The Nullarbor Plain

Crossing the Nullarbor Plain is undoubtedly one of Australia's great touring experiences. From the point where the well maintained and sealed Eyre Highway begins at Norseman, it's a 1208 kilometre journey before it reaches another real town of any size (see Ceduna in Outback, South Australia). The only signs of civilisation on the long stretches of perfectly straight road are a series of roadhouses, providing fuel, essential services, food, and generally several forms of accommodation. The largest gap is about 200 kilometres, so motorcyclists may need to carry extra fuel. Travellers should also be aware of wandering kangaroos and emus, especially at dawn or dusk, as well as the many time changes you will encounter along the way.

Halfway between Esperance and Coolgardie, Norseman is an old gold mining town on the cross roads of Western Australia's great inland highways. The town is a welcome sight for those coming from South Australia, and for those heading that way, the ideal place to prepare for your journey. There are a number of good places to stay, and several friendly pubs serving refreshing ales.

The first fuel stop is 191 kilometres east of Norseman, at Balladonia. The roadhouse offers both camping and hotel/motel styles of accommodation, as well as a good feed in the colourful cafe. Past Balladonia, the 182 kilometre trip to Caiguna includes one of the longest stretches of straight road anywhere in the world (146.6 km). At Caiguna, The John Eyre Motel provides all the accommodation and eating options.

65 kilometres east of Caiguna, Cocklebiddy is a tiny settlement is serviced by the Wedgetail Inn Hotel Motel. Home to Cocklebiddy Cave and the world record for the deepest cave dive ever, the township also provides 4WD access to the incredible 75 metre limestone cliffs which line the Great Australian Bight. At the Bight, the Eyre Bird Observatory provides board for bird watching enthusiasts in the old Eyre Telegraph Station.

Back on the Eyre Highway and 93 kilometres from Cocklebiddy, the Madura roadhouse represents the next pit stop. 116 kilometres past Madura, the roadhouse at Mundrabilla is also a comfortable place for a rest, offering both a caravan park, and a hotel/motel.

From Mundrabilla, it's just 79 kilometres to the South Australian border and 66 kilometres to the town of Eucla. Eucla is the largest settlement between Norseman and Ceduna, offering the widest range of services and facilities and even boasts a nine hole golf course! At the border there's a quarantine checkpoint, and travellers should make sure that they're not carrying fruit, vegetables, honey, plants or seeds.

Just across the state line the Eyre Highway finally kisses the coast, allowing drivers of conventional vehicles to view the breathtaking cliffs of the Great Australian Bight for the first time. Less than twenty metres from the highway in places, a series of lookouts provide views which make the whole journey worthwhile. (for details of the South Australian Section of the Nullarbor, see Outback, South Australia)

One of Australia's most famous gold mining towns (or infamous depending on your point of view), Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a thriving metropolis in the heart of Western Australia's immense outback. Gold was first struck here by Paddy Hannan in 1893, and by 1902 Kalgoorlie had over thirty thousand residents and 93 pubs! Fortunes were made overnight, and the city's wide streets and magnificent buildings are testament to this early prosperity. Later on, more gold was found five kilometres from the original mine, at the site now known as the Golden Mile. The miner's camp on the edge of the Mile developed into Kalgoorlie's satellite town of Boulder.

Today, the Golden Mile is still regarded as one of the richest gold deposits anywhere in the world, though these days it's extracted in dust form from deep in the ground, rather than the big nuggets that used to plentiful near the surface. The majority of the wealth now belongs to the big companies, and miners are subject to ordinary wages, and long, hard, and dirty work. Nevertheless, they continue to stream into the area, lending to Kalgoorlie-Boulder's hard-edged atmosphere and supporting the city's more notorious institutions of heavy drinking, gambling, and prostitution.

There are many attractions in and around Kalgoorlie worthy of a visit, and Hannans North Historical Mining Complex is one of the most notable. At the mine, visitors can take a cage lift deep into the ground where a ex-miner is waiting to conduct a guided tour throughout the tunnels and crosscuts. At the surface, tours include gold-pouring demonstrations. The Golden Mile's Super Pit should not be missed either, not only because it's the largest hole in the Southern Hemisphere, but for sheer comprehension of this awe-inspiring operation. One of the best ways to view the mine is aboard the old tourist train known as the "Rattler". Departing from Boulder Station at 10am, an interesting one hour journey circles the Golden Mile and Super Pit daily. Another good vantage point is the Super Pit lookout, just of the Eastern Bypass Road near Boulder.

In town, grand Hannan Street is the main thoroughfare, still lined with many fine examples of early Australian architecture. The street is also home to the Goldfields Aboriginal Art Gallery and the Museum of the Goldfields, as well as Kalgoorlie's largest cluster of pubs and places to eat. A few blocks away, the city's red light district on Hay Street is steadily gaining notoriety, despite the lack brochures at the tourist office.

One of the best times to arrive in Kalgoorlie-Boulder is Spring. First of all, it not to hot. Secondly, the states biggest outback horse racing carnival is held here the first week of September and it's a real blast. Thirdly, much of the countryside is blanketed by Western Australia's famous wildflowers.

Thirty eight kilometres south-west of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Coolgardie is another gold rush centre which actually rose to prosperity before it's more famous neighbour. Unfortunately for the town, it's population and prominence soon petered out along with it's gold, and now Coolgardie is just a shadow of it's former self.

The town's main attractions lie around the main street (built wide enough for camel trains to turn), where after a quick glance at the stately old buildings you can begin to comprehend how wealthy Coolgardie once was. The Goldfields Exhibition is housed in the same building as the tourist office, and showcases Western Australia's most comprehensive collection of prospecting relics. Close by, the old railway station is now transport exhibition and Ben Prior's Open-air Museum displays old-time wagons and camel-drawn vehicles. For camels in the flesh, the Coolgardie Camel Farm on the outskirts of town offers trekking in the surrounding countryside.

250 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Lenora is the gateway to the northern gold fields. The area has quite an interesting history, and remnants of the past including miners cottages and old mine offices, can be found at the adjacent ex ghost town of Gwalia.