WEEK 3.
Gold Coast > Port Macquarie > Terrigal > Sydney > Canberra > Wagga Wagga > Mildura > Adelaide > Port Augusta > Balladonia > Kalgoorlie-Boulder > Southern Cross > Perth.
Views from Port Augusta foreshore
VIII.
Port Augusta
Population: 14 000
Situated between the desert and the ocean on a windswept plateau, Port Augusta has a unique Australian landscape.
The town is a hotspot for energy projects - it hosts the largest wind-solar farm in Australia and is connected to the Olympic Dam, the second-largest uranium mine in the world.
Its location at the head of Spencer Gulf made it essential for exporting wool, wheat and minerals from surrounding inland areas during the 19th century. However, the construction of the Great Northern Railway led to a decline in economic activity and population.
The town will no doubt see a revival in the years to come with renewable energy projects increasing and the demand for workers with them.
Did You Know
Port Augusta is known as the crossroads of Australia because it’s positioned at the junction of major Australian highways.
Roads from Adelaide, Alice Springs, Perth, the Flinders Ranges, and Whyalla all intersect here.
Port Augusta Stay Summary
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Food
The Western Hotel. Chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto, and roast sweet potato and greens. Delicious sticky date pudding for dessert, and one very happy father with the size of his schnitzel.
Archers Table. Coconut chia pudding with granola, seasonal fruit, and toasted coconut.
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Accommodation
Majestic Oasis Apartments. Another recommendation from a friend. Spacious, secure and decorated with bright features to liven the space. The balcony overlooked the harbour and made for a beautiful sunset backdrop.
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Activity Highlight
The Arid Botanical Gardens. A nature reserve filled with walking trails, conservation zones, and gardens inspired by native origin. Trails included those in the Flinders, Eyre, and Central Ranges. There’s also a quaint cafe and gift shop overlooking the Flinders Ranges to the east.
IX. Ceduna
Population: 3 000
Poynton Street, Ceduna (Source: Bahnfriend, 2017)
With 2000km to go as we arrived into Ceduna, I was beginning to get excited about finishing the daily drive.
Ceduna is known as the oyster capital of Australia for its Coffin and Smoky Bay oysters. It’s also the last major settlement before you hit the Nullarbor plain which is ~1000km.
Despite the town's rough exterior, the restaurant on the foreshore was busy and had a relaxed atmosphere.
Fun Fact:
Ceduna is on the land of the Wirangu people.
Matthew Flinders arrived to the area in 1802. It was known as Murat Bay until 1915 when railways were built through the town.
Lunch views from the roof of The Oyster Barn with Dad and my cousin.
Ceduna Stay Summary
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Food
Ceduna Oyster Barn. Coffin Bay oysters with pickled cucumber, caviar, and ginger sauce. Great fresh sushi too. A fun diner on the outskirts of town with rooftop seating with views of Denial Bay.
Ceduna Foreshore Hotel Motel. More oysters, bruschetta, lamb meatballs and sticky date pudding for dessert.
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Accommodation
Ceduna East West Motel. Friendly staff who offered free breakfast the next morning before checkout. The rooms were austere but you get what you pay for. Not my best night’s sleep between the 4WDs leaving for work early in the AM and a single bed separating me from Dads violent snore (earplugs became my best friend)
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Activity Highlight
The Head of Bight (Nullabor).Another trip highlight - standing at the edge of the cliffs evokes a powerful sense of awe and appreciation for the raw beauty of Australia. They’re known as Bunda Cliffs which stretch along 200km of the Great Australian Bight coastline. This spot is found two hours from Ceduna into the Nullarbor.
X. Balladonia
Population: 5-10?
Balladonia was the light at the end of a 10-hour receptionless, horizonless, arid desert tunnel. We passed time enjoying a confusing mix of Dads honky tonk country and my ambient electrona music on repeat from the two playlists we had managed to download the night before.
You’ll find just one busy roadhouse here that doubles as a motel (with a fun little museum attached). The town has a rich history and played a significant role in the Western Australian gold rushes of the 19th century. These days its population is owed to the employees of the roadhouse.
Did You Know
'Balladonia' derives from the word 'bariajuinya' from the Mulba tribe, which means big rock by itself.
Balladonia Stay Summary
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Food
Balladonia Hotel Motel.Thai beef salad for dinner and a hearty roadhouse bacon and eggs for breakfast the following morning. The bar looked every bit regional Western Australia with its mahogany wood and leather furnishings, vintage Bundy rum posters, and weathered pool table and dartboard.
