Fled our idyllic bushcamp when parched bees started attacking. The local caravan park had a smashing pool to splash in for a couple of days.
Next day, aircon fixed, we took off again via Bulong ghost town cemetery for the dirt Trans Access Road running parallel to the Indian Pacific Railway line for 1000s of kms across the Nullarbor.
First, I rubbed my bleary eyes, I spotted a huge mob of some 30 wild camels nervously crossing the road. Wow!
Next, a shingleback or sleepy or bluetongue lizard basking on the road generously went in threat posture for Gen.
We continue on the road dotted with car wrecks used as location markers.
Ethan had come from Devon in the UK 7 months ago and together with his mate Brandon, they were pushing the flock through 87 paddocks and 140kms to Cocklebiddy on the coast for shearing.
Ethan texted the station boss, Jimmy, from whom we then requested permission to drive across the 10,000 sq km station to Cocklebiddy.
In this vast landscape, we are just a tiny speck. As we sit with the door open, the wind rocking the vehicle, three chirruping swallows appear to dance around our doorway, then one comes inside, flies around for a look, then departs. More magic.
What a day - who says the Nullarbor is 'Nullarboring'...and we've only just started!
Next day, aircon fixed, we took off again via Bulong ghost town cemetery for the dirt Trans Access Road running parallel to the Indian Pacific Railway line for 1000s of kms across the Nullarbor.
Murphy's Law dictated it rained 6mm the night before we left. We reckoned the 6mm of rain would dry before early afternoon. Not quite - we had a great drive in the pools on the dirt track before joining the TAR.
The Bulong cemetery was in a grove of shady trees, just a handful of graves with sad tales of infant death or mining accidents.
We stayed overnight in the Bush beside the railway line. Great fun waving to the driver of a passing freight train who waved back and hooted, then we fell asleep with the last train of the night rumbling past in the darkness.
Up early next day, and what a day!
First, I rubbed my bleary eyes, I spotted a huge mob of some 30 wild camels nervously crossing the road. Wow!
Next, a shingleback or sleepy or bluetongue lizard basking on the road generously went in threat posture for Gen.
We continue on the road dotted with car wrecks used as location markers.
Beside the road, I spotted a flock of merino sheep being mustered by two blokes on dirt bikes. The lads came over to chat and tried in vain to get the flock to come closer for photos, but they are wild things and hate humans. Mustering of 60,000 sheep was in full swing on 2.5 million acre Rawlinna Station, the largest sheep operation in Australia.
Ethan had come from Devon in the UK 7 months ago and together with his mate Brandon, they were pushing the flock through 87 paddocks and 140kms to Cocklebiddy on the coast for shearing.
Ethan texted the station boss, Jimmy, from whom we then requested permission to drive across the 10,000 sq km station to Cocklebiddy.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-29/goldfields-and-rawlinna-best-rain-in-years/103400872
Rawlinna Homestead is out of bounds, but we stopped at the centre of the miniscule hamlet, just an old post office, a bizarre time capsule, and the station where passengers stop on the 3 day train ride from Sydnèy to eat a long table dinner.
Rawlinna Homestead is out of bounds, but we stopped at the centre of the miniscule hamlet, just an old post office, a bizarre time capsule, and the station where passengers stop on the 3 day train ride from Sydnèy to eat a long table dinner.
After a couple of wrong turns, we used our specialist, Exploroz offroad mapping software to follow our path through a maze of narrow, barely defined, tracks spiked with nasty, very sharp limestone rock fragments. Crawling along at 16kms an hour we pass through gate after gate, paddock after paddock, spotting skittish sheep, and athletic and equally skittish roos.
Four hours later, we pull over on the gale blown, treeless landscape to rest until tomorrow.
In this vast landscape, we are just a tiny speck. As we sit with the door open, the wind rocking the vehicle, three chirruping swallows appear to dance around our doorway, then one comes inside, flies around for a look, then departs. More magic.
What a day - who says the Nullarbor is 'Nullarboring'...and we've only just started!
Eventually, we made it to Cocklebiddy the next day, the last 86km having taken 5h30!
========================================================================
Nullarbor, Rawlinna, Cocklebiddy, Merino, Sheep, Rawlinna Station, Station, Western Australia, WA
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comment: