Good morning Ceduna…..
Gotta be happy with that.
Breaky with Nico then pack up and head off. Little day today only 480km to do. We aren’t travelling together and will probably play tag along the way, along with Gags who stopped in Wudinna last night some 2hrs behind us. Bit windy today but not as chilly as it has been…so not heated socks today.
Ceduna to Penong first stop for fuel but the stretch in between WOW. There is sooooo much country out there to see, it’s mind boggling. Not far out of town and I came across this sign for the next 79km. Eyes wide Kimmie!!! As you can see it’s rained already, not much it’s more like a spattering sun shower than anything serious. Dries up in no time.
Yikes
For as far as the eye can see…..the ever changing landscape. Salt bush and red dirt, sand, then trees, wind and wind and more wind not to mention the pantomime the clouds put again for me today. Dark then light, wet then dry….they must be menopausal (emotions all over the place like that…LOL). But how fantastic
It is windy but not too bad at the moment, Dudley, Smurfette and I are just tootling along nicely and come across this…
Not too far to go now….only 330km..YAY!!! But look at the scenery….totally amazing. There is so much to see and so much of nothingness that put you at easy with the universe. I tried to stop for a pic a little further back but the verges are real dodgy and I couldn’t safely stop besides the wind is blowing pretty hard now and I was worried Dudley might blow over. Nico caught me and asked if I was ok, gave him the pic sign and he said there was a better place a few kays down the road. To right there is – thanks mate. The Nullabor Plain – I made it. WOO HOO!!! How inspirational is this place. The never ending horizon of for a now a beautiful blue with the stretch of cloud like a blanket rolling up towards your chin to tuck you in….breathtaking. In case you were wondering, yes, it’s still damn windy.
Now the guys had worded me up about the wildlife and places to stop, one of which is The Head of The Bight…..The Great Australian Bight that is…naturally. I’ll tell you know the ominous rain clouds you see didn’t eventuate….just yet.
Head of the Bight
What can I say about this place…..spectacular!!! $15 admission and you get to walk out to the cliff edge and watch the whales dance in the water. There were 9 out there today and I was lucky enough to be able to see some of them.
The Bight coastline
Not the best pic of me, but I WAS THERE!!! Look how magic that view is (just imagine my big melon out of the way….ha ha ha).
And for the finally…….a baby whale. The graceful giants of the sea….majestic!
Onya bike girl you’ve got to be somewhere. That somewhere was for fuel and lunch – The Nullarbor Roadhouse. This place like many along this stretch is an oasis in the middle of nowhere. This is the original roadhouse and fuel pump…..no I didn’t get fuel from there, they have a shiny new roadhouse, petrol station, motel now which has a little bit of everything. As I’m filling up that rain cloud from before decided to have a cry…poo. Parked up Dudley under cover and went and had lunch inside out of the wind and rain. Rang Karl, boy I wish he was here….it’s amazing! Everything good with me and with him, I hang up and have a little moment of emptiness – where your heart sinks and the pang that the one you love so much can’t share this with you. Sweety I hope you can get a sense of all this by my words.
Nullabor Roadhouse – original
The road goes on for-ev-er!! But the scenery keeps changing ever so slightly. Then I see this sign…….now I have to watch out for Camels – YIKES!!!
Thankfully I didn’t see any but I did see a dingo with some unthoughtful persons rubbish in its mouth. The wind has really picked up now. I’m on my last tank of Dudley go-go juice before I reach my destination and am sitting nicely along on 115km with the cruise control. The heated gear turned down low just enough the take the edge off. Have I mentioned how that has also paid for itself this trip.
Not far now!!! I’m getting excited. Kicked back and relaxed watching the clouds dance across the never-ending plains and watching for wildlife (which is never far from my mind). There are turn off scattered along the coastal for you reach viewing areas….they are gravel roads but I out my “big girl” pantaloons on and went out to have a look. The walk to the actual look out was ages away and it’s windy as so decide a pic from the carpark will suffice.
Smurfette wasn’t that impressed with the wind I can tell you…..she kept complaining about her hair…..really!!
More straight road…the road…the only road that traverses the country east to west or west to east and that 183kms seemed to disappear. Also disappearing was my fuel! It was like I entered the Bermuda Triangle Fuel Vortex and it was sucked out like nobody’s business. I was warned about this but in all my excitement to reach Border Village I’d stayed with the cruise setting.
And then……..TAH DAH!!!!! Roo – the sign that says I MADE IT!!! To Border Village.
Into the gravel again and skirted a muddy pothole, well not quite as good as I could’ve and nearly dropped Dudley. Gags is already at the fuel pump and we head in together and get our rooms sorted for the night. Parked up outside my digs for the next 2 nights and Dudley and Smurfette are tucked up nice and tidy in their spots.
Settled in and showered, it’s time to kick back with friends and join in the festivities for the night.
I made it, can you believe it!! It’s a surreal feeling, I almost can’t believe it myself.
Together Dudley, Smurfette and I have completed since leaving the driveway at home 2552km. What an awesome adventure!!!
Just quietly……I’m just a little bit proud of myself…sshhhh
