Nullarbor, South Australia – Travel Guide

Roadhouse, Bunda Cliffs, Caves, Wildlife and Classic Nullarbor Adventure

If there is one place that captures the feeling of driving across Australia’s vast Nullarbor Plain, it is Nullarbor, South Australia. Located on the Eyre Highway approximately 300 km west of Ceduna and around 200 km east of the South Australian–Western Australian border, Nullarbor is not really a town in the traditional sense. Instead, the settlement revolves around the historic Nullarbor Roadhouse, which provides fuel, food, accommodation and camping for travellers crossing one of Australia’s most famous stretches of highway. Surrounding the roadhouse is an extraordinary landscape of limestone plains, caves, native wildlife and enormous horizons. To the south, the spectacular coastline of the Great Australian Bight and Bunda Cliffs creates one of the most dramatic landscapes on the Australian mainland. Whether you’re stopping for fuel, spending the night or using Nullarbor as a base to explore the surrounding region, this is one of the essential stops on any Nullarbor road trip.

Where is Nullarbor?

Nullarbor is located beside the Eyre Highway in far-western South Australia. The Nullarbor Roadhouse places itself approximately 300 km west of Ceduna and 200 km east of the South Australian–Western Australian border. It occupies an extremely isolated position, making the roadhouse an important fuel, food and accommodation stop for people travelling between South Australia and Western Australia. Although commonly referred to as a town, there is no conventional town centre here. The roadhouse and associated accommodation essentially form the traveller settlement known as Nullarbor.

Road Trip Tip: Distances between services are significant on the Nullarbor. Don’t wait until your fuel gauge is approaching empty before deciding where to refuel.

The Nullarbor Plain

The Nullarbor is one of Australia’s most extraordinary landscapes. Recognised as the world’s largest limestone plain landscape, the broader Nullarbor covers approximately 270,000 square kilometres. Its seemingly endless horizons and enormous skies have made the Nullarbor one of Australia’s great road-trip destinations. Despite its reputation as a completely treeless wilderness, the landscape actually supports a surprising variety of vegetation and wildlife. What makes it particularly remarkable is the limestone beneath your feet, which contains an extensive network of caves, sinkholes and underground passages.

How Did the Nullarbor Get its Name?

The name Nullarbor dates back to the nineteenth century. Surveyor E. Alfred Delisser is credited with naming the area in 1866 after observing the apparent lack of trees across sections of the plain. The name derives from Latin – nulla, meaning no, and arbor, meaning tree. The name has stuck ever since, becoming synonymous with one of Australia’s great wilderness landscapes.

Nullarbor Roadhouse

At the heart of the settlement is the Nullarbor Roadhouse. For travellers who have spent hours driving across remote country, the roadhouse provides a welcome opportunity to refuel both the vehicle and its occupants.

Facilities include:

• Fuel
• Shop
• Coffee
• Restaurant
• Takeaway food
• Licensed bar
• Motel accommodation
• Caravan sites
• Camping

The roadhouse shop is currently advertised as opening daily from 7:00am to 9:00pm, while the restaurant serves evening meals.

A Brief History of Nullarbor Roadhouse

The site has an interesting history stretching back well before today’s modern roadhouse. Before 1956, the property formed part of the enormous Nullarbor Station, which covered around 1.25 million acres and carried sheep, cattle and horses. In 1956, station manager Elwyn – known as “Scobe” – began selling petrol to passing motorists as a way of generating additional income. Fuel was originally pumped by hand from drums, while a small shop operating from an old stone building sold basic provisions to travellers. As traffic across the Nullarbor increased, the business grew. The present Nullarbor Roadhouse building was constructed in 1976, the same year the Eyre Highway was finally completely sealed.

Camping at Nullarbor

Nullarbor Roadhouse operates a caravan park and camping area, making this a convenient overnight destination for caravanners, motorhome travellers and campers.

Accommodation options include:

• Powered caravan sites
• Unpowered caravan sites
• Camping
• Motel rooms
• Family motel accommodation

After spending nights at basic roadside free camps, having access to proper facilities, a cooked meal and a comfortable campsite can be very welcome.

Nullarbor Links Golf Course

Nullarbor is also one of the stops on the remarkable Nullarbor Links. Described as the world’s longest golf course, Nullarbor Links stretches an extraordinary 1,365 km between Ceduna and Kalgoorlie. Rather than having 18 holes in one location, individual holes are spread between participating towns and roadhouses along the Eyre Highway. Playing the course gives travellers another reason to stop regularly and helps break up the long hours of driving across the Nullarbor.

