I always wanted to drive the Nullarbor. It seemed like something that only the most adventurous would do. Arid, isolated, distant. Well forget that. Ive done it now and I'm glad I don't have to drive back the same way. Its a great incentive to keep on going around.
It is interesting in parts: the mouth of the Great Australian Bite has some awesome views, the telegraph station and jetty at Eucla are fascinating and have thankfully been excavated from the sand dunes, and the view back down over the lower plains as you head back up west of Eucla is awesome. Maybe just some parts last way too long.
Easter Sunday we went to Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie/Boulder. Beautiful old buildings and shop fronts. You can catch a very brief glimpse of the wealth that was. Kalgoorlie especially now is surrounded by new housing estates with flash brick homes that all look the same but down the main street the feel is the same. This place must have been something.
The big 'Superpit' now rules the sky line and the tourist route. You have to have a look. It is something to behold. Once ownership of all of the mining leases was controlled, the ground was opened up to consume all of the underground mines. Its 4km long and at its deepest around 500m. That's some legacy for our children. I wonder if they will fill it in when they are done?
The WA mining museum was open and was really good. The kids loved seeing all of the gold in the vaults but also learning about the history of the area and Mulga Bills bicycle and the Police station that was a rail cart which moved from site to site as the mining or the tree cutters moved on.
We camped at Lake Douglas recreation reserve around 10kms out of Kalgoorlie. It was a bush camp with the full moon and heaps of stars. We cooked over a fire, finally after a week which was great AND we got to experience first hand the dedication and determination of those 24 hour mines as they drove their big trucks and loaded their big trucks and emptied their big trucks 24 hours of the day and night about 2 kms from our peaceful bush camp.
The kids are all fired up now for the beach.
It is interesting in parts: the mouth of the Great Australian Bite has some awesome views, the telegraph station and jetty at Eucla are fascinating and have thankfully been excavated from the sand dunes, and the view back down over the lower plains as you head back up west of Eucla is awesome. Maybe just some parts last way too long. Easter Sunday we went to Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie/Boulder. Beautiful old buildings and shop fronts. You can catch a very brief glimpse of the wealth that was. Kalgoorlie especially now is surrounded by new housing estates with flash brick homes that all look the same but down the main street the feel is the same. This place must have been something.
The big 'Superpit' now rules the sky line and the tourist route. You have to have a look. It is something to behold. Once ownership of all of the mining leases was controlled, the ground was opened up to consume all of the underground mines. Its 4km long and at its deepest around 500m. That's some legacy for our children. I wonder if they will fill it in when they are done?The WA mining museum was open and was really good. The kids loved seeing all of the gold in the vaults but also learning about the history of the area and Mulga Bills bicycle and the Police station that was a rail cart which moved from site to site as the mining or the tree cutters moved on.
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| First campfire and ...'technology'? |
The kids are all fired up now for the beach.
Glad it was you not me travelling the Nullabor!!! Enjoy the beach, I'm looking forward to a camp side skype!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the blog! It's great reading stories of adventure and exploration. Can't wait to read more. Enjoy your trip!
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