Day 36 - Bunda Cliffs to Harms Lake Rest Area
Bunda Cliffs, Eucla, Harms Lake Rest Area
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Woke up in time to see the sunrise over the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight. Packed up and continued on the journey acroos the Nullarbor. Saw Wedge-tailed eagles and ravens perched on the top of 2m shrubs as there were no trees to use.
Stopped at The last of the three Bunda Cliffs lookouts. Could see the cliffs and the beginning of the Merdayerrah Sandpatch. The sandunes were in stark contrast to the majestic cliffs.
Arrived at Eucla Quarrantine Station (SA/WA border) and then Eucla. Drove down off the plataeu and onto the plain and on the dirt road to the ruins of the Eucla telegraph station. It is now buried in sanddunes. It opened in 1877 and used to send 11,000 messages annually - linking WA with the rest of Australia.
In WA it slowly became overcast and eventually rained. Only a light shower but it continued on and off for a few hours. This is in a region that only gets 250mm annually. At one stage I had a few kangaroos hopping in front of van. They had been feeding on the side of the road in the middle of the day probably because of the dull day and low temperature.
Vegetation slowly changed from saltbush to mallee scrub. Passed by signs saying watch out for stray animals for the next 150km and then a sign for Royal Flying Doctor Airstrip (part of the highway is widened and used an airstrip during emergencies). Eventually reached the longest straight stretch of road in Australia the 90 Mile Straight (146.6km).
Crossing the Nullarbor was good fun. I didn't realise that were significant changes in altitude during the trip. I should have checked a topo map beforehand. I did wave at everybody except the road trains (they were too high and fast).
Stopped at a rest area for the night. It was on the edge of the Great Western Woodlands. The GWW is the largest remaining area of Mediterranean- climate woodland on Earth and covers 16million hectares (about the size of England).
 | Sunrise over the Bunda Cliffs [Map] |  | Eucla telegraph station ruins [Map] |
 | Start of the 90 Mile Straight [Map] |  | Animal road sign [Map] |
 | Highway used as airstrip [Map] |  | Regeneration of woodland after bushfire last year [Map] |
 | Campsite [Map] |
Sent from my iPad by My Vacation HD app (www.myvacationapp.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment