Crossing the Nullabor

We are now driving across the Nullabor Plains on the Eyre Highway. We stopped at free camps along the way.

The word Nullabor in Latin is ‘nullus arbor’ meaning ‘no trees’. The Aboriginals called the plains ‘Gondiri’ meaning ‘bare like a bone’. It is mostly treeless with only low shrubs and grass. Once a part of the ocean floor, it’s the worlds largest and flattest piece of limestone, covering an area 200,000 square kilometres and up to 300m thick.

We stopped at the Great Australian Bite Marine National Park, hoping to see Southern Right Whales. This is us walking to one of the viewing platforms.

This part of the park is known as the Head of Bight. The cliffs mark the edge of the Australian continent which broke away from Antarctica.

We noticed quite a few small bones scattered in and around the rocks, probably from a rabbit.

The water is very clear and close; a perfect place to see whales. We were a few weeks early for the season, so we didn’t get to see any this time. Still, it’s a lovely view anyhow.

This is me walking to the Burda Cliffs viewing spot. Still no signs of whales.

The Burda Cliffs, made of limestone, measure 40 to 80m high and stretch west for 880km.

This is the skull of a Southern Right Whale located outside of the information centre.