Ecula to Wudinna 692 km
Today, we crossed Australia’s most iconic landmark, the Nullarbor Plain.
Our first stop was at the Nullarbor Roadhouse for fuel. In addition to fuel and great beef dim sims and chico rolls, there is a considerable variety of Nullarbor Plain memorabilia to purchase. If we didn’t have anxiety about fuel range, we should have delayed refuelling for 92km and filled up at Yalata Roadhouse as the fuel was around 20 cents per litre cheaper.
Our next stop rest stop was Nundroo. Here, we met some Model A Ford enthusiasts from Esperance and Perth who are driving these beautiful machines across to the National Model A Ford rally in Marlborough Queensland. This is a journey over 4,000km in cars built in the late 1920’s.
We had a crosswind for most of the trip, which made for a tiring day. To make up for the crosswind, we stopped at the three lookouts and had some great views over the Great Australian Bight. The lookouts are numbered east to west, so we started at lookout 3. There were a number of unofficial lookout locations, however many were closed due to ground stability issues.
When stopping at the quarantine checkpoint in Ceduna, the quarantine lady told Dave probably the most Australian quote we’ve ever heard, ‘move forward a bit mate, a snake just fell off your bike. It is injured but still alive.’ Dave, like most people, pictured a 2 metre injured and angry brown snake now sitting on the road between his ankles, which he now needed to ride over. To his credit, Dave calmly put his BMW in gear, moved forward (without doing a burnout), and then got off his bike to have a look at his travelling companion. We couldn’t identify the snake however it was about 30cm long.
After collecting the apple from Neil, and confirming Dave had nothing to declare, the quarantine lady wondered over to the quarantine station and returned with a shovel to pick the poor creature up off the road. Due to the calm nature of the lady and the close proximity of the shovel, we are wondering how frequently snakes fall from vehicles at this checkpoint. Unfortunately, we didn’t have an opportunity to take a photo of this event.
After the excitement at the quarantine station, we refuelled the bikes and had a break in Ceduna before sadling back up for the 211km stretch to Wudinna. Wudinna has beautiful gardens along the southern side of the highway and also a very tall stature to farmers.
We stayed at the Wudinna Gawler Ranges Motel and Caravan Park. Once the lady at reception knew we were riding a Lap for Legacy, she generously gave us a discount on the accommodation. Thanks, Wudinna Gawler Ranges Motel and Caravan Park.
In addition to the beautiful gardens, massive stature, and generousity of the Wudinna motel, we had a fabulous meal at the Wudinna Hotel.
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