Firstly, we’ve had internet issues again, thanks to Telstra working on the network, so I’m a bit behind in my posts, which I will catch up now.

On Wednesday we took the opportunity to visit Cape Le Grand National Park and we are so glad we did, as you can see from the photos below it was an eye opener and we enjoyed it immensely. The park is only 40 k’s out of Esperance but it does feel like you are in another completely isolated area. The whitest sand I have ever seen on a beach is at all the beaches in the park. I have so many photos, I only wish I could post them all. I hope you all enjoy them.

Also Esperance has a replica of Stonehenge. Fortunately for us it was closed but I snuck a photo from the bushes on the side fence for posterity. It’s apparently an exact replica in size and has been constructed to much the winter and summer solstice here. Much to Susan’s disgust, I still think its a load of crap (not my golf reports), just a pile of giant stones in a circle.

Well it was a big day today, we covered 640 k’s from Cocklebiddy to Esperance. We needed to get to Esperance as from 12pm tomorrow the country goes into lockdown and those travelling will have to stay where they are and Esperance on the coast was our choice. We expect to be here for a least 2 weeks but it could be longer. The caravan park is pretty full, so we all seem to be in the same boat.

First up we travelled from Cocklebiddy to Ballandonia for fuel which was 240 k’s. The ABC had a film crew there taking shots and interviewing “Grey Nomads” about the current situation. We watched the ABC news tonight and “Be Brave” and the “Cruiser” where shown twice on the bulletin, so that was a mini thrill for us. From Balladonia it was another 200 k’s to Norseman for lunch. Norseman is named after a horse that discovered a gold nugget, pawing at the ground with its hoof. It’s owner was one of 5 prospectors and they started the town and called it after the horse “Norseman”. Finally after 4 days we left the Eyre Highway at Norseman and travelled south a further 200 k’s to Esperance. I must admit there was a sense of accomplishment in driving the Nullabor, its one of those bucket list things I think most of us want to do.

Now we are in Esperance and have to find out what it is we can do. The beach is only a couple of minutes walk so I presume we will give that a bit of a pounding over the next 2 weeks. Unfortunately it still hasn’t been explained just what we can do although todays arrival at the park reception desk gave us a good indication, with a 2 metre barrier separating us from the girls at the desk. Although it was a bit funny when they walked around to us when we had to pay, so the separation was basically useless. We live in curious times, that’s for sure.

Anyway that’s all for now, stay safe everyone and as the saying went on ‘Hill Street Blues” all those years ago, “Let’s be careful out there”!

Today was a pretty big day as we covered the eastern half of the Nullarbor Plain. We left Ceduna and travelled the Eyre Highway, stopping at Penong, Nundroo, Nullarbor Roadhouse before finishing at Bunda Cliffs on the Great Australian Bight for a night of free camping. Bunda Cliffs is magnificent as I’m sure you’ll agree after you see the photo below. We are only a few metres from the edge of the cliffs and a 80+ metre drop to the Southern Ocean below. Great care is required when walking around at night, plus the fact its as windy as buggery so not going too close to the edge is prudent.

At Penong we stopped at the Windmill museum and I also played the 4th hole of the Nullarbor Links Golf course, which was a unique experience. Nundroo was for a quick bite to eat and a leg stretch and a fuel stop at Nullarbor Roadhouse for Steve.

We had the perfect day for travelling west, with no wind, sunny but only 25 degrees. The consensus is to don’t travel clockwise around Australia because of the winds across the Nullarbor will kill your fuel economy but we were lucky today, the wind picked up after we had stopped for the day.

We may stop here for a couple of days depending on the wind, as the location is great. We have no Telstra service (which means you will be reading this after we have left), so we are completely remote from the outside world and all the crap that’s going on! Thankfully we travelled today and not yesterday, as it would have been very annoying not knowing if the Tiges had won. Thankfully they did and we didn’t.

Yes, we made it into Western Australia. For the last few days we have been free camping our way across the Nullarbor and unfortunately we’ve had no internet so my post from Friday did not go out until tonight. We have just caught up with the news and we are glad we made the WA border before its closes on Tuesday. It seems the situation is getting worse and it’s possible that we will be forced to stay we’re we are post Tuesday’s border closure, so we are making a run for Esperance via Norseman tomorrow. We are booked into the Esperance Foreshore Caravan Park for 4 days from Tuesday, if we are forced to stay at a place for a long period of time, at least it will be somewhere nice and to our liking. Fingers crossed we make it, as there is an expectation of additional measures being implemented at 12pm tomorrow afternoon.

We travelled from our free camp at Bunda Cliffs to Cocklebiddy today, passing thru Border Village (SA/WA border), Eucla and Madura. Stopped for fuel and a vegetable & fruit inspection on the border at Border Village and morning tea at Eucla. Had lunch at Madura and I played “ Brumby’s Run” a par 3 on the Nullarbor Links Golf Course before travelling onto our free camp just outside Cocklebiddy.

