Scientists Discover a Hidden Cave Network Beneath the Plain

The Nullarbor just made international science news. Researchers from Curtin University, the University of Western Australia, La Trobe University, the University of Ljubljana and the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts have published a study in Communications Earth & Environment (September 2026) revealing that long, shallow surface trenches across the plain — some stretching up to 20 kilometres — are the visible fingerprints of vast cave systems slowly collapsing upward from deep underground, a process unfolding over millions of years.

The team combined drone and aerial mapping, satellite landscape models, borehole and cave surveys, and ground-penetrating geophysics to effectively “X-ray” the limestone that makes up the 200,000-square-kilometre plain — itself the floor of an ancient sea that retreated around 14 million years ago. Beyond the pure wow-factor, the find matters because caves like these preserve ancient environments, host unique ecosystems, and are now being studied as models for how similar features might look on Mars, where caves could one day shelter astronauts from radiation.

Whale Watching at Head of Bight — Peak Season, Limited Time Left

If you haven’t ticked off Head of Bight this year, now is the time. The southern right whale season runs mid-May to late October, and late September sits right in the sweet spot: mothers and calves are now common along the coastline, with calves developed enough that you’ll see them playing close to shore before the pod begins its migration south in October.

The viewing platforms (east and west) are wheelchair-accessible via boardwalk, with an on-site education centre covering whale behaviour. With only a matter of weeks left before the season winds down, it’s worth timing a Nullarbor crossing around a Head of Bight stop now rather than leaving it for next year. Call ahead on (08) 8625 6201 for current viewing conditions.

Nullarbor Links: Family Pass Now On, Early Bird Pricing Open for 2027

The world’s longest golf course — 1,365 km of fairways strung between Ceduna and Kalgoorlie — has a couple of things worth knowing about right now:

• Nullarbor Links Family Pass — AUD$178A new family pass bundles access for the crossing at a flat family rate — a nice add-on if you’re already planning to play a hole or two at each roadhouse along the way.
• Chasing the Sun Golf Tournament 2027 — entries openRunning 29 April – 8 May 2027 from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie via the Nullarbor coastline, Eucla, Balladonia, Norseman and Kambalda. Early bird pricing (from $849 non-playing / $879 member / $939 non-member) runs until 26 December 2026, after which prices rise. Nine days of daily golf, Ngadju cultural experiences and whale-watching stops, finishing with an awards dinner in Kalgoorlie.

Road Conditions: Clear as of 18 September 2026

As of today, no major closures or restrictions are reported for the Eyre Highway corridor on SA’s outback roads network. As always on a Nullarbor crossing: check the SA Outback Roads report and WA Main Roads conditions before you leave, fuel up at every opportunity, and treat dawn and dusk driving with extra caution — wildlife activity picks up as the weather warms.