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Accommodation
Balladonia Hotel Motel. A comfy motel with all your necessities for the night. While it’s not the Ritz, it is a respected spot by those who frequently enter and exit the state. Clean and basic rooms with AC and nice views of surrounding country behind the flats. There was no wifi, but you get 4G phone service for most providers.
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Activity Highlight
Balladonia Heritage Museum. A collection of preserved artefacts from the settlers era and information about local history, minerals and geography, Aboriginal tribes, and European settlement. We liked the unnerving faceless cameleer display the most.
XI. Kalgoorlie - Boulder
Population: 30 000
Credit: Golden Quest Trail.
Home part 1. The essence of the 19th-century Gold Rush is very much still felt throughout the streets of Kalgoorlie, with Victorian architecture lining the main street and a giant open mining pit stretching over the town's east. Its boom/bust lifestyle draws in a melting pot of students, FIFO workers, expats, families, indigenous communities, backpackers, young professionals, and many more. Through bone-dry summers and bitter winters, there was always adventure to be found growing up here.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Stay Summary
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Food
Krua Thai and Japanese Restaurant. Katsu chicken bento with red curry, miso soup, and fresh sushi.
The Palace Hotel. Blue cheese and smoked salmon salad and a mix of natural and Kilpatrick oysters. A beautiful heritage hotel built in 1897 and home to the infamous Gold Bar nightclub.
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Accommodation
The Midas Motel. I stayed at the Midas plenty of times over the years with family coming to visit. The green carpets, patterned curtains and beige couches feel like a strange liminal space in my memory. The rooms have aged nicely since then - the furniture was modern, the room well-lit and the bathroom was massive (I have a feeling it was once a smaller room which they've joined). The motel is within walking distance to the main strip and the shops which is great for someone visiting the place.
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Activity Highlight
Hammond Park.Hammond Park: A popular family-friendly park with kangaroos, emus, birds, and free-roaming peacocks. Huge playgrounds, a picnic area with BBQ facilities, a cafe, a mini Bavarian castle, and a big pond to feed the many ducks. Markets and community events are hosted here (as were a few of my childhood birthdays.)
XII. Southern Cross
Population: 1 300
Home part 2. It felt like a milestone arriving in this quaint little town where I lived for a while and return to often to visit Dad.
Southern Cross (also known as SX) feels the liveliest it's been in decades, growing in both community and activity.
There’s a new pool facility, brewery, museum, and bunch of shops and small businesses growing around town. Other things to love include the streets named after constellations, wildflowers draping the town in spring, and the annual Yilgarn agriculture show fireworks.
Southern Cross Stay Summary
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Food
The Club Hotel / Goldfields Brewery.Chicken parmi with veggies and mash, and apple rhubarb pie for dessert. The ladies who have renovated the hotel recently have done an amazing job - the colour and detail from flowers, candles and the addition of a gallery has brought a whole new energy to the space.
The Goldfields Brewery attached to the Club is worth a visit too. They’re the first brewery in Southern Cross and their blood orange and pear cider is honestly the best I’ve had yet.
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Accommodation
Home. Dads palace. Strange Station. Sitting on the quiet outskirts of town backing onto a vast plain of motorbike tracks and horse stables. We have a loyal following of magpies we’ve fed every day for years (Dad can pet and hand feed them now) and the air is always crisp and fresh. On the other side of the yard, a huge sun-weathered shed full of tools and childhood toys.
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Activity Highlight
Frog Rock Nature Reserve. A true hidden gem. A towering granite rock covered in pools and creeks with 360-degree views of surrounding farmland and forest. There is a BBQ area, bushwalking tracks, an abundance of wildflowers, native animals, rock pools, and so much to explore. I swapped the Swift for the Land Cruiser for this one. The entry point is found deep past the turn off sign (which can be confusing to find) but it’s absolutely worth it.
XIII. PERTH.
Population: 2 100 000
The most isolated city in the world - closer to Singapore than Sydney, and Indonesia’s capital than our own.
Not only is Perth city one of the most isolated but also one of the sunniest, last year averaging around ~3300 hours of sunshine (the same as Los Angeles USA).
Perth often gets forgotten about being so far away from the activity of the east coast, but you really are lucky if you get to spend some time in this laid-back city.
It’s steady, clean, and safe, you have access to some of the world's best beaches that aren’t overrun by others trying to enjoy its beauty also - a luxury we’ll look back on someday.
Summer here feels like wine tours in the Swan Valley and cycling around Rottnest Island. The cooler months bring camping trips up north and vivid sunsets over the Indian Ocean.
It’s been a lot of fun getting creative with this trip.
Shout out to Dad for his company across the Nullarbor, and Suzuki for building Swifts tough enough to withstand my manual driving AND 5000k’s of outback Australia in one hit.
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