Day 98 Scenic Lookout Number 1 to Balladonia

 

It was a day that began like many others in recent weeks.  Lisa and I awoke at 6am, freezing cold and busting.  We knew that we had to get up early, so crawled reluctantly out of bed to be greeted by -2 Deg C at our camping spot on top of the cliffs.  No power meant no heater, or electric kettle, no Nespresso and no toast for breakfast.  It was so cold in the van that our breath was misting.

Lisa and I boiled a pot of water on the stove, and stood near it trying to warm our hands, whilst making coffee and hot chocolate at the same time.  I cooked pancakes for everybody, and had a good, hearty, warm breakfast.

The kids heard us shivering, so they too arose in need of bladder relief, and we set about the day's business.  For some stupid reason, I got it in my head to go and watch the sun rise from the lookout.  There was a fairly strong wind pushing the fog over the Eastern Nullarbor Plain, and over the cliffs to the Southern Ocean.  Ashley and I stood at the lookout watching the sun rise whilst our fingers and toes went numb with cold.  I think the experience was worth it though.

 

Packing up was fairly simple, and we were underway quickly at around 730am.  The fog was still quite thick and impenetrable over 100m or so.  We passed the 2nd lookout because the fog was still in and we didn't think we would see anything, but a couple of hundred meters later, the fog had burned off, and it was a beautiful clear blue sky that greeted us.  Murphy has a lot to answer for.

 We drove on to the third lookout, which isn't really cliffs any more, but more steep coastal plane.  We were greeted by Southern Right Whales in the water having a fun old time of things.  It's funny how a couple of whales can change your everyday beach into something quite amazing.  Whales are pretty cool.

Next stop was to be the WA/SA border crossing village and quarantine checkpoint.  This is the stop we had been dreading for a while.  The BIG Roo stood proudly waiting for us, and a couple of photos.  We pigged out on all of our leftover fruit and vegetables, so we didn't have to throw anything away (Lisa can’t stand wasting food...Thanks Oma.)   Border Village was to be the first hole of golf for the day as well.    A particularly nasty par 3 at 160m.  Nasty because I am only carrying a 9 iron, a 3 iron and a sand wedge along with my putter. 

I played up the fairway (Densely wooded clay pan) with my 9 iron, and left a tantalising shot over the cattle loading ramp to reach the green.  Not the ideal way to start the day, but still fun. 

After the hole, we took the car to the quarantine station.  The official was very kind to inform me that the Eagles flogged the Pies last night, and that I had good reason to be happy today (And why not, I am playing golf.)  We didn't have any fruit or veg, but we did have a new bottle of honey that has only been used once or twice, so we did have to surrender that.  After our quarantine check, we went over to the border and had some fun.

 

 

 

I taught the kids how to time travel…10am, 0830, 10am, 0830...and did you know that if you made a bad smell on the left side of the line, you could smell it on the right hand side an hour and a half before you had even done it?  A man could go crazy thinking about things like that.  The Prado Delorean Time Machine strikes again. 

 

 

Next stop was to be at Eucla.  We had planned to top off the fuel tanks in Eucla, play golf and visit the old telegraph station.  I am happy to say that we achieved all of these things.  The Golf course is 5km down a dirt track opposite the roadhouse.  The course itself shares it's fairway with the Eucla Amateur Pistol and Rifle Club.  The tee shot is over the target panels, so you have to hustle between loadings on club shooting days.  I was able to utilise my golf buggy on this hole, and had Lisa ferry me up the fairway on the bull bar of the Prado.  The kids were begging to have a try, but that's a doctor's visit that I don't want to explain.

We returned back to the roadhouse, and went on to the old telegraph station.  The road down had just been graded, so we didn't shake the caravan too much, and after the trip out to the golf course, the dust was only settling on previous dust.  The sand dunes are trying hard to reclaim this building.  I had a chat with a couple who had been here before, and they were very sad to see how much had been swallowed by the shifting sand. 

The stone work on this type of building is really quite incredible, with the pieces fitting together with intricate accuracy.  In some places, you would struggle to get the blade of a butter knife through the cracks.  All of these blocks would have been hand hewn by the labour force of the day. 

