The Nullarbor Plain is a big area in South Australia you drive through if you are driving from one side of Australia to another along the south of the country. I have crossed over Australia twice now, once from Melbourne to Perth and then back to Melbourne.
Driving from Perth back to Melbourne I drove in 3 and a half days, it is possible, but it is very fast and determined. In the days leading up to the drive I was dreading it, the long driving days, but when I started, I remembered how much I loved driving across this beautiful country.
Contents
Journal Of Each Day
Day 1 – 498kms 5.5 hours driving time
I finished work at 4pm Perth time, did some last minute packing, said my goodbyes, and headed off around 5pm. I drove east across WA until about 10:30pm where I stopped at a campground in Goldfields Woodlands National Park. This campsite was great, it was the only one I could find in the perfect distance I wanted and felt safe for a solo female. There were plenty of other campers there as well which made me feel very safe. If I don’t feel safe, I will not get a good night sleep, which is very important for the long driving days ahead!
The drive itself this day was pretty uneventful and was mostly in the dark (I do not recommend this! I always try and drive in the daylight for safety!) I stopped at a train crossing for 10mins, and stopped for petrol twice, once in Perth before I left, and once in Meckering.
Day 2 – 1,090kms 11 hours driving time
I woke up in the Gold Fields Woodlands National Park, got ready for the day and headed off around 7am. First stop, petrol of course. I definitely filled up more then I needed too, I filled up whenever I got about half way because it is my worst nightmare to run out. Today I was listening to a great audiobook which was super interesting, for long drives I really recommend podcasts or audio books over music. This is because I found I needed something to keep my brain focused on something, my brain would wonder with music.
Then it was time to cross the 90 mile straight. This is the longest straight road in Australia. It takes about an hour and 45 mins to drive and it is an hour and 45 mins of nothing. I obviously can not take photos while I am driving, but what you can see behind the sign in the photo below, is pretty much the whole thing. Again, it can be a lot driving that long without much going on, I recommend a good podcast or audio book to keep your brain interested and ensure to always drive safely. I did not find it too bad, but towards the end I was dying for a wee, and this made it hard towards the end, so I also recommend a bathroom stop first.
“made me feel so free and alive.”
At the end of the straight in Caiguna, there is a roadhouse, I ran in for the bathroom as soon as I got there. I filled up with petrol, grabbed some food, and was on my way again. I drove until I hit the WA/SA state boarder. You can drive straight through the boarder coming into South Australia from Western Australia. Going into WA they search your car for certain foods you can not bring in. Although there is another check point for SA as you start to hit bigger towns.
This boarder is where the Nullarbor Plains actually begin. Once I was over the boarder I filled up with petrol at the Boarder Village Station, where you will also find the Big Kangaroo. As I was travelling east, at this boarder I lost 1.5 hours due to the time zone change, so very quickly it was night time. I drove to the Bunda Cliffs where you can free camp. There are plenty of other campers all the way along the cliffs. I pulled up around 8pm. This was my favourite camp of the whole trip. The stars where amazing and something about this spot made me feel so free and alive.
Day 3 – 908kms 9.5 hours driving time
I woke up on the Bunda Cliffs to the most amazing Sunrise and beautiful fresh air, around 7:30am. I was so happy in this moment, I highly recommend going and camping here. After spending some time taking it all in and getting ready for the day, I filled up my car with oil and started off on my journey again. First stop was the Nullarbor Roadhouse. Filled up with petrol, grabbed an overpriced coffee, and kept going.
Today I listened to another audio book of a different genre which kept me going all day. The next stop was Kimba, here you will find the Big Galah, this is the halfway point of Australia. Although I didn’t spend too much time here. I continued onto the campsite for the night which was Lawrie Park, got there at about 9:30pm. Lawrie Park also had a lot of other campers there and I felt very safe.
Day 4 – 972kms 10.5 hours driving time.
Today was the last day I had to get home. I woke up around 7am, got ready for the day, and head off. I stopped for petrol in Murray Bridge and Horsham, and I drove right through Adelaide. Not to much happened this day, although I saw a really pretty full rainbow. There is a moment driving into Melbourne just after Ballarat where you come over a hill and you see the full city skyline. When I saw this I got excited to be home and I was reminded how much I love this city. I got home around 7pm, ready to sleep in a bed.
Itinerary In Detail
I worked out that I needed/wanted to stop every 2-4 hours for petrol and a bathroom break. Everyone will need a different amount of time, but this is what worked for me, my car and timeframe.
Day 1
Northern Perth – Petrol, stocked up on food
Meckering – Shell petrol
Goldfields Woodlands National Park – Boondi Rock Camping ground
Day 2
Coolgardie – Ampol petrol
Norseman – BP petrol
Balladonia – (90 Mile Straight Sign)
Caiguna – Caiguna Roadhouse, BP petrol (90 Mile Straight sign)
Border Village – Shell petrol (Big Kangaroo)
Bunda Cliffs – Clifftop camping
Day 3
Nullarbor Roadhouse – BP petrol, coffee
Ceduna – Shell petrol
Kimba – (The Bag Galah)
Port Augusta – Petrol
Lawrie Park – Camp ground
Day 4
Murray Bridge – United petrol
Dimboola – (Pink Lake)
Horsham – Shell petrol
Melbourne
Tips
Write out an itinerary before you go. I did a lot of research on where I should stop to not run out of petrol, as there are big breaks without any stations. Even if you do not plan your whole trip and leave room to be spontaneous, know places you can stop alone the way.
Download offline maps and music/podcasts. There is absolute no reception through the middle of Australia. I ensured I had maps for the whole trip and all the content I was listening to downloaded to my phone.
Listen to audio books and podcasts. I found my brain didn’t focus as much listening to music and I found the long drives harder.
Be safe and stay focused. It is a long drive with lots of long road trains. Be smart and you will be okay.
Enjoy the drive! Do what you need to do to make it enjoyable, I loved looking at Australia from a different point of view. This is one of my favourite drives I have done, take it all in.
If you would like to read more about my trips around Australia, you can read them here.
