Perth to Melbourne   

"The joy is in the travelling and not in the arriving"

Melbourne to Lawn Hill National Park

Lawn Hill National Park to Broome

Broome to Perth

Day Seventy One 13th September 1994 - Perth to York:

It took us a while to get onto the correct freeway, but eventually we arrived in Northam in time for lunch. Northam is on the Avon River. Each year the Avon Descent starts in Northam and finishes in Perth. Participants challenge the Avon and Swan Rivers in a variety of paddle and power craft in a two-day time trial over 133 kilometers with conditions ranging from long stretches of flat water through to white water rapids. We had a quick drive around town to see the old houses, shops and churches before continuing on to York. York was under 40 kms away and we arrived before 1.30pm. We checked into the caravan park before taking a walk around town. York is an old town from the early 1800's that has now had a lot of the buildings renovated to their early grandeur. We returned to the caravan park and relaxed, preparing for a long drive tomorrow.

Day Seventy Two 14th September 1994 - York to Southern Cross:

It was a nice drive through the wheat belt on our drive to Southern Cross. Outside Corrigan was a Dog Cemetery, that catered for all the local dogs. Near Hyden were Wave Rock and Hippo's Yawn, and both were very worthwhile seeing. Wave Rock is a huge granite rock that has been worn away by wind and water to look like a breaking wave that is 100 metres long and 15 metres high. The next stop was Mulka's Cave and Gnamma Holes. Here we viewed aboriginal rock art and ancient water storage holes. It was dirt road  most of the way from here to Southern Cross, and along the way I managed to avoid a couple of snakes that were enjoying sunning themselves on the road. We also came across a historic site where a plane crashed in 1944. The air force pilot walked for four days with no food or water to safety, but the co-pilot was never found. The plane wreckage was strewn about everywhere. We finally reached Southern Cross and settled into the caravan park.

Day Seventy Three 15th September 1994 - Southern Cross to Kalgoorlie:

It was an easy two and a bit hour drive this morning. The temperature of the truck was running a bit high though, so we didn't push the pace. The caravan park was very nice and we settled in and had lunch before having a tour around town. There are a lot of nice old pubs and buildings in Kalgoorlie that showed the wealth created by the amount of gold in the area. We drove up to the town lookout before going to the Super pit mine lookout over the huge open cut mine. Boulder is the poor side of town and there were drunks everywhere. We had a quick drive down Hay Street, where the brothels were still operating, before returning to the caravan park.

After dinner, we drove up to the lookout again for a night view of the town. We drove down Hay Street again and the brothels were alive with girls showing their wares. We then parked in the main street and went for a walk. The place was busy as it was late night shopping. We returned to the caravan park and I watched television before going to bed.

Day Seventy Four 16th September 1994 - Kalgoorlie to Leonora and return:

It is a long drive today from Kalgoorlie to Leonora and back. Leonora was disappointing for Dad as this was one spot he was looking forward to seeing for its old buildings. Gwalla was better for him. All the old houses were still the same as in the 1800's. Hessian walls, corrugated iron, stone, sand and wooden floors. Very humble living standards in shocking conditions. There was a great view of the open cut mine from the museum. It was very deep and it felt eerie standing right out on the edge of the pit.

There were many gravestones along the highway roadside, set up as memorials for the many road death victims. We also spotted many emus and feral goats as we headed back to Kalgoorlie. We stopped at a legal two-up school, where big money was being won and lost, it was very interesting to observe. Back at Kalgoorlie, I had a haircut and shopped to restock the supplies before repacking the truck, ready for an early departure tomorrow.

Day Seventy Five 17th September 1994 - Kalgoorlie to Cocklebiddy:

It was a long, tiring drive today. Having travelled along the highway towards Norseman, also known as "Death Road" we reached the Eyre Highway and headed east. There was not much to see as far as sightseeing goes. I almost had an accident just after I took over driving for the second time. I was coming up to overtake a caravan when the driver decided to slow to an almost complete stop to avoid a dead kangaroo on the road. I had to brake heavily and veer onto the gravel as the caravan swerved onto the wrong side of the road to pass the kangaroo. We were very lucky to escape without an accident indeed. 

We are staying at the Wedgetail Inn at Cocklebiddy, it is a motel, bar, service station and restaurant. We have a very large room with ensuite bathroom. The beds are all single beds, but Mum is able to sit in the bathroom to read her newspapers after Dad and I go to bed. The beds are very soft, so I am sure I will wake with a bad back tomorrow. We watched a beautiful Nullabor Sunset before heading back to the room. Geelong defeated Carlton in the second semi final to go onto play North Melbourne next week. We had to put the clocks and watches forward 45 minutes and so we are only 1¼ hours behind Melbourne now.

