Fraser Range, Western Australia, Australia
Well what a day today! We have been blown across the Nullarbor! Just as well it was behind us and we weren't pushing into it, or we certainly would have been pumping some fuel! I thought the little piece at the bottom of the information sign, that is on the Nullarbor Roadhouse, was appropriate for the title of this blog. We have certainly had 'a breath of fresh Eyre' today. But at times there has certainly been quite a bit of 'Eyre's Dust'!
We left before 7.30am, stopping after 100kms to find a cache named 'Swallows Rest'. It was in a roadside parking area and there was tracks going further in where people had been free camping. I had to walk a couple of hundred metres and I found the cache reasonably quickly. I came back and told the others I had a 'Par' not a 'Birdie' with my find! In 2014 we played the 'Nullarbor Links Golf Course' and we really enjoyed it. I had hoped a cache or two or three today would get us out of the car, but the weather was so horrible, it turned out to be just one little find!
So the others had morning tea while I was looking and we got travelling again. I was happy to be back in the car and sip on my coffee as we were travelling. We went up to the Lookout at Madura Pass, but once again the wind was very trying, so it was a quick photo and we were on our way again.
Next stop was Caiguna for fuel. There was confusion about the real time! My phone said it was lunchtime, but Peter and Dorothy's phones said it was 11.15am. The sign had told us to wind the clocks back 45 minutes. After going into the roadhouse the lady confirmed it was 11.15am. My phone actually went to that time, as soon as we got out onto the highway again! Golly this was all worse than jet lag! The 45 minute adjustment at Caiguna is referred to as 'Eucla Time'!
We continued travelling for another 60 kilometres or so and stopped at Baxters Rest. That enabled me to find the tree with the aboriginal painting. So I had completed the challenges Jenny had set! The next stop was at the '90 Mile Straight' and I took a photo of John and Dorothy. It is their first time across the Nullarbor and you just have to have the photo shoot there. It so disappoints me when people put graffiti over such signage!
It wasn't much further to Balladonia and we were there by around 2.00pm. We fueled up again and had a coffee.
John and Dorothy did a quick visit to the 'Skylab Museum' and Dorothy said she was okay to keep driving. So we decided to go through to Fraser Range Station. We had been to Fraser Range to play the Par 3 in 2014, but had not stayed at the Station Stay. We were booked in and set up by 4.00pm which enabled us to have a walk around the station, before showering for dinner in the Restaurant. Thank goodness the wind seemed to be dropping off! The forecast was for the wind to abate during the evening.
The Station Stay Restaurant is licensed so there was no BYO. Dinner was roast pork, risotto, coleslaw with fennel, and baked beetroot. When our dinner was brought to the table the chef came around and told us what he had prepared. We knew we were having roast pork but one does think it will be with roast veges! It was all quite nice, although I should have swapped my big chunk of meat with Peter. He knew it wouldn't be to my liking when it came out! It was a chocolate dessert, which consisted of chocolate mouse, ice-cream, berries and a piece of honeycomb on top. It was all very nice. The powered site was $30.00, the roast $30.00 and dessert $5.00, so the nights stay and dinner rounded off the $100 very easily.
We only had one bar on our phones and they kept dropping out of service, so there was definitely no chance of any internet! I was in bed by 8.30pm and that is very unusual for Pamela!
There was a geocache on the road into the Station and it would have been good to stop and search and Peter was prepared to do so. But it is not that easy when your travelling companions are not into it, so I said to keep going. Still working out whether it is going to be our thing, but I do want to give it a go for a couple of weeks. I am very impressed with the information attached in the 'Description' of the cache. This is the information provided with the Fraser Range Station cache.
Fraser Range Station was the first station to be settled on the Nullarbor in 1872 by the Dempster Brothers. The station covers an area of 437,000 acres and the distance between the southern and northern boundaries is approximately 160 kilometres. The average annual rainfall is 300 mm and in 2007 the station was running Damara sheep. The station homestead was built in the early 1900's of stone. It has had a number of renovations and additions over the years, but is still the residence of the current owners. Fraser Range is a unique geological area and has a number of species of native flora, found only in this area.
Jenny
2018-10-27
Another 10/10 for finding the painting. I didn't tell you, but if you'd followed the direction that image was facing you would have found a sink hole. I'm sure the symbol must have something to do with hole or water, not sure, but there's a similar one at Niagara Dam. Aboriginal friends haven't been able to get a positive answer. We found the cache at Fraser Range in 2015 so reticbob would have had a signature on the log.
pamandpete
2018-10-27
The day was so horrible there was no way we would have gone searching for a cave Jen. I was so pleased I found the painting as quickly as I did! I didn't even suggest to the others we look! See you soon for that chat. Thanks so much for keeping in touch with your comments. xxxx