Norseman to Fraser Range Station 105km
Fraser Range Station to Balladonia 92

I admit to some mixed feelings beginning today’s ride. While I have been on the road out of Perth for almost 3 weeks, today I begin the crossing of the Nullarbor Plain. Leaving Noresman a series of road signs warn of feral/native animals, camels spikey-saltbush, emus, cattle, horses, and Dingos . There are warnings about road trains too. Then there’s the additional warning regarding the limited availability of water.

It’s just shy of 2000 to Adelaide. I feel I’m embarking across the ocean on some great unknown adventure. Will the bike and I be up to the challenge?

The Nullarbor Plain is in fact an ancient limestone seabed, so I am undertaking a nautical crossing of sorts, at points along the way, particularly around the Great Australian Bight, the road runs very close to the coast.

I was carrying extra food and water but I just couldn’t get the 5 ltrs of water to sit well on the bike, so had to redistribute the weight over my panniers and then carry a few litres in my backpack. I’m missing Bob (my trailer). While I would travel slower with Bob, I can carry more things. I’m fearful of overloading the back wheel and breaking a spoke or two.

The mostly Northerly wind was neutral, as I rode off under overcast skies. It wasn’t long before I had my wet weather gear out as the showers came down in earnest.

The Dundas Nature Reserve was on my right; more salmon gums low scrub, salt bush and small dried-out salt lakes. The trees are noticeably smaller, although there is still plenty of ground cover and vegetation.

By midday, the showers had cleared, and I began to dry out. The wind is flukey while the so-called flat Nullarbor Plain seemed to possess a few steep inclines which I wasn’t expecting.

About 3 pm I pulled off the Eyre Highway, cycling along an unmade road for a couple of kilometres to the Fraser Range Station Caravan Park. Wow, what a find (thanks Stephanie). It’s a former frontier sheep and cattle station of close to a million acres that now has a big future in Nickel mining and tourism. I set up my camp not far from two other touring cyclists John and Anna who are travelling across the Nullarbor but from the other direction. They are both riding Surly bicycles: a long-haul trucker and a Disc trucker, to go with my cross-check! John and Anna were full of valuable information on water points, where to camp etc. as we sat in the warm camp kitchen by the log fire drying out and resting up, for tomorrow’s ride to Balladonia.

The rain came pouring down around 7 pm. Rather than sit it out in my tent, I stayed by the fire full of envy for those staying in one of the self-contained stone cottages, converted shearers’ quarters. However, the rain cleared, and I was treated to a spectacular view of the night sky. Magical! I crawled into my tent warm and contented.

Nature called at 4.30am and as I got out of my tent, I was surprised to see the whole site had been enveloped by a thick fog.

I had arranged the night previous to buy 1/2 dozen fresh eggs, from the station owners, which were dutifully delivered to me this morning still warm- They don’t come fresher! I warmed myself by the fire in the kitchen, while my eggs boiled on the stove. Boiled eggs, natures take away fast food.

It was hard to leave Fraser Range to venture out into that cold fog, I felt I could have stayed there for a few days.

On the road the grey nomads toot and wave. I wave back. That kind of behaviour could generate a road rage incident back home, I’m feeling seen.

By mid-morning the fog lifted and out came the sun and dried up all the rain. With the road flattening out and the wind at my back, I made good time to Balladonia Roadhouse and tonight’s camp.

Balladonia has a small free Museum attached to the Roadhouse that displays Aboriginal artefacts and history alongside pioneer settlement, it’s an uneasy mix. Their main attraction though is a chunk of Space Junk, a piece of the US Skylab Satellite that crashed not far from here when re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere back in 1979.

It’s almost 200 km to the next sign of civilisation, so tomorrow night I will be sleeping out, somewhere in the scrub on the Nullarbor Plain. Here’s hoping the sky is clear. It’s not often you get to see stars without any light pollution. I will most likely be out of range for a couple of days now so will post next when I’m able.