A DRIVE ACROSS AUSTRALIA!

An interesting drive across Australia! (In late September - October 2005). I have flown over to 'the West' many times over the years but previously had neither the time nor the opportunity to drive across the Nullabor! However the circumstances now appeared "right" to be able to undertake such a journey: *My mother, who lives in Yass NSW, was about to celebrate her 90th birthday in late September. *Our son Vernon, who lives in Kalgoorlie WA, was to be married in early October, *& the 1987 E32 BMW 735i Executive that I had restored in Sydney for my son, was now "run in". Planning for such a trip could now commence & accommodation could be pre-booked on the route. We would drive to Sydney from Queensland, swap over cars; then drive to Wollongong to stay overnight with our daughter Susan. Susan & our granddaughter Jessica [then aged 2 years] would then accompany us, firstly to Yass for a few days & then on the 'long drive" to Kalgoorlie. The only real "downside" to this plan was that neither Rachel nor Susan drives! However my son "came to rescue"; he decided that it would be too much for his "old man" to have to drive "all the way" with "three females" as passengers. He would fly to Canberra to join us for his grandmother's birthday & then "share the driving". So the planned 6 days for the trip from Yass to Kalgoorlie [almost 4K. kms.] was now reduced to only 4 days. It was now to be easy 'shared' driving of about 8-9 hours for each of the daily planned sections [with 7am starts] & with overnight stop-overs as follows: Mildura, where we stayed at the magnificently restored old "****"Hotel Mildura. This was an "unknown stop" as all accommodation in this town had been "booked out" for weeks in advance, due to their "country & western festival" week. This was to prove a great start to our "journey" as hotel's dining room /menu choices were also "****"! The countryside on this leg of the trip, all across the 'Hay Plains', was full of lush green growth, with no sign of drought or kangaroos! Kimba, in the middle of the Eyre Peninsula was our second night's stop. This town's claim to fame is a "big pink galah" & to be situated "Halfway across Australia". From Mildura onwards we were driving into strong headwinds, looming storm clouds & occasional heavy rain. The car was running beautifully & with an average fuel consumption of 12.8L/100kms. since leaving Sydney. The surprise of this day's journey was to cross the Murray River again at Morgan SA; on a cable drawn "vehicular ferry"! Eucla, just over the SA/WA border was to be our last overnight stop. From Kimba the countryside was still green, with hundreds of miles of farmland sewn under wheat; all the way to Ceduna [where we had a magnificent early lunch of fresh King George whiting & Pacific oysters]. From Ceduna, a short detour to view the awe inspiring sandstone cliff faces overlooking the "blue" Great Southern Ocean [& with a pod of about 50 dolphins swimming down below!] A highlight of this trip. . A terrible storm in Eucla overnight & then an early pre-dawn walk for me from the motel, to see the illuminated "Travellers Cross"; a memorial to the pioneers who built this outpost on the route of the first overland telegraph line, in the early 19th century. Even on the Nullabor Plain the "saltbush" was green/grey due to spring rains. This day's drive continued into very strong [40knots] headwinds but with a mild 19-20c daytime temperature, for this "desert" crossing. Petrol [PULP] was only $1.70 /L [in 2005!] at the Nullabor Roadhouse. Dead kangaroos littered both sides of this well maintained highway for hundreds of kilometres. Occasional flocks of emus, several wedge tail eagles feeding on "road kill", the odd kangaroo & even a dead camel were the only signs of wildlife, until we reached Madura Pass at the western end of the Nullabor Plain; then on to Norseman where petrol [PULP] was down to only $1.30/L. Kalgoorlie/Boulder is now a thriving city of well over 40,000 inhabitants & has doubled in size, since my last visit 6 years ago. The 'Super Pit' is the largest man made 'hole' on earth & is visible from orbiting space stations. Our son's wedding was the real highlight of our trip & "his car" had run faultlessly [& I'd forgotten just how easy 18 y. o. "on-board" computers & controls were to operate!]. In total just over 3,900 kms. from Sydney to Kalgoorlie; fuel usage of 12.5L/100kms overall, at an average speed of 102kph; all in the quiet air conditioned comfort of a large touring sedan. Apart from having to listen to lots of "Wiggles" & "Hi Five" CDs for much of the trip & the "chatter" from little Jessica's "Video Now" games [she was a wonderful little traveller]; it was a perfect way to "drive across the Nullabor". My only "tip' for travelers is to drive only after sunrise [7.00am] & to stop well before sunset [say4.00pm], so as to avoid all the kangaroos! From Kalgoorlie to Perth by "Prospector" tilt train [660kms. in just 6 hours], with "aircraft style club seating" & "lunch served at your table." To then stay with friends Colin & Shirley in Freemantle [Col has about 'half a dozen' or so BMW 2002s & a "mint" E24 635csi.] Whilst there, visiting the Freemantle Motor Museum, we both looked at an E24 M6 [Col] & an E34 535i [me], that were for sale. [I'd been very impressed with driving Vernon's E32 735i over to Kalgoorlie; but it was unfortunately, just a bit "too big" for town usage!]. From Perth, the four of us "Easterners" flew back to Sydney on an overnight "red eye special"; to be met at Mascot by Susan's husband. Rachel & I then collected our old MB 190E from my mechanic's workshop later that morning; then drove up to Kempsey for an overnight stop [& a very good sleep!]; before driving on home to the Queensland the following day. All told, in almost 31/2 weeks away, we had driven 6,000+ kms., trained over 650kms. & flown almost 3,500kms.; plus we have great memories of a most wonderful adventure/visit "to the West" & I can now most honestly say that: "I've crossed the Nullabor!" Indeed, after having "settled in" back home [& mown lawns etc.], I've now just located & bought a 1992 BMW E34 535i Executive sedan [one owner & in 'mint' condition]; as I'd liked driving Vernon's much bigger BMW E32 so much!