A 1200-km road through the semi-desert across the world’s largest piece of limestone, most of it in a straight line. A large part of the plain is without trees. This is the Nullarbor (Latin: nullus arbor) that connects South and Western Australia. The plain breaks off abruptly in dramatic cliffs into the Southern Ocean. North of it, deserts stretch for thousands of miles. Everything is vast: the plain, the ocean, the sky, and the distance.
We set off from Penong at sunrise. The farther we drove, the wider the horizon seemed to stretch. Signposts for the eyes (trees, buildings, poles) disappear. The sky expands across the plain in translucent blue, limitless.
It’s disorienting and exhilarating. Then the first milestone: Nullarbor Roadhouse. It is a very busy old outback hotel with a huge area for all the trucks, caravans, cars, and everything else that passes through. The photo below shows the western part of this area and our Scout-14 is the first vehicle on the left.
People stumble out of their cars (or whatever they are driving), gaze at the scenery, gas up, drink coffee, look at the photos of snakes currently active around the hotel, or take selfies in front of the big sign.
We drove on to Border Village just before the WA border to spend the night there and eat our remaining fruit and vegetables. The biosecurity regulations for entering WA are very strict.
Liz Mike Travels 