Heather's Nullarbor Trip Diary – Sept 26 - Oct 7 2006
Day One – Tuesday 26 th Sept
Barry and I farewelled Mum and Bob at Goolwa having arranged to leave a day before Mum and Dad Leane so we could visit Mary Grace Bingham in Jamestown (Mary introduced me to Barry back in '79 and the rest is history!).
We decided to take the hills route instead of going through the city and made Birdwood our first stop, a cuppa at the friendly FJ's café at the Birdwood Car Museum . After refuelling at tiny Cockatoo Valley we progressed on to Balaklava via Gawler. The green of the south coast and hills was replaced by drier, under-sized grain crops as we headed north. Travelling in Thelma is unique in that at your average speed of 70 km/hour you really get to notice more of the scenery along the way. The somewhat cramped conditions of the cabin means the enforced fuel stop every couple of hours comes as a welcome opportunity to stretch your legs, especially for Barry!
We spent an hour with Nanna Andrew in her lovely unit. She wowed us with her passionate enthusiasm for her life and faith. We then met up with her daughter, Heather, for a chat and then she showed us the family engineering business and workshop; a huge prickle chain ploughing machine being completed and looking like a giant metallic necklace.
We arrived at Mary Grace's to be welcomed by her 3 small dogs, Lachie, Chadwick and Liam. A tour of her home, bordered directly by sheep fields and a wonderful rural outlook, was followed by a walk around town (a welcome exercise for both us and the three dogs!), and then off to one of the local pubs for dinner. A little starter motor trouble out front of the hotel caught the attention of a car of youths who must have been bored as we copped multiple toots and yells as they circuited several times around the town.
Day Two – Wednesday 27 th September
We had coffee and cake with Mary at a local restaurant before her working day's start at the local hospital, and then it was off towards Port Augusta, where we were to meet up with Mum and Dad, who had travelled up from Victor Harbor in their Landcruiser. A wrong turn taken after a turn-off from Caltowie led us to a dirt track to find our way back - here I relinquished being driver (I had only done 20-30kms!). My main slip-up as a newbie had been to mistakenly tread on the starter ‘button' but I managed the gear changes and braking reasonably well (the brake pedal being to the right of the accelerator and very ‘solid' to boot!).
The beautiful town of Melrose, nestled besides Mt Remarkable looked a lovely place to stay and explore but it was for us, just a fuel stop and then on to Stirling North and Barry's Uncle Bruce and Aunt Gwen's. We had a cuppa and a tour of their amazing garden with Gwen and Mum while the guys beetled off in Thelma, and then it was off again, destination, Kimba.
The countryside was arid and similarly, Kimba's fields showed a very poor season. Entering Aunty Betty's house was like stepping back in time. She lives in an elder care home now but has kept her house for family to stay in. We walked around to visit her after dinner while Dad remained to do dishes and read local area history books.
Day Three – Thursday 28 th Sept – Baz's Birthday!
Went up to the White's Knob Lookout and did a tour of the town, stopping at the Big Galah and the lovely Pine n' Pug Gift Shop. Back at the house, Aunty Betty, Aunty June, Robyn and Nina were there for a cuppa and a chat. June presented Mum with a container of stewed quandongs, the native peach that the Andrews family had grown up with picking, eating and preserving (Mum was due to go on a quandong-picking expedition on their return trip). Although strictly speaking illegal to pick, the locals figure if a local cop is spotted up a ladder, it just may be OK!
Dad had driven off to Wudinna in Thelma, so on leaving we stopped 10kms or so out of Kimba at roadside quandong trees, and then it was on to Jim (or Roy) and Jean's home at Wudinna for lunch. Afterwards, Jean came with us on a side trip to visit Mt Wudinna (12 kms out of town) while Dad journeyed on again in Thelma. While Jean and Mum chatted Baz and I walked up the rock, Barry to the top, me part-way. It felt like a scaled-down, Uluru-like experience, quite a similar type of climb but not as steep and high.
Back on the road, Dad had made it into Streaky Bay but a little parched after neglecting to take water. We had booked ahead to stay in the Streaky Bay Hotel – balcony rooms with a lovely view over the water. After dinner, Val and Peter Vowles met us in the lounge for a chat. Peter and Val run the local crash repair business. They were Barry's neighbours when he lived in Adelaide after leaving the farm to study and work in the city.
Day Four – Friday 29 th September
At breakfast Dad mentioned that it might be worth considering Peter's proposal to use an A-frame to tow Thelma. When we found out later it was not really feasible (it would have had to been built from scratch) we had already decided an extra rest day in Streaky might be a good idea, once we had confirmed accommodation changes.
Peter had suggested visiting their home just on the edge of town, so we went out to visit and found Val home with her daughter, Kerry, son-in-law Shannon and their little boy Bailey. They have built a beautiful seaside home with stunning views. More cuppas and chatting, and then we went back to the hotel to rest. Baz and I lunched at a café by the sea while Mum and Dad found a quieter spot.
