Nullarbor (1627 kms) Nullarbor is one of the few places on the Eyre Highway which is actually within the boundaries of The Nullarbor Plain. Here you see the low scrub with virtually no trees which was responsible for the name Nullarbor. The hairy nosed wombat can sometimes be seen in this area which is riddled with its burrows. These can be identified by dark red mounds of clay with patches of darker green vegetation.
Nundroo (1773 kms) Another hotel/motel providing a place to rest briefly on your journey. Twenty six kilometres to the south is the small fishing settlement of Fowlers Bay, a haven for keen fishermen and site of a monument to the explorer Matthew Flinders.
Penong (1853 kms) A small settlement (the first since Eucla in Western Australia) which marks the beginning of the wheat farming area. As you leave Penong the large number of windmills in a relatively small area is an impressive sight.
Ceduna (1926 kms) The first major town with all facilities since Norseman in Western Australia, Ceduna marks the end of the Nullarbor crossing. It has a large fishing fleet and port facility at Thevenard, which is also a major grain handling port.
We usually stop in Ceduna for lunch in the park by the foreshore.
Wirrulla (2017 kms) A small town in the large central wheatbelt region. Wirrulla has a population of approximately sixty.
Kyancutta (2150 kms) Another very small wheatbelt town which is situated at the road junction where the highway goes south to Port Lincoln and east to Port Augusta. There are no accommodation facilities in Kyancutta.
Kimba (2239 kms) One of the largest towns of the central wheatbelt area with several accommodation and restaurant facilities. The town is dominated by the railway and the huge wheat silos.
Iron Knob (2328 kms) After leaving Kimba the countryside changes from wheat and sheep farms to semi desert in which is found the "iron triangle" of Iron Knob, Iron Monarch and Iron Baron. Iron Knob is the only town in this central desert area which is rich in ironstone. These three mountains are almost pure iron ore.
Port Augusta (2398 kms) Port Augusta is the first city since leaving Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. It is at the nations crossroads. From here the roads head north to Alice Springs and Darwin, south to Adelaide, east to Broken Hill and Sydney and west back to Perth. This was our third overnight stop on our last trip.
It is a highly industrialised city, its fortunes being governed by the fortunes of BHP. Beginning as a port for the handling of the local iron ore, Whyalla was turned into a major steel production centre in the late 1930s. Since 1941 Whyalla has also been an important ship building port. The first ship built at Whyalla, the HMAS Whyalla, now stands as though guarding the northern entrance to the city. We have stayed in Whyalla on several occasions and have always found the accommodation facilities of good quality.
