Eucla Line Opened. Hurrah

In 1877 when the Eucla Telegraph Station made it's first transmission with those words, it was an Australian technology centre. With c100 staff it was the biggest telegraph station outside the major cities. Now it doesn't even have mobile reception! No reception from Norseman to Ceduna as far as I could tell.

The Nullarbor crossing is something every Australian should do in their lifetime although I wouldn't recommend doing it too often. We did come across an old couple who have done it at least once a year for the past 30 or so years. Their 1987 Nissan Urvan camper had backfired a couple of times on the road between the border and Madura and then died. We stopped to see if they needed help. Luckily there were road works a couple of hundred metres up the road so while Pa went up to see what assistance they could provide, we stayed to keep Ma company. A generous assessment put them in their late 70's but my guess is they were well into their 80's so when I asked them what the purpose of their travel was and Ma began by saying that Pa made the crossing to visit his dad, I thought God 'elp us. How old is dad? She then went on to explain that dad died in 1997 but they continue to do the trip between two properties they own, one in Kelleberrin and one in Victoria. 

An amiable young road worker, who seemed glad of the diversion, volunteered that his off-sider was a truck mechanic and he'd have a look at the van during smoko. Given they were in safe hands, we said we'd be on our way and Trish gave them each a Time Out bar to keep them going. The road worker declined his but Ma declared that she would have two and did a little jig to demonstrate just how much she likes chocolate. The little Aussie battler lives on.

Incidentally, if Mr Hockey and Mr Abbott are worried about the plight of the pensioner, they could reassure themselves by taking a roadtrip across the Nullarbor. There is an endless stream of grey nomads and most of them are travelling in rigs that would cost upwards of $100k. Put our little A'van to shame. Clearly they are also happy (well willing) to pay up to $1.88 a litre and are probably using about 18 to 20 litres/hundred kms. They all looked older than me and I'm guessing there were plenty of pension cards on board so while I appreciate that there are battlers (in 1987 Urvans), there is plenty of fat in the system. 

In Norseman, we were sitting in a park having lunch when a Rolls Royce went past. Just as I suggested to Trish that some local obviously had a claim that was paying well, another one went past in the other direction. Then a few minutes later, down a cross street in the distance I could see what looked like another. Is Norseman the undeclared home of Australia's mega-rich I thought? Then when we pulled into the roadhouse for fuel, another one pulled up so I asked the driver what was going on. A Roller Round Australia rally apparently and then we were leap frogged by a variety of Rolls and Bentley's all the way across. Almost all of them seemed to be driven by one old fella with a lady in the front and another in the back. I suggested to Trish that if you own a Rolls Royce you can tell your wife you are taking your mistress too and to hell with what she thinks but Trish felt it was more to do with age demographics. Who knows?

Also in Norseman, Trish had been excited to visit their Doll Museum that had been touted in the tourist information that she picked up in Esperance. When we got there it was closed and had no opening times showing. Trish asked the young lady in the Visitor Centre when it was open and she said it had closed about 18 months ago. Time passes slowly in Norseman. 

Our first nights camp at the Woorlbi Rest Area, we pulled up our camp chairs at a fire lit by another travelling couple only to discover that not only were they also from Albany, it was Jordan's Grade 1 teacher Mrs Deegan and her husband. 

It's bloody cold at 7am on the Nullarbor. Can we claim to have cycled the Nullarbor on the basis of riding a couple of k's down from our overnight camp to admire the view?

No problems on the way over. Everything traveled well and I'm much more relaxed with towing now. Had two pleasant nights camping by the roadside and we are now back in civilization at the Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park. Even got to watch the Dockers trounce Essendon at the pub next door last night. I think this could be the year! Might even be in Melbourne at Grand Final time.