Raining again, heavy overnight. Down to the Kalgoorlie Boulder Gold Centre in the drizzle hoping that we can still go prospecting but to no avail. The dirt roads will be clogged with mud and walking through the country will be just too hard.
We returned to the Caravan park quite despondent as we were all really looking forward to finding our fortunes in gold today. Instead we packed the camper in the continuing drizzle and pleaded our case to the park for a nights accommodation back and successful we headed towards the Nullarbor.
First stop was Norseman, a mining town set in heavily timbered country, and the jumping off point for the trip east. The kids had a last run around in the local playground and we were on our way passing through wooded hill country into the Fraser Range.
Next stop Balladonia (population about 9) as I was craving a cuppa. It provides all the usual roadhouse facilities as well as accommodation and campsites. The settlement shot to fame in 1979 when parts of the US Skylab space station plummeted to earth here after disintegrating upon re-entry to the atmosphere.
The next 146.6km is the 'Ninety Mile Straight', which starts about 30km south-east of Balladonia and shoots in a straight line all the way to Caiguna. This is one of the longest straight stretches of road in the world; straight it is but the road undulates all the way.
Around 4:45pm we call it quits, pulling into Baxter Rest area just off the highway and join a bunch of other nomads for the night. Chloe finds herself a friend and plays horses until dinner time while I collect hundreds of little shells lying in the bush nearby. Toasted marsh mellows for dessert on a small fire rounds off our day.
Baxter Rest Area (Free)
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