ROADTRIP: PERTH, LAKE BALLARD, EYRE PENINSULA

1/5/2024

The fourth leg of my big roadtrip included the Western Australian goldfields, the Nullarbor after the big rains, and quite a tour around Eyre Peninsula. Best of all, I had a friend on board.

Perth to kalgoorlie

Getting out of Perth takes time, but once you're up over Greenmount Hill, you can almost hear the Bakers Hill pies calling your name....Bakers Hill was originally called Mount Baker, apparently, but it got confused with Mount barker further to the south, so the name changed. Not sure how long the pie shop's been there, but as long as I can remember. Anyway, it's in institution - and a great treat after extracting yourself from Perth.

After paying homage to the pie, we trundled on through the towns pf the wheatbelt - see the clip below. It was all pretty straightforward really, until twenty kilometres after Southern Cross, we happened upon a flock of about thirty pink cockatoos - always a sight to behold, and preferably photograph as well! And I did!

We pulled into our cabin accommodation on the outskirts of Kalgoorlie - it was called Discovery Parks-Kalgoorlie Goldfields. The cabin was appalling - dilapidated and badly in need of a refurb. Very disappointing!

lake ballard and menzies

Next day we headed north to some towns that were well past their heyday. Our first stop was the pub at Broad Arrow, also known the "The Broadie", as you would expect. It was not open at this morning hour, which is fair enough, so we had a Quick Look around. It;s a well-loved drinking hole, precisely in the middle of not much.

Next stop: Menzies, a place my grandmother - and her mother, her mother and her mother - called home for some twenty years! Menzies was a thriving gold rush town in the 1890s and 1900s, named not after a certain prime minister but after a Canadian prospector who discovered gold there in 1894. Now it's a shadow of its former self, but it has its own charm.

Best of all, it has a mighty fine diner called Laurie's Cafe where we enjoyed a hearty lunch - highly recommended!

Suitably replenished, we headed on our trek out past the Menzies cemetery to an even more remote destination: Lake Ballard. This is a large salt lake accessible via a good sealed road north-west of Menzies.

So why visit a salt lake in the middle of nowhere? Because an artist named Antony Gormley created and installed 51 steel statues based on residents from Menzies. The statues are scattered across seven square kilometres of the lake. As you walk around, they appear on the horizon, but as you get closer, you can see that they're modelled on real people. They are quite haunting, and so is the lake, even though we saw no water.

The drive from Menzies to Lake Ballard is just 76 km, and well worth it to visit these so-called Salt People. It was hauntingly beautiful out there. Take your fly net.

kalgoorlie to balladonia

A straightforward run from the goldfields, through Norseman (and up Beacon Hill for a look around), then on to Balladonia for a parmi in the pub ("parmi" is Australian for chicken parmigiana, in case you need translation!). During the day we enjoyed a stop for a cuppa and some #troopy love, also enjoying the red dirt and the sounds of the bush.

NINETY-MILE STRAIGHT, MADURA PASS, EUCLA

The Ninety Mile Straight can do your head in after a while - not a bend in sight for over 140km...but, there's only one road, so on we go. It's always worth a stop at Madura Pass car park, just before the roadhouse, to have a break but especially to survey the vast land stretching beyond what the eye can see....such a great expanse.

Eucla is always a welcome stop, especially for the gazillion welcome swallows who call it home. As you head to Eucla from the WA side, notice the scarp on your left - it accompanies you on the drive for a very long time. Just before Eucla, you drive up that scarp, and can see the coast on your right. It's a pretty spectacular spot to rest up, and the diner looks very promising though we're yet to try it.

BUNDA CLIFFS, NULLARBOR, PENONG

The first order of business when you leave Eucla, heading east, is to pull in to see the Bunda Cliffs - just do it! It's a wondrous experience. Take your fly net. And your camera.

The Nullarbor was looking resplendent and green after a recent deluge. It was a whole new wondrous experience ogling at its scrubby beauty as the miles flew by.

The Nullarbor Roadhouse is another iconic stop - this time we saw a truckload of camels, as you do. We put the drone up and had a look around - see the You Tube clip below.

Having camped in the Troopy for a couple of nights, we reckoned it was time for a proper bed in a caravan park cabin, and Penong hit the spot. What an excellent little town: the caravan park was small and pretty perfect, and the pub was great for dinner. Lots of locals enjoying themselves: that's what it's all about.

PENONG, STREAKY BAY, ELLISTON

Next day, we head south to Streaky Bay - oh goodness the conditions were rather perfect, and very different from my last visit when I headed into a storm. This time Streaky Bay was on its best behaviour: we pulled in for lunch on the waterfront at a cafe called DRIFT - it was brilliant, as our You Tube clip below attests.

We trundled on down to Elliston, but not before we visited the roadside fresh bread stall. We purchased soft white rolls and feasted at home in our cabin. A great stop.

ELLISTON TO TUMBY BAY

We learnt about Elliston's sculpture park drive out on the coast and decided to go see it. The weather was no longer sparkling, but no matter, it was quirky and interesting. We loved the giant thongs, among others!

We headed inland, having alighted upon a bakery lunch at Cummins as a good idea. We found the Five Loaves bakery (two fishes not available that day!), and tucked in to a good country pie. It sustained us as we headed across country to Tumby Bay. We also enjoyed the nearby silo art.

Tumby Bay is a delightful seaside town on the eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It was breezy when we were there, but still pleasant enough to go for a walk around town and admire the murals. It has a fantastic general store on the corner - it seems to sell everything, and the Tumby's vibe is that it is home to a caring community. Glad we went that way! Also, fresh oysters were enjoyed by my traveling companion, and that had been on the Eyre Peninsula wishlist. Tick!

THROUGH PORT AUGUSTA TO THE CLARE VALLEY

Our last day of travel was from seaside Tumby to rural Clare Valley in its autumn colours. We made a brief stop at the beachside Arno Cafe, then lunch at the Arid Inland Botanic Garden near Port Augusta. It was disappointingly slow. The drive was great and uneventful. We rolled into the gorgeous Clare Valley in the afternoon - this place deserves a proper stay and a thorough look around, not to mention some serious food and wine experiences.