Nullarbor Links
1,365 km
18 holes from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie

Murrawijinie Caves

One of the most interesting attractions near Nullarbor Roadhouse is Murrawijinie Caves. The Nullarbor is riddled with limestone caves and underground formations, but most are not open for unrestricted public exploration. Murrawijinie is notable because it is one of the cave areas approved for public access. The caves provide a fascinating glimpse into the enormous underground limestone system beneath the Nullarbor Plain. Visitors should stay within permitted areas, avoid entering restricted caves and take extreme care around cave openings and sinkholes.

Cave Safety: The Nullarbor contains hundreds of caves and sinkholes, but most are not general tourist attractions. Never enter closed or restricted caves and keep well back from unstable edges.

The Bunda Cliffs

South of the Eyre Highway lies one of the great highlights of any Nullarbor journey – the Bunda Cliffs. These spectacular limestone cliffs stretch along the edge of the Great Australian Bight, where the Nullarbor Plain suddenly ends above the Southern Ocean. Several designated lookouts along the Eyre Highway provide opportunities to experience the cliffs safely. The combination of enormous cliffs, wild ocean and almost completely undeveloped coastline creates one of the most memorable landscapes on the journey between Adelaide and Perth.

Head of Bight

East of Nullarbor Roadhouse is the spectacular Head of Bight. The Head of Bight provides elevated viewing platforms overlooking the Great Australian Bight and is internationally recognised as an outstanding location for watching southern right whales. Whales gather along this coastline during their annual migration and breeding season. South Australia’s environment department identifies August as the prime month for whale watching, although the broader season extends across the cooler months.

Wildlife Around Nullarbor

Despite the seemingly harsh landscape, the Nullarbor supports an impressive variety of wildlife.

Animals you may encounter include:

• Southern hairy-nosed wombats
• Dingoes
• Kangaroos
• Emus
• Reptiles
• Numerous arid-zone birds

Early morning and evening are particularly good times for wildlife sightings – but they are also times when drivers need to take additional care.

The Nullarbor Night Sky

One attraction that doesn’t require any detour at all is the night sky. The extreme isolation of Nullarbor means there is very little artificial light compared with Australia’s cities and larger regional towns. On a clear night, step outside and allow your eyes time to adjust. The sheer number of visible stars can be one of the unexpected highlights of staying overnight on the Nullarbor.

Mobile Phone Reception

Mobile phone coverage across the Nullarbor is limited. South Australia’s environment department advises that reliable coverage is largely limited to areas around Nullarbor and Border Village roadhouses. Download maps, accommodation details and important travel information before leaving reliable reception.

Fuel and Supplies

Fuel is available at Nullarbor Roadhouse, along with food, drinks and basic traveller supplies. Given the isolation of the area, it makes sense to take advantage of fuel opportunities as they arise. Remember that towing a caravan, strong headwinds and higher speeds can significantly increase fuel consumption.

Nullarbor Fuel Rule
Don’t calculate your fuel stops down to the last litre.
Keep a comfortable reserve for wind, detours and unexpected conditions.

Driving the Nullarbor

The Eyre Highway is sealed, and thousands of conventional vehicles and caravans make the crossing every year. The biggest challenges are generally not the road surface but the distances, fatigue, wildlife, weather and isolation. Take regular breaks and resist the temptation to cover enormous distances simply because the road ahead appears straight and empty. The Nullarbor is much more enjoyable when treated as a road-trip destination rather than an obstacle between South Australia and Western Australia.

What Should You Carry?

Anyone travelling through Nullarbor should carry:

Best Time to Visit Nullarbor

The cooler months are generally the most comfortable time to explore the Nullarbor. Winter and early spring offer pleasant daytime conditions for sightseeing and driving, although nights can become cold. This period also coincides with southern right whale season along the Great Australian Bight. Summer temperatures frequently reach into the 30s and the landscape offers relatively little shelter from the sun. Whatever the season, carry plenty of drinking water and prepare for substantial changes in temperature between day and night.

Nullarbor Roadhouse Contact Details

Is Nullarbor Worth Stopping At?

Absolutely.

Nullarbor Roadhouse is certainly a practical place to buy fuel, eat and sleep, but treating it purely as a service station misses much of what makes this part of Australia special. You’re surrounded by the world’s largest limestone plain landscape, extraordinary cave systems, native wildlife, enormous skies and some of Australia’s most dramatic coastline. Add the nearby Head of Bight, Bunda Cliffs and the quirky Nullarbor Links golf course and there is plenty of reason to slow down. 

Rather than simply racing across the Nullarbor, stop for the night, watch the sunset, look at the stars and enjoy being in one of the most isolated and distinctive landscapes in Australia.