Before we departed from Perlubie Beach, Oliver took out his fishing rod and gave squid fishing a try. Driven by persistence, he spotted one trailing his lure, but unfortunately, it didn’t bite.

We then embarked on our journey across the Nullarbor. Although it is largely a vast drive, the route is sprinkled with intriguing sights. In the initial hours, we visited Australia’s largest windmill at an outdoor museum and checked out the Big Wombat. Next, we headed to Fowlers Bay Conservation Park, where we stayed at a secluded campground, having it entirely to ourselves. The drive to reach it was the most rugged we’ve experienced, but the stunning beauty made it worthwhile. We indulged in scenic walks and the kids gleefully surfed down the sand dunes they discovered.

The following day marked the true start of our Nullarbor adventure. After a couple of hours on the road, we reached the first roadhouse. There, we paused for lunch, and the kids eagerly picked out their first souvenirs. With more driving ahead, we entertained ourselves with audiobooks. The kids were so captivated by “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” that we’ve now listened to it twice! Throughout the afternoon, we glimpsed breathtaking views of the Bunda Cliffs. One of the day’s memorable moments was an unexpected delay; we got stuck behind an oversized load transporting a 400-tonne transformer occupying the entire road. We got on the UHF radio to listen to the chatter and heard the road crew managing oncoming traffic, along with some colorful commentary from disgruntled road train drivers! After a brief stop at the Big Kangaroo holding a jar of Vegemite, we crossed the SA/WA border and settled for the night at the Old Telegraph Station Campground, where we explored the nearby beach and ruins of the telegraph station.

Originally, we had planned for a shorter drive the next day, but decided to push on to allow two nights at Wharton Bay, covering 630 kilometres over seven and a half hours to position ourselves for the next day’s arrival. Given the scorching 42-degree heat, staying in our air-conditioned car was a relief. At one of the road houses we did manage to play one hole of the longest golf course in the world which is spreadout along the length of the Nullarbor. Aprt from that, we only stopped for fuel (our most expensive was $2.82 a litre for diesel) and, upon spotting the previous day’s familiar oversized load just finishing its fill-up ahead of us, opted not to cook or prepare lunch. Instead, we quickly grabbed snacks from the van and made a swift departure to stay ahead! That night, we camped at a charming free site, which, despite the heat, offered a gentle breeze and lovely surroundings to keep us comfortably cool.