From West to East

What a week it has been. I traveled to Western Australia last Thursday and then with Wayne, (one of my brothers), drove from Perth east to Adelaide. We left at 6pm Perth time, 8pm Sydney time and set off. My brother had to get the kilometre usage on his cars odometer up for his company requirements and I saw the opportunity to go across with him as rare and worth taking. Wayne, was a coach captain for some 20+ years through Australia and has traveled 1 million kilometres over this amazing country. Hence he knows the botanical names of most plants along the journey including one called snottygobble - and yes it looks like snot! (unsavory, but true!) He also knows places that are off the tourist map and whatever. He is 57-58 years old and the chance to see this place with him and his occasional commentary is rare. I am so glad I took the opportunity.

As we journeyed, we passed through the bottom end of the Nullarbor Plain (Nullarbor meaning Treeless in Aboriginal). It is a 3,500 km journey. The towns and place names over the Nullarbor we went through are listed on the sticker I purchased which is the first picture you see.

It was beautiful and even breathtaking in some places. The glory and beauty of nature unfolded as we were leaving the Perth outer city limits when we saw the sunset light washing over the salmon coloured gum trees that were beautiful and rich. Then the spectacle of the sky as this afternoon light expresses itself for those who have eyes to see.




That night I was asleep in the front passenger seat when I was awoken with an awful thud, and then looking over to Wayne and asking what happened he said a Kangaroo hit us! It hopped, or bounded right into the front guard over the front right hand tyre. We pulled over on a desolate road and surveyed the damage, which was pretty significant. I asked if he was OK and he said that he had done all within his power and knew that there was nothing to prevent the bound of the kangaroo. It was OK it just got up and hopped away. How rude! I was glad we were OK and glad the roo was Ok also. From there we journeyed on to watch the sunrise at Caiguna. The petrol/ gasoline to fill the car up here was $1.85 per litre!!!! Sheesh. I understand it costs more to get the fuel here, but lets face it you can whinge and moan all you like, where else can you go to get fuel if you run out? The first photo below is as the sun arose in the distance. The yellow light you see is from the yellow light that was all around the outside of the station. There were some death adders (snakes) here they showed me caught in the previous few days and killed. They are very dangerous, and if you are bitten out here by one of them, sadly it is pretty much all over. They are small yet what power. I got some spectacular shots here. even if I say so myself.

Leaving Caiguna and traveling onward we saw these other signs which surprised and excited me for what we might see.
The RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service) airstrip sign is located on the main highway and yes, it becomes a runway for planes if required. Wayne recalls it happening once that he remembers seeing. What happens is the police cordon off the road at each end of a given section of the highway, the traffic comes to a halt and then the plane lands, picks up the injured person turns around and then flies out. Wayne noted further, that the plane also filled up at the local servo before taking off. Not sure how true that part is though, with jet fuel and that, but he could have been serious. The entire landing and getting the injured person then refueling took about 30mins. He said no-one really complained because it is something you don't see everyday. The one thing that strikes me significantly is that there is nobody around. It is a desolate landcsape. Cars and trucks pass by fairly regularly, but there were sections covering hundreds of kilometres when we saw nothing. Nothing or nobody at all.


There is no mobile reception and no public phones, toilets or whatever for as far as your eyes can see. Snakes are plentiful and insects seem much larger here than in the city. Flies stick to you like glue and inspite of this, the land posesses a rare and intoxicating beauty. There was lots of road kill. The pungent odour which at inopportune moments came rapidly through the cars cooling system were sudden and unwelcome. As we were passing toward the Western Australian and South Australian border we saw this tree littered with bottles, notes and messages from other humoured travelers. In a stark and barren landscape it stood out significantly. I stopped for a relieving urinary release and thought how grateful I was to be a guy. Women have got it hard sometimes ha! there were no comfort stop amenities whatsoever. I digress, the tree was worthy of a photo and we set off from there.

We then arrived at the WA/SA border and quarantine station. You cannot bring fruit into the state at all from the previous state because of fruit fly infestations and the care and protection the state government exercises to protect the local fruit and vegetable industry. The one thing I have never been able to have adequately explained to me is, if you dump fruit in the bin at the quarantine station, what is to stop the flies getting out of a piece of infected fruit by hatching and then flying to other fruit in the state. They do fly after all right? So what stops them from flying further into the state? Oh well. It occurs to me that maybe they don't fly far, or maybe they are territorial and recognise they are not loved or wanted in South Australia and choose to stay out. The picture here is of the sign posts telling you how far everything is away from here.

Then there is a shot of the road I took. See how desolate the horizon is, and how absent the horizon is of trees. Then there is also the picture of the Nullarbor sign at the western end. In actuality, the Nullarbor people travel over is only 23 kms long, and is a small part of the actual plain which extends north for several hundred kilometres.


We then passed the Great Australian Bight park. The bottom section of Australia that looks like someone took a bite out of the country. At the Bight park there are no fences and the cliffs are sheer drops down. There are several along the way, but when Wayne says this is the best, I figure his years of experience knew that and served him AND me well.

After that we journeyed to a place in South Australia called Ceduna. I fell in love with the pier and got some lovely pictures of this place.



From here we journeyed some hours before having a comfort rest and toilet break. ahhhh. Heaven. Then I discover that geographically, we are in the half way point between Perth and Sydney.
Any excuse for a tourist sign and a way to attract more people in...and they got me as well!

We went to Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Snowtown, and even a place called Lochiel (lock eel)
Port Augusta and Port Pirie looked like they sprang up around the turn of the 19th century with the rail coming through and transporting the natural resources to market. It was great to see. Port Pirie was also a nice place.
We also went to a place called Snowtown. It does not normally snow here, but in recent times it became the centre of a national news story where people were killed and disposed of in an abandoned and disused Bank building in the centre of the small town. I held a good thought for those that lost their lives here and continued onward.

The next stop was Lochiel where I got to see the famed Lochiel monster. Now I don't know if it started as a joke or not but was a great humourous idea. see below.


We arrived in Adelaide on Saturday afternoon and travelled around the city and took in a carnival, party type atmosphere at the Adelaide Fringe Festival which happened to coincide with the International Buskers Festival as well. What a rich tapestry of street performers, of people and experiences. I had a cob of corn from a seller's booth called Corn Star! I saw Jimeoin, the comedian munching on a cob.






Then on Sunday morning I flew from Adelaide back to Sydney for an hour then hopped on another flight from Sydney going north to Ballina then drove 20 mins south to the most beautiful rainforest resort I have seen, or stayed in. More on that will follow in the next post!!!

Post script - Wayne had his car assessed for insurance today and it will be repaired under insurance which is a relief.

Also found out today Mum has to undergo some radiation therapy at the end of the month which will last for about 4 days. More on that as it comes to hand

Stay tuned for more on Adelaide to Byron in the next Post.......