Day 67 Madura Pass

After 5 cold and windy days and nights, we were happy to turn our backs to Esperance in search of some warmer temperatures and to continue our exploration of Australia’s south coast. While we tried to get away earlier, we finally got on the road to Norseman at about 8:30. Our original plan was to head into Cape Arid for a night and then, make our way along the Balladonia track to the Nullarbor but with the suspension on the Jeep still dodgy, we chose not to risk becoming stranded on a track that by all reports, is rarely used.
The 1st 200km to Norseman was uneventful apart from the proliferation of salt lakes. We continued to see them well past Norseman and while they’re pretty to look at, I can’t help but wonder if they’re the result of mans mismanagement of the land, in this part of the country. In many of these salt lakes, there are dozens of large dead trees indicating that the appearance of the salt lake is a relatively new event. I spoke with a West Australian about the lakes and he indicated that they’re in some way, the result of local wheat farming practices.
190km past Norseman is Balladonia. While I’m sure I would have enjoyed the adventure of the Balladonia Track, I’m not certain I wouldn’t have become lost, as we couldn’t find any sign of where the track joins the Eyre Hwy. It looks easy enough on the map but somewhat different in real life. Just after Balladonia, we came upon the highlight of today’s travel, the 146.6km length of dead straight highway. This is the longest straight stretch of road in the country and if I’d turned on the autopilot and had a nap, I wouldn’t have missed anything. We haven’t seen an animal from the road all day and other than the salt lakes and the tin camels at Norseman, there hasn’t been much of interest to see on this days drive.
As the shadows got longer from the setting sun, we began looking for a campsite for the night. For most of the day, the temperature had been hovering around the 45 degree mark and other than Australia’s miraculous result in the cricket, I had very little to keep me focused on the road ahead. We finally pulled in to a roadside camping area just before the sun actually set and we quickly put the van up for the night. The long straight roads, hot temperatures, and the less than perfect camp ground had all contributed to the late afternoon tension, so we were all happy to close the book on a long day after 740km.
Cheers,
Jorg