The Nullarbor

WE MADE IT! Hot, windy and dry, the Nullarbor (Nullus Arbor - latin, no trees) is quite an interesting drive actually. Well it is a damn long way, being 1200km from Norseman to Ceduna (especially when you add a few 100km's to start from Kalgoorlie). We did it in three legs, Kalgoorlie to Balladonia via Norseman, then to Eucla and on to Ceduna. The 146km straight just past Balladonia was straight, but hilly and the scenery still had a few trees. The highlight of the crossing was stopping into the Head of the Bight and seeing Southern Right Whales with their calves just off the coast, right below viewing platforms!

Balladonia Roadhouse Caravan Park

Eyre Highway dusk view at Balladonia

'Xoc' reading the roadsigns - 146km dead straight!

Eucla Roadhouse Caravan Park

Eucla Caravan Park View pano

Eucla Roadhouse Directions

Yet another animal warning sign

Bunda Cliffs from roadside lookout

Head of the Bight view of Bunda Cliffs with Southern Right Whales

Head of the Bight - NjB Proof of Life

Head of the Bight - Southern Right Whale

Head of the Bight - Southern Right Whale doing human watching

Head of the Bight - Southern Right Whale lazing about

Head of the Bight - Southern Right Whale with Calf

Big4 Ceduna Tourist Park

Kalgoorlie

Here we are in the 'golden outback' of Kalgoorlie-Boulder where its all about the mines. This place has no water, it's piped from Perth. Which is pretty spectacular given the original pipeline was built in the 1900's and Perth is over 600km away. Nice old buildings and you can view the 'superpit' from a lookout. The superpit, also known as the golden mile is known to have (had?) the highest concentration of gold in the world. It is currently 3.5km x 1.5km x 400m deep. They run tours too, but we arrived on the day it was booked out.

Holiday Parks Kalgoorlie

Typical historic Kalgoorlie building

Kalgoorlie Super Pit pano

Kalgoorlie Super Pit blast

Kalgoorlie from lookout

Kalgoorlie Town Hall

Esperance

Whoa, beached out. Here we are at Esperance (named after a french ship), in Pink Lake, not pink at the moment though.

We visited a whopping 13 beaches today! Such beautiful white powdery sand, crashing waves and deep blue to turquoise water. Some were just around the corner here at Esperance, including the Twilight beach which was 2006 Aust best beach. Also went out to Cape Le Grand National Park to view the fantastic beaches there, including Lucky Bay which is considered Aust whitest beach. They were all great, our favourite was probably Thistle Cove.

Pink Lake Tourist Park Esperance

Fourth Beach Esperance

Twilight Beach Esperance

Twilight Beach Esperance

Typical Beach Access Esperance

Ten Mile Beach Esperance

Eleven Mile Beach Esperance

Lucky Bay Beach Cape Le Grand NP

Lucky Bay Beach Cape Le Grand NP

Thistle Cove Beach Cape Le Grand NP

Albany

Drove through the remaining forests down the winding road to Albany (Australia's last whaling port). Great view of granite rocks named Elephant Rocks at William Bay which was on the drive over.
 

Elephant Rocks William Bay pano

Albany Gardens Holiday Resort

As usual took in some sites including the heritage buildings, boats, lookouts and the site of the first ANZAC memorial.

Amity Replica

Where she belongs!

View from Mt Clarence

Went out to Frenchmans Bay, the last whaling port and had a look around. Bit depressing having a guided tour of what they did to get whale oil. On the way stopped in at some natural features, the Gap, and the natural bridge. Following our depressing trip, we went out to the very pretty Little Beach at Two Peoples Bay.

Natural Bridge (bigger than it looks)

The Gap (24m drop)

Cheynes IV - Australia's last whaling (whale chaser) boat

Pygmy Blue Whale skeleton ("only" 22m long & not a whaling victim!)

View to Southern Ocean

Little Beach

Walpole

Moved on from Pemberton to Walpole. Again in the afternoon went to the local sights of the huge red Tingle trees, including the Valley of the Giants tree top walk, the Giant tingle tree, Conspicious Beach and Circular Pool on the Frankland River.

Coalmine Beach Caravan Park - Walpole

Valley of the Giants - Treetop Walk

Tingle Tree Canopy

Big Tingle Tree

Giant Tingle Tree

Giant Tingle Tree inside

Conspicuous Cliff Beach

More wildflowers

Circular Pool - Frankland River