Day 9 – From Fevers to the Sea
The day didn’t start well. Noune woke up with a fever and shivering, though the room was perfectly warm. Not the news we wanted on this leg. With nothing useful to be done at the roadhouse, we decided the best medicine was to get moving and reach civilisation as quickly as possible.
First stop was breakfast. Noune didn’t want to eat, but I insisted—she needed the energy for the road ahead. She also took an aspirin and a Nurofen, and we saddled up. Over breakfast, we met more fellow travellers: a pair of bikers headed east. A quick chat, a swap of tips and stories, and we were off again.
But before leaving, we stumbled across a delightful surprise: a small museum tucked inside our roadhouse. Old photos, quirky memorabilia, and displays that told the story of life out here in the middle of nowhere. It was the kind of place you’d miss if you weren’t paying attention, but it gave us a deeper sense of the history of this rugged stretch.
For a moment, we considered a detour to Fraser Range Station, but decided today wasn’t the day for side trips. Efficiency was the goal. Just a quick stretch and bathroom break halfway to Norseman, and we pressed on.
Norseman marked a big milestone: we had officially conquered the Nullarbor. 🎉 A quick fill-up at the BP station, a light lunch (it was the only option—no other cafes open), and a couple more Nurofen for Noune. It’s a modest little town, and we’ll spend more time exploring on the way back. For now, it was just a marker that the desert was behind us.
The ride from Norseman to Esperance was straightforward. Another short stop to stretch, and then came the moment that made the whole day worthwhile: cresting a hill, sweeping around a bend, and suddenly—the ocean. After days of endless desert and straight lines, the first glimpse of the Southern Ocean was like stepping into another world.
Esperance itself is a gem on the southern coast of Western Australia. Famous for its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, it’s often described as having some of the most beautiful coastline in the country. Even on a quiet Sunday, you can feel the laid-back energy of the town, where life moves at the rhythm of the sea. Kangaroos sometimes laze on the beaches here, and offshore you’ve got the Recherche Archipelago—hundreds of islands scattered like jewels in the water.
For us, it was straight to the hotel. Check-in, a bit of rest, a light dinner, and a short walk through the town. Noune talked to a doctor, who prescribed something stronger, so she took a couple of those tablets before bed. Hopefully tomorrow she’ll be on the mend.
From fever and concern to ocean views and unexpected history lessons, today was a reminder of how quickly the road can change.
