WE MADE IT TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA

8-10 February
Last bit of the Nullarbor to Fowlers Bay

Across the border into South Australia and the views are incredible. From Border Village the Nullarbor (Eyre Highway) goes really close to the clifftop and, every few kms there is a carpark on the ocean side of the highway and a short walk to the cliffs. We had perfect weather - 38 degrees - no humidity, although the flies were dreadful ... at each stop, we took a couple of photos/video before being driven back to the car by the flies. We learnt a few Maltese swear words from Mary and Michael! As I said, the flies were dreadful but the scenery - wow!











The photo with the boardwalk is just past Yatala and is a whale-watching centre which is on aboriginal land. This used to be free until the land was given back to them and you now have to pay to enter the boardwalk and it depends on how they feel as to how much you will pay. They have accommodation as well and it is really a beautiful place, but some days it's $5 to enter and other days it's $20 to enter! The indigenous also own a huge roadhouse here at Yatala but, unfortunately, it didn't last very long after they took it over. It is now all boarded up with old cars lying around but there is a police station on the property next door. This police station was needed because the locals would place tree branches and rocks on the road to stop travellers along this stretch of road and demand payment to move them and allow passage.

After lots of stops across the Great Australian Bight, we arrived at Fowlers Bay. Such a pretty place with so much history.


The Dutch discovered the coastline at Fowlers Bay in 1627. It never ceases to amaze me how these explorers managed in the 17th century in such barren places. In 1802 Matthew Flinders made more detailed charts of the area in his ship, the HMS Investigator. It was Matthew Flinders who named Fowlers Bay after one of his shipmen. In the 1840s, Fowlers Bay was a well known whaling place for the French and Americans. Eyre, the explorer, set up a depot in the sandhills at Fowlers Bay in the mid-1800's. This was the beginning of his epic journey across the bottom of Australia and, hence, the Eyre Highway.


In the late 1800's, Fowlers Bay became pastoral lands to English settlers. Wool was the main export from the Port of Fowler, until the area was opened up to wheat and grain. They say that Fowlers Bay, during the whaling era, was very much like the "wild west" of America.

While we were at Fowlers Bay, I made a friend, the caravan park cat, with the original name of "FOWLER". He was so beautiful and took to our van like a duck to water!


Time to move on. Next stop, Ceduna!

Love to all.