Before I left home, I stuck a few golf clubs in our caravan Dora and we bought a dozen balls for $5 from a fellow traveller in Broome Caravan Park, thinking that I might play a round of golf somewhere on our trip. The Nullarbor Links is the unique 18-hole par 72 world’s longest golf course, that spans 1,365 kilometres along the Eyre Highway – from Ceduna in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. We stopped off at the Ceduna Information Centre and the rather officious attendant said that the Nullarbor Links had considerably reduced accidents on the Eyre Highway, and I should give it a go. While I thought the concept was terrific, I considered the $70 to purchase the score card a touch steep, so I left the sticks in the cupboard to play another day.
We decided to invest the money towards our visit to the Head of Bight, which is run by the local Aboriginal community and purportedly the mecca for whale watching, offering “an unparalleled opportunity to view large numbers of Southern Right Whales” on their viewing platforms. After missing out on the Hervey Bay whales, we weren’t optimistic about our chances. We shouldn’t have worried.
After paying $15 each at the Centre, we were soon blown away by the whale exhibition in front of us. These majestic Southern Right Whales are amazing creatures… like huge natural black one man submarines with barnacles on them, occasionally bellowing fog horns as they blew through their spouts. Some were lazing around, while others were frolicking about with their small calves. We counted 14 adult whales and a number of calves in the bay, and the Bunda cliffs provided a stunning backdrop to this truly amazing spectacle. Much better than hitting a small white ball on mulga bush sand fairways and fake grass greens!
As we drove the next few hundred kilometres west, we were stunned by the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight. The wild unique beauty of the Bight is extraordinary. It’s a striking assault on your senses: you see the astonishing beauty of the sheer white limestone cliffs, hear and feel the constant mighty roar of the Southern Ocean relentlessly pounding the cliff faces, and smell and taste the salt air that whispers up the cliffs.
We set up camp on a cliff top overlooking sand dunes and the Southern Ocean and the light breeze carried the roar of the ocean’s rolling waves pounding the coastline. As a kid, I remember being intrigued listening to what seemed like the constant roar of the ocean by putting a large cowrie shell against my ear. The Bight reminded me of that incredible sound. The timeless rumble echoing from the coastline up the cliffs was melodic, and we lit a fire and immersed ourselves in the natural beauty of this remarkable land. This was a poignant moment for us. We reflected on the start of our road trip when we camped by the open fire on our lonesome on the coast of the mighty Indian Ocean. Here we were on the last leg of our amazing journey by the open fire by the great Southern Ocean and no one within coo-ee of us. We knew we were close to finishing our amazing road trip, so we just enjoyed the moment.
Recommendations:
- Try to time your visit to the Head of Bight between May and October, when the Southern Right Whales mate, give birth and socialise there.
- A free camp next to the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight will give you awesome views, but be careful not to park or walk too close to the edge. Be warned that there are often no safety barriers and the limestone cliff face can be unstable. A free camp next to the dunes also gives wonderful views and allows access to the ocean for a dip.
- If you’re mad keen on golf and want the kudos of playing the longest golf course in the world, bring along your golf gear (though you can hire clubs at each hole) and expect to pay around $70 for the pleasure.
Travelled 596 kms today @ 17.4 litres / 100 kms
Travel Australia 