Was it all just a dream?

We left Lucky Bay 2 days early largely due to the weather (again) … cool and windy  (with high winds forecast and 38 degrees) … as well we kinda felt that we have seen enough beaches and had enough sand in everything that we would head off … head off we did and ended up 760km later at a free camp on the Nullarbor … it wasn’t planned to be that far … but the first site we pulled into was invaded by blood sucking march flies hell bent on gorging themselves (on us!) … back in the car … next site … more march flies and millions of their smaller brethren … nope … next one rubbish everywhere, with the flies to match … back in the car … finally less of everything – light, flies and insects.

The Nullarbor Highway is 1256km long and has about 9 roadhouses scattered along its length. Diesel ranged from $180.9 p/litre to $2.78.9 (at Nullarbor Roadhouse - which is generally about 50c p/litre more expensive than those either side of it). The road itself really only touches on the most southern part of the Nullarbor Plain. The Great Australian Bight is a prime viewing point for seeing whales pass by as they move into warmer water to breed.

The following day we headed off to enjoy the views of the Great Australian Bight – 40 degrees and very windy!  Took in the official viewing options and navigated a couple of our own … to our immense disappointment the authorities have banned camping and access to the Bunda Cliffs on account of rock falls and collapsing coastline … all (almost) access tracks have signs prohibiting access some with chains across the entry points; some with bollards and some with mounds of dirt or huge rocks!  It seemed the dream of camping along the clifftop was gone …

Happily, with the mighty Tvan in tow we found a couple of tracks to the clifftops that were not closed (nor where they signposted).  Mmm … 40 degrees and 40-50kmph winds blowing from the north … a tad too hot … secret optimism (or just plain stubbornness) and we found a track that went for about 2kms to the cliffs with heaps of camping spaces … bingo … we got out of the car – the wind had changed direction to coming off the ocean (which was absolutely dead calm) and temperature dropped to 33 degrees … man what a view!

Well  … we setup … pinching ourselves that we may have just hit the jackpot! A G&T and nibbles – how good is this … a few flies.  Around sunset (with a full moon to boot) we watched a massive electrical storm out at sea and inland – massive multiple lightning bolts and sheets of lightning lighting up the horizon. 

Then … thousands of moths each the size of a fist invaded us … unrelenting … they were everywhere … we decided to eat inside the Tvan but not before we evicted scores of the buggers.  From here it all went pear shaped …

The wind picked up to the point where the Tvan felt like someone was belting the side of it with a massive set of bellows then the reverb would happen on the opposite side – the winds were extreme.  By about 12.30am it went calm.  About 15 minutes later it went to another level. We both thought that the Tvan, and us were about to be blown over any anytime.  Without doubt the biggest winds I have ever experienced.  At 1.15am we decided to pack up and get the hell out of there … but where? Anywhere but here!

Trying to pack up was no mean feat as the wind turned everything into a spinnaker ready to take you to Jakarta… all mixed up with sand/gravel and rain! It was near impossible to stand outside let alone without being blown over.  We packed up and headed out the track back to the highway … 78 kms later we found a free camp by the side of the road.  Exhausted and some kind of shock we set up and managed to get to bed by 2.30am. 

Unfortunately, at 6am someone arrived near us and set up their generator!  There was not another person anywhere else.  We crawled out of bed unsure whether it was a bad dream or not … we drove back up the road to Nullarbor Roadhouse and had coffee and breakfast … it is also where the actual Nullarbor Plain is the primary landscape … it is such a small part of the journey but the reason it gets its name.

Original Nullarbor Roadhouse

And to top it all off … this morning Cate found that she had acquired a tick!

Head of the Bight viewing area

Head of the Bight viewing area

Today we have made our way via the Head of the Bight viewing area then onto Fowlers Bay which is a somewhat rustic hamlet full of fishermen … the wind has followed us (but it is only 40kmph) … but the temperature is 20 degrees.

The moths keep appearing in everything we open or pick up and sand grinds against everything (like drawer runners, locks etc)…