Susan and I have been travelling with Steve and Vicki James, my RAAF friends for 40 years (Steve is Shannon’s godfather) since Coffin Bay. We are having a good time (it seems at my expense half the time) despite the problems. We’ll get to Esperance and then find out what decisions have been made about “Grey Nomads” and what lies ahead of us. I suspect we’ll have to stay put for sometime but there’s safety in numbers, so we intend to stick together and support each other. I think we are safe to be within 4 metres of each other after the last couple of weeks. We are all alright and our thoughts are with our families, particularly our kids back home and friends, both here and overseas where the numbers with the virus seem to be increasing exponentially everyday. Let’s hope the world can get over this asap and we can resume normal lives, although I suspect there will be changes ahead for all of us as a result of this.

I’ll keep the blog going, although if we have to stay in the one place for a long period, the posts might become rather infrequent. Good luck and we send our love out to everyone!

As we all know, as each day goes by the world, let alone Australia is a bit crazier. We are on the edge of the outback and called into the shopping centre here in Ceduna and there was no toilet paper, although its the main town before you travel across the Nullarbor, so maybe that’s an excuse. Anyway we have been preparing ourselves for the trip and unfortunately we’re having issues with our water (van that is, not personal). We’ll manage to get across but with all the talk of closing borders we’re concerned we could be stuck on the Nullarbor, with all the flies and lack of water its not a good forecast but fingers crossed we’ll get thru. It’s rather dumbfounding that in the middle of Australia where Covid19 is basically non existent you can’t get toilet paper or other necessities. Non as queer as folk!

It seems the whole world is going crazy but we are travelling around without any problems, mainly because we are out bush and remote from the major cities. We travelled up from Streaky Bay today to Ceduna where it was 40 degrees. Had a dip in the pool (bloody freezing), which cooled us down and then Fish & Chips by the beach for dinner. Today was the last day on the Eyre Peninsula and we enjoyed all the small towns and bays we stayed in or visited. I think my favourite was Arno Bay just over Coffin Bay but there were a number of places we visited that I would love to come back and stay. Friday we start the big trip across the Nullarbor, thankfully the temperature is going to be cooler, low to mid 20’s but it may be cold at nights, anyway a relief from the last 3 days of extreme heat.

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone, hope you had a great day! We did a bit of sight seeing around Streaky Bay today before the flies became to much for us. I have not come across so many flies before in my lifetime at Caper Bauer and I’m told that what we endured today is common out west and up north, bugger! Looks like the Aeroguard is going to get a going over in the coming months. We head up to Ceduna tomorrow for a few days to prep for the bit trip across the Nullarbor. Although there has been some talk about the border being closed due to the virus but the Western Australian Premier has declined such a decision at this stage and hopefully we’ll get across the border by this time next week.

We left our overnight free camp at Walkers Rocks this morning and travelled to Venus Bay about 70 k’s north of Walkers Rocks on our way to Streaky Bay. It’s been fairly warm these last few days, around the early 30’s so the water has looked very inviting and we might go in for a dip tomorrow, here in Streaky Bay. Every day we see the coastline in a different way and I suppose travelling around Australia via the coast road, it will be the constant theme confronting us.

Today we left Coffin Bay for an overnight free camp at Walkers Rocks about 10 k’s north of Elliston. The road was full of Grey Nomads and their caravans travelling, maybe they are getting away from the big cities and Conaravirus. The west coast of the Eyre peninsula is very dry and it gave us a glimpse of what its going to be like travelling across the Nullarbor in a week’s time. We are free camping tonight on the beach at Walkers Rocks with Steve and Vicki and we have just witnessed a magnificent view of the night’s sky. The Milky Way was particularly bright but in a matter of minutes it changed dramatically and I was too late to get a decent picture, nevertheless it will stay in my memory for a long time. Can’t wait to see what its like up in the Territory in a few months time.

Well for all the golf lovers out there I’m sure you have been waiting with baited breath for my next CRAPP report and here it is!

I played in the Saturday competition at Port Lincoln golf club today and as its been since we have started our trip, every time I’ve played golf its been windy and today was no different. I played with 3 local members, all a bit older than me, Bill was 83, Kev was 87 and Jeff was 92. I felt like I was in kindergarten playing with these guys. Then again it was fairly similar to playing back at home with Peter B, Griff and Joe!

Considering the putting surfaces were pretty rough after being cored and sanded during the week, I was happy with my 33 points. I was starting to get used to the greens by the end but I gave away too many shots early to really have a good score but never the less I hit it reasonably.

To be fair to the course, its at the end of their summer and there hasn’t been too much rain so the course was very dry and rough in places, preferred lies on every fairway was in place. So here is my rating:

Design: 12 out of 20

Condition: 10 out of 20

Cost: 18 out of 20

Visual Appeal: 8 out of 20

Facilities: 7 out of 10

Ambience: 6 out of 10

So the final score is 61! I’m probably being a bit harsh but unfortunately thems the breaks. Until next time, hittem straight!