While Mum and I rested (well we had nominated the day for resting!), the two guys went off to visit Peter's workshop and on to the Restored Engines Museum . After dinner Barry and I finished off the day with a breezy walk to the end of the town jetty and back.
Day Five – Saturday 30 th September
After leaving Streaky Bay at around 7.30am we arrived in Ceduna in time to see the line-up of vintage cars (preparing for the OysterFest weekend celebrations). Mum and I disappeared down to the shops to buy supplies while the guys perused the cars. After morning tea it was off once more, stopping at Penong for fuel, then just before Nundroo I spied a shady parking bay to have our lunch (it was getting quite warm).
The Yalata land had fairly dense amounts of trees but before we got to the Head of the Bight the treeless plains started. The temperature seemed to have really climbed by the time we clambered out of the cars at Head of Bight, but the cliffs were spectacular; the sea, amazing shades of turquoise and blue. Some whales had been sighted at a distance, from the various lengths of walkways and lookouts there. Luckily a cool breeze came in and so we decided to wait and were rewarded by a mother and calf coming in closer. After some time together they parted a little and the mother rolled over on to her back with her two fins in the air! Barry kept clicking away in the hope of good shots.
It was then on to the Nullarbor Hotel/Motel, our stop for the night, a welcome shower and then the challenge of our first ‘home-cooked' meal (the gas cooker snuck into the room to heat our tucker!). Barry took some after-dark photos (there were a lot of rigs around) and dramatically, a lightning show started along with a few drops of rain.
Day Six – Sunday 1 st October
We left Nullarbor early and at the first coastal photo point that we stopped at we swapped cars. Dad drove off in Thelma and we had a look at more amazing coastline, taking care not to step too close to the edge. We then overtook Dad later and we all stopped at another lookout for morning tea. Some apparent Uni students (they had UWA and their names written on the car!) took the opportunity of the dirt track to make the dust fly as they left, then we drove on to the border. The handfuls of nuts we had been scoffing down hurriedly had actually been permissible to take through.
We refuelled Thelma and then at the Eucla Ruins turn-off, Dad took Thelma on once more while the rest of us went on to view the shifting sands around the old telegraph station. Mum and Dad have seen this place in various stages of sand coverage, from a once operating fuel stop to its present sandy state.
A pause back at the highway junction saw a mini-drama with a mother emu and her four chicks just making it across the road before an on-coming semi (all captured on camera by Baz!).
Further on, some random electrical happenings (eg. the wipers started independently!) alluded to something wrong with the cruiser, but we made it into Mundrabilla Roadhouse. The overpowering smell in the car that Mum had noticed from the day before (and had blamed for something better on the presence of the gas cylinder in the Cruiser) turned out to be an overcooked battery. After refuelling it wouldn't restart and unfortunately yours truly couldn't get to the camera quickly enough to capture the classic moment of Thelma towing the Cruiser. A few truckies taking a break under the roadhouse veranda certainly showed their appreciation; rising to their feet and cheering!
The next plan was to swap batteries with Thelma so Mum and Dad could return to Eucla to get a new one. Baz and I remained at Mundrabilla and a couple of hours later they returned, with instructions from the mechanic to follow up a look at the alternator at Esperance. It was back in the cars, and onwards to Madura; the motel there a very welcome sight after this interesting day.
Day 7 – Monday 2 nd October
We left Madura just after 7am driving up to the Pass Lookout via a very rocky dirt track (in Thelma you tend to feel all the corrugations, ruts, rocks and potholes!). The view was great although the morning sun obscured some of the scenery's clarity.
After a morning tea stop at Caiguna, Mum and I decided to do an all-female Thelma drive. Unfortunately 20 kms or so down the road she started to kangaroo-hop (as done just out of Strathalbyn) so a change of drivers and another stop was required (it had to be on my shift!). A carby pull-apart later and we were on our way but not for long. We looked for a shady tree this time, and while Dad and Baz took the fuel pump apart this time Mum and I made lunch. Off again! It was very warm so a stop at the Balladonia roadhouse was welcome ( Bella -donia!) with an icecream and drink to fuel us onwards via an hour of major roadworks. Poor Dad copped the dusty stretch in the chev, but I managed to get myself burnt on the setting sun run into Norseman in Thelma when we took over.
The cabins at the Caravan Park were clean and comfortable and bordered by lots of trees. The local fuel station seemed to be the best, and most popular after hours shop and fast food outlet. We were looking for a quick dinner solution, and a tour of the quiet, closed-up town brought us back to the place where we had just filled up!
Day Eight – Tuesday 3 rd October
Barry and I left Norseman in Thelma, now quite good at spotting quandong bushes amongst the rest of the roadside foliage. There were a number of salt lakes, large and small along the way; the stark white tinged with turquoise or pink standing out from the rest of the scenery. We arrived at Esperance around 10 am , and went on to Barry's Uncle Glen's where we had lunch. I had not met Glen, Mary and their son Tom before, so this trip was certainly helping me to place most of Mum's brothers (5) and sisters (4). Mum had located a caravan park with cabin vacancies. We rested, shopped, did washing and collapsed into bed with fuzzy headaches; most probably a result of a bad night's sleep and an early start.
