Nullarbor Net

The Eyre Highway runs roughly 1,200 kilometres between Norseman in Western Australia and Ceduna in South Australia, and most people add the Goldfields or Eyre Peninsula legs either side. It is a sealed, well-used road and a perfectly ordinary family car will manage it — but the distances between help are long, so a little preparation goes a long way. These are the things the Nullarbor Net crew tells friends before they set off.

Fuel and roadhouses

Across the Plain there are no towns in the usual sense, just roadhouses spaced anywhere from about 60 to nearly 200 kilometres apart. Fill up whenever you pass one rather than running the tank low, and expect fuel to cost noticeably more than in the cities. Not every roadhouse is open 24 hours, so if you plan to push on into the evening check opening times on the individual town pages first.

Water, food and phones

Carry more drinking water than you think you need — at least several litres per person — plus snacks, in case of a breakdown in summer heat. Mobile coverage is patchy: expect signal near the roadhouses and long stretches with none in between, and Telstra generally reaches further than other networks. For remote side trips, a satellite messenger or personal locator beacon is worth considering.

Quarantine checkpoints

Both states run agricultural quarantine checks on the highway. Heading west, the Western Australian checkpoint is at Border Village; heading east, South Australia's is at Ceduna. Fresh fruit, vegetables, honey and some plant material will be taken off you, so plan your shopping to eat it up before you reach them. The Border Village and Ceduna pages have more detail.

Time zones

Clocks change as you cross. South Australia runs on Central time, Western Australia on Western time, and the roadhouses between the border and Caiguna use their own unofficial “Central Western” time in between. South Australia also observes daylight saving in summer while Western Australia does not, so the difference at the border changes through the year. It matters mostly for roadhouse opening hours and any bookings you've made.

Wildlife and driving at night

Kangaroos, wombats, emus, camels and wandering stock are all on the road, and they are most active around dawn and dusk. Collisions are one of the most common causes of breakdown out here, which is why locals avoid driving at night. Share the road with road trains: give them room, and only overtake where you can see well ahead. You'll also pass Royal Flying Doctor Service emergency airstrips painted onto the highway itself.

What there is to see

The Nullarbor rewards those who stop. Between June and October Southern Right Whales calve below the cliffs at the Head of Bight; the Bunda Cliffs drop straight into the Great Australian Bight near the border; Cactus Beach near Penong is one of Australia's best-known surf breaks; and the stretch between Balladonia and Caiguna is the famous “90 Mile Straight”, the longest straight road in Australia. For history, start with Edward John Eyre and Wylie, who made the first European crossing in 1841.

Use the trip planners below to work out driving distances from your starting city, and the town pages for what each stop offers. Prices and opening hours change often out here, so always phone ahead before relying on them.