Nullarbor
Exploring
The Nullarbor
Tasmania
Like any rational person living in Australia, we had some queries (or straight-out anxiety) about crossing the Nullarbor. It’s one of the most significant challenges for anyone doing a lap or traveling from the East to the West Coast, but it’s easier than you think it will be. With proper planning, traveling across the Nullarbor as a family can be a breeze. Here’s how we did it.
Fuel Planning
Fuel is a critical concern when traversing the Nullarbor. To ensure you make it across, you need to:
- Know your vehicle’s range on a full tank: Calculate how far you can drive before needing to refuel.
- Research fuel stop hours: Make sure they align with your travel plans.
- Use apps like Fuel Spy: This can help you save some dollars along the way, as fuel prices can be steep.
Adding a can of fuel for the trip might be a good idea, but with careful planning, it’s unnecessary. However, having one could make you someone else’s hero if they run out of fuel.
Food Options
For lunches, we pre-made chicken and rice wraps, which our kids call burritos. For dinners, we pre-made pasta and heated it up at each stop. This approach saved water for washing up, time cooking, and made the trip food-wise a breeze. We also had plenty of snacks for both days.
You could eat at the roadhouses, but for a family, it gets quite expensive. Remember, you’ll need to dump all your fruits and veggies before the border, so eat those as snacks before heading into WA.
Do You Need a UHF Radio?
The short answer is no. Ours broke beforehand. Despite the amount of traffic, especially road trains, there is plenty of empty, straight road for overtaking. Using your indicator to signal when it’s safe for trucks to overtake is sufficient.
How Much iPad Time for the Kids?
We aimed for the first 3-4 hours without iPads. After lunch, they could watch a movie or two, which helped keep them entertained during the long stretches.
Duration of the Trip
With young kids (under 5), you’ll likely need a minimum of 2 nights, depending on where you start and end. When we traveled from Streaky Bay to Perth, we realized it would have been better to do 3 nights. Here’s a breakdown of our journey:
Day 1: Streaky Bay to Eucla (7 hours)
- Filled up at Streaky Bay.
- Stopped at Caiguna for a toilet break and stretch.
- Stopped at Yalata for fuel.
- Filled up again at Eucla.
We camped for free near the beach at Eucla. This part of the trip was the best as we hugged the coastline, experiencing some truly unique parts of Australia.
Day 2: Eucla to Norseman (7 hours)
- Fueled up at Caiguna and Balladonia.
We stayed at a free camp 5 km before Norseman. This was the most monotonous part of the trip—very straight, very boring, with not much to see.
Day 3: Norseman to Perth (10 hours)
- Fueled up at Norseman.
- Stopped for lunch and fuel at Southern Cross.
- Fueled up at Kellerberrin to ensure we had enough for Perth.
This was the longest leg of the trip, but it was more enjoyable than the day before. The first three-quarters of the drive had varying scenery and less straight roads. About 90 minutes out of Perth, the traffic increased, and we had to be more driver aware as we reentered civilization.
Traveling across the Nullarbor as a family is a big task, but it’s not insurmountable. It’s a true adventure and one we’re excited to do again on our way back to the east coast, this time leaving from Esperance and stopping at Fowler’s Point to cut down the travel time. The Nullarbor is more than just a road—it’s an experience, and with the right preparation, it can be an unforgettable journey for the whole family.
