australia (Bunda Cliffs Campsite 2 according to WikkiCamps). Bucket list big ✅

    What an amazing experience. We could literally see the curvature of the earth from our ‘living room’ overlooking the Great Southern Ocean.

    Beautiful blue sky, a gentle breeze, sitting back watching the rolling waves wash onto the coast below. A sea eagle soaring overhead, glass in hand as we sipped our last Margret River Rose. All we needed were a few seasonally misguided whales to top it off.

    As the sun set the boys scrambled together a hasty campfire as best they could from a ‘treeless plain’. Needless to say it didn’t last long. Regardless, we sat outside to take in the expansive night sky. Whilst the near full moon illuminated the cliffs brilliantly it wasn’t so conducive to star gazing so we quietly retreated to the warmth of the van.

    Having read so many reviews about how windy it can be overnight and people being rocked and shaken inside their vans, we experienced none of that. It was absolutely calm and still all night long and we awoke to another stunning morning with a gentle sea mist rolling onto the cliffs. Truly magical.

    This stop has definitely been one of our trip highlights, proving sometimes the best things in life really are free xx    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 39

    Nullarbor SA

    May 1, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This morning as we continued heading east, we revisited some of the key sights along the highway, starting with a quick fuel stop and morning tea at Eucla (beside the big whale), before again posing for pics with Big Rooey II and crossing the border back into SA.

    As the highway edged closer to the coast, we were all on the lookout for the ‘green ribbon’ that had marked the track out to the cliff top campsite we discovered a few weeks earlier on our way to WA. Despite all eyes on the job, we could not locate the marked track. Some 25 km or so past where we expected it to be we abandoned the search and doubled back to find another track that appeared popular with the grey nomads. After navigating a rather sharp turn off the highway we made it out to the cliffs to discover (albeit after some dubious directions from a fellow camper) a rather fabulous location to set up for the night. Stay tuned for more details…

    It's funny the things you notice along the way. At the iconic road sign at the Nullarbor Roadhouse, heading west drivers are warned to be wary of the camels running along the road (refer to photo in 'Eucla' footprint). However, at Border Village on the WA border, heading east those camels are walking (refer to photo overpage). I reckon I'd stop running by the time I'd done 96 km across the Nullarbor and was psyching up for the return trip too! 🤣    Read more

  • TravelerWA Road Trip 2023
    Day 38

    Cocklebiddy WA

    April 30, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Here we go again… Nullarbor crossing take two! (Although first time for Josh and Ryan).

    Already it’s much quieter than our previous experience. The roadhouses are empty, there’s no queues for fuel and we’ve been able to go at least 10 minutes without encountering another vehicle.

    We left Kalgoorlie early and cruised through Widgiemooltha (stopping briefly to check out the giant Eagle Nugget) and Norseman (stopping again to pose for a photo with the town’s namesake), before rolling into Balladonia by lunchtime. This had been our intended overnight stop, but having made good time we pushed on in a very long straight line (the 90 Mile Straight) eventually making it to Cocklebiddy, where we pulled into the campsite beside the Roadhouse for the night alongside Bruce and Samantha the resident (rescued) wedge-tail eagles.

    You know you’re a seasoned traveller when ‘another 120 km’ feels like just down the road and you dismissively say “that’s nothing, we’ll be there in an hour!”

    It was a long travel day (over 620km) but worth it to cover more of this ‘less exciting’ part of the crossing in anticipation of a big day out at Bunda Cliffs tomorrow.    Read more

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