On the way back out of Eucla, we had a look at the war memorial, which is next to the Eyre memorial.  Just around the corner from this was the Travellers Cross.

 

It wasn't a very long drive to the next golf hole at Mundrabilla Road House.  I finally started playing better golf shots, and  really enjoyed this hole.  At least the fairway was wide enough for me not to get lost.  On the way back, I spotted a gem in the scrubby bush and ran over for a photo opportunity.  There is nothing like relaxing by the pool after a good day's golf.

 

 

Madura roadhouse was to be our next stop, and because of the time difference became our lunch break for the day.  Lisa and the kids were all passing out from hunger.  The golf hole here was a pretty par 3 up through the trees and scrub.  I didn't get onto my tee shot, and left a fairly long chip to make the green.  I think I mentioned before that the greens are impossible to stop a ball on.  You add this to the fight about who was going to get the flag out, and what the appropriate time to do this was, and I ended up having a pretty bad hole after losing my Chi.

We bought lunch from the roadhouse, and it was either pretty good, or we were near on starvation because everybody ate all of their lunch.  Lisa took over the driving after we got to the lookout at the top of the Madura Pass.  The view was expansive over the sweeping grassland flats down to the waters edge.  Lisa asked if I wanted to be in a photo, but I declined because the scenery was just too PLAIN!

Onwards we drove to Cocklebiddy which is just a cool name for a place.  The hole here is called Eagles Nest, and there were pictures and statues of Eagles everywhere.  I really enjoyed this hole as well, apart from  losing a ball in waist high scrub.  I think Lisa was setting me up though, because she continued driving to Caiguna which is the beginning of 90 mile straight.

 

It was around 4pm when we got to Caiguna roadhouse, and the green was nowhere in sight.  They are kind enough to put road marking posts (White post with red or white reflector) to mark the fairway, although at this hole there didn't appear to be any difference between the fairway and the bush.  Unfortunately for me I had to take a drop on this hole...There is no way I was going to be able to play this shot...Where's the ball?  Trust me, it is in there.

 

We had a tough decision from here.  It was too early to stop, but we didn't want to free camp for a second night in a row.  It was agreed that we would drive and see where we got too.  This looked ominous from the outset with the sighting of 6 bloating roo carcasses within a kilometre.  Whilst we were discussing that an Emu darted in front of the car and scuttled off into the bush.

Twilight driving on country roads is never a good idea, but the further we went, the less wildlife we saw.  There was the wedge tailed eagle that we spotted from over a kilometre away, and the second wedge tail that stood defiantly on his prey until we were almost next to him...cheeky sod tried to take off with it as well.  Hasn't any one ever told him there is a 4 kilogram limit to CARRION BAGGAGE!

It was this road that is affectionately known as 90 Mile Straight.  At 145.6 kilometres, it is Australia's longest straight road.  I did notice that Lisa handed the driving back to me here...Setup or what?  There is something quite un-special about driving 145.6 kilometres of treeless, featureless, fauna riddled straight road at dusk.  Especially when you are the only vehicle in sight going either direction. 

We passed the first of three free parking areas which had about a hundred grey nomads in it, but kept driving.  The second and third passed as well, as did the last of our daylight.  Curse time zone changes.  It was only 5.30pm when the sun dropped off the horizon.  I was determined to get to Balladonia tonight so we at least had power if nothing else.  Power means toast for breakfast, heaters, coffee and i-phones charged for the kids so fewer arguments in the back seat.  All make for a much happier driving day. 

 

It was 6pm when we pulled in to the roadhouse at Balladonia, and it was completely dark.  We have a nice, mostly level camping site with power, and forked out the dough for a pub dinner instead of cooking.  We even got to have a 3 minute shower which was very rewarding.  The kids were knackered and all went to bed without any arguments, and Lisa and I tried to write journals, but followed the kids lead without actually accomplishing much at all. 

We only have one or two more nights in the caravan now depending on where we are able to get to today.  It is a bit sad, but also very exciting.