Day Seventy Six 18th September 1994 - Cocklebiddy to Eucla:

I did wake up with a sore back this morning. We left early and a headwind made the travel slow and uneconomic - 18.5litres/100km on this stretch - not good. We did our sight seeing as soon as we arrived at Eucla and drove down to see the Old Telegraph Station that was being consumed by the shifting sand dunes. It was very windy and overcast, with spots of rain. We returned to the roadhouse in time to sit in the bar and watch Melbourne thrash Footscray on television. Melbourne are playing West Coast Eagles in Perth next week for a berth in the Grand Final and we have a good chance to win I feel. We relaxed in our tiny room that consisted of 3 beds and a bench, and it was $1 for a shower. We unpacked the stove to cook dinner before I re-read a book and finally crashed, with Mum waking me most of the night with her snoring.  

Day Seventy Seven 19th September 1994 - Eucla to Ceduna:

It was a long drive into a head wind again. We stopped at scenic lookouts that gave us a great look at the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight and Nullabor Plains. It was very windy, cold and grey and the sea was very rough. The high cliffs were beautiful and you could walk right to the edge with great care as it is a thirty metre drop to ragged rocks and the surf. I had a nap on my driving break and took over again for the last drive from Penong to Ceduna. There was a fruit fly checkpoint at Ceduna, but as we had so much stuff in the back, the bloke said not to worry and didn't search us. Ceduna is the windy city. We are staying in a cottage at the caravan park with metered power. We had a quick tour of Ceduna and Thevenard, which is a fishing and produce port. Before dinner we went to view a disappointing sunset by the pier before heading back for some food, a shower, diary catch up and then bed.

Day Seventy Eight 20th September 1994 - Ceduna to Elliston:

We were up early at 8.15am (6.45 WA Time). I am finding it difficult to get used to the 1½ hour time difference. We took the scenic route via the coast to Elliston stopping at Smoky Bay, Streaky Bay, Port Kenny, Venus Bay, Murphy's Haystacks and Talia Caves. Smoky Bay and Port Kenny are little fishing villages on the water. Streaky Bay is a bit bigger, with 1000 people. We bought lunch at Streaky Bay and Dad purchased an Akubra for $61.50. He has been searching Australia wide for one that he liked and finally found it with two days to go on the trip. We ate our lunch at Venus Bay, another fishing hamlet. Murphy's Haystacks are large rocks that have been eroded over time. They have been dated as being over 33600 years old. The spectacular Talia Caves, Woolshed and Tub, have been worn by the ocean. 

Elliston is a sleepy hollow. Our holiday flat is great, with two bedrooms, a kitchenette, ensuite and a washing machine. We did a few loads of washing and hung them up to dry before taking a drive down to the beach. We also drove around and found the best spot to watch the sunset. We returned later to watch the tide come in and the sun go down, although there was not much color. We returned home for dinner, a shower and an early night.

Day Seventy Nine 21st September 1994 - Elliston to Port Wakefield:

We had a late start, 9.15am before filling up on diesel, purchasing some souvenirs and taking some photos of the pier before departure. It was a dirt road from Bramfield to Kyancutta and road works slowed us down before Kimba. Kimba is the middle point of Australia in a east/west direction. We had lunch at Port Augusta then drove flat chat to Port Wakefield. Port Wakefield is a nice old town, with many circa 1830 houses and buildings. They have all been looked after and restored to their former glory. We completed a walking tour of the town using a well planned map, it was very enjoyable. We dined on fish and chips on the wharf before another early night - home tomorrow.

Day Eighty 22nd September 1994 - Port Wakefield to Wheelers Hill:

Up and off early today, 8.00am departure time. There was a nasty truck accident just south of Port Wakefield. A car transporter had jack knifed, strewing cars everywhere. The driver was lying beside the road in a coma position cradled by a passerby. He looked ok but we passed an ambulance rushing to the scene. The accident didn't hold us up, but radio reports stated to stay away due to the blocked road. We had no other problems otherwise to Adelaide. It was slow going through the Adelaide Hills, but the wind was behind us so we kept a good speed and fuel economy. I drove from Port Wakefield to Keith before Dad took over. I then snoozed until the border and lunch at Kaniva. We stopped again at Ararat for milkshakes and I again took over the driving. I drove the rest of the way home and we finally arrived in the driveway at 7.30pm. We started the unpacking of the truck before an early night to bed. 

Total kilometres travelled: 17261

It was the greatest experience completing this trip. I learned a lot about the country, the outback, its people and customs. Australia is the greatest country in the world with few people experiencing and appreciating its wonders.