Day Nine – Wednesday 4 th October
Baz and I did the short ocean drive in Thelma discovering stunning coastal scenery. I think their claim of having Australia 's best beaches would stand up in any court! It was very cold and windy when we stepped out to view from the observation areas and I certainly appreciated my Seattle jacket & hood. Then it was back to Glen & Mary's for lunch and Baz worked on the car. He discovered a problem with the right hand front wheel steering arm but a couple of washers from his Uncle helped fix this.
While Mum and I had a rest back at the park, Glen, Dad and Barry drove 20 kms out to Glen & Mary's old farm. Barry said it was amazing to see the original tin shed that Glen constructed for his family to live in when he first bought the land; at that point totally covered with scrub that had to be cleared. They certainly did their hard yards back then! The Cruiser was collected from the workshop – a new regulator should mean no further problems.
Day Ten – Thursday 5 th October
Dad left early in Thelma this time and I drove the Cruiser to Ravensthorpe where after morning tea and a refuel it was on to Jerramungup. Mum had suggested leaving the main highway and going to Albany via the Stirling Ranges – a more scenic route as we were to discover - so we drove on to Ongerup where we stopped for lunch and a look at a lovely Wildflower display at the museum; an amazing variety of samples collected locally by volunteers. We stopped within the Stirling Ranges where Mum and Dad had previously seen wildflowers but to Mum's disappointment the display was not on a par with before, but was more subtle.
We then drove onto Albany and arrived at the beachside Middleton Holiday Park where I had managed to find us a 2 bedroom cabin that turned out to be beautifully presented and very comfortable. Barry and I did a tour of the town after the regulation refuelling, stopping at the lookout at Mt Clarence. After dinner Barry and I walked along the moonlit beach and finished off the day with a spa (sure beat some of the poky showers we had had along the way!)
Day Eleven – Friday 6 th October
Another sunny day dawns; rather unexpectedly as the weather forecast had been for showers. We left the park and made another visit to Mt Clarence then it was out of Albany and on to the South Western Highway . I couldn't get over how lush and green the countryside was and there were many hollows filled with water along the side of the road. We stopped at Denmark at a pretty riverside park and then it was on towards Walpole . Just before reaching the Treetop Walk turn-off we had more Chev trouble but the guys got her going again and we just made it! The walk up amongst the trees is absolutely stunning. The highest point is 40 metres off the ground and even then the trees are still taller! The walkway wobbles a little but you adjust, as your attention is grabbed continually by amazing views all around. A man and his two girls alerted us to the presence of a western rosella, mostly red with a splash of yellow. I did the Valley of the Giants (a ground-level walk) again. I wasn't going to come all this way and not go, simply because I had been years ago! Being in the presence of these giant trees is very awe-inspiring. Some are around 400 years old.
After leaving we had more car troubles with Thelma. A farmer who had got off his tractor to see us (Lloyd Burnside) happened to notice a piece of cork floating by in the uncapped fuel tank. By a minor miracle, after he had fashioned a length of wire (from a neighbouring fence) Barry was able to fish it out when we spotted it going past again! All our past fuel-related hassles now made sense!
On to Walpole for lunch and confirmation from the information bureau that a drive Mum & Dad had previously done would have been a dirt track to Mandalay Beach . We left Thelma in Walpole and drove there. It was a very pretty section of coast although it was also the site of a shipwreck (still visible). As we were leaving we saw some people gearing up to start the Bibbulum Track walk (all the way to Perth ?). It was back to pick up Thelma, and from there to Manjimup she ran well.
The Warren Way Caravan Park was little on the shabby side but the new owner was friendly and there were signs they were gradually upgrading the park. Our dinner venue, on the park owner's recommendation, was a nearby hotel and though not a classy establishment made up for it by the warmth of the staff. The ‘locum' chef (a very nervous girl on her first night) did a great job so we gave her plenty of positive feedback.
Day Twelve – Saturday 7 th October
Our last day travelling! It was Manjimup to Perth and we set off through the picturesque countryside, through Bridgetown and diverting off the road that linked to Bunbury to take the other road that parallelled the coast. We headed back towards Mandurah further up and despite turning off a little too soon to join the Kwinana freeway, were soon joining a busy throng of vehicles heading north. The new railway works and stations were evident but what stood out for me was the shock of being in city traffic again. The edginess of high speed multiple passers-by seemed foreign after the relative calm of country roads. It was a relief to finally make the Warwick Road exit and steer Thelma besides the kerb at No. 30. We made it!! Ben and Rob joined us out the front and after a final ‘end of journey' photo it was inside for lunch and the start of some stories to swap.