Day 21 – Back on the Nullarbor: Small Trees, 15-Minute Timezones, and a Harley Trike Entourage

Ah, Nullarbor. Back so soon! I have to say, our expectations were… exaggerated. You’d think a place called Nullarbor would be completely devoid of trees. Reality check: there are trees. They’re just smaller and spaced further apart than usual. Disappointing? Maybe. But hey, at least it’s not completely barren.

Now, why on Earth are we taking the same road again? It’s simple geography: draw a vertical line a third from the west on a map of Australia. On the left – Western Australia. On the right – everything else. Only two roads connect these halves: Eyre Highway (us) or the Great Northern Highway, which runs nearly 2,000 km north from Broome to Darwin. So unless we’re up for a full continental circumnavigation, our only option is Eyre Highway. Nullarbor, we’re not escaping you.

The trick to making it bearable? Don’t stay in the same towns as last time. First overnight stop on the return leg: Cocklebiddy. On the way, we squeezed in a random stretch in the middle of nowhere, fuelled in Balladonia (a déjà vu moment), and refuelled again in Caiguna, where the roadhouse staff still remembered us. Finally, Cocklebiddy Motel, home for the night.

Oh, and the “fun” started early. As soon as we left Norseman, a small truck decided we were the perfect shield for its highway adventures. Accelerating and braking in perfect sync with us? Uh-uh, not today. A gradual nudge to our cruising speed later, and our new stalker dropped back. Freedom feels sweet, even on a straight highway.

Dinner and drinks were the highlight, though. Enter a charming couple on a Harley trike. They’d ridden from Mildura to Darwin, to Perth, and were now on their way back. Conversation flowed, beers were shared, dinner was delightful, and suddenly the Nullarbor felt a little smaller. Motorcycles really do bring interesting people together.

And yes, since we’re heading east, the days are slowly shrinking. Today was a good 45 minutes shorter than yesterday. Thanks, 15-minute timezone quirks! Better read fast, folks.

Goodnight, Nullarbor. Until tomorrow.