Mon, 18th Apr, 2016 Jilah Rockhole, near Mundrabilla to Observatory Turnoff rest area, near Eyre, WA (Eyre Telegraph Station)

Light rain early this morning – windy and overcast.

Sent Suzanne a text for her birthday today.

Onto the road again and a Citroen went by us then called us up on the UHF letting us know that there were 8 cars in the group doing a lap of the map in 68 days!! Really, what a waste of time and fuel – they will only be looking at the bitumen.

Passed the turn off to Mundrabilla Homestead which is up on the Hampton Tablelands. Long straight stretches of road along the Roe Plain. Not much to sightsee around here. Crossed a grid and fence line of the west side of Mundrabilla Station and into Madura Station. Next thing on the map was Moodini Bluff but there wasn’t much too it.

The Old Coach Road runs along the top of the range but it is ‘Private Access’ only.

Started to climb up Madura Pass but then turned off to the left to the Madura Roadhouse and another golf tee.

Madura started in 1876 and is renowned for its fine polo and cavalry horses bred here in the early years for the British Army in India. Fairly straight hole but lots of bushes to lose our balls in. Steve did very well and got a 5, I muffed it at the end and got 10.

Back out onto the highway and up Madura Pass to the Lookout (122m elevation) for a cuppa. Chatting with a couple and he said we had passed the sign (seen from the West side) stating the west end of the Nullarbor Plain (like we had seen the East one) as the Plain itself is only 100km long. On the map it shows it the whole way across to Norseman.

Great view over the Hampton Tablelands and down over the Roe Plains which go out to the Southern Ocean.

Looking down over the Pass. The sky is clearing as we head wet. Blowholes and caves are marked on the Hema map but no roads to them.

The Nullarbor map. We have passed a few decorated trees along the way – a bottle tree (bottles hanging on the branches by string), Christmas decorations, shoes and stuff animals.

Off again then we turned off at the Observatory Turnoff where the Bird Observatory is housed in the old Eyre Telegraph Station. Checked out the info boards, 19km of dirt road then 9.5km of sandy track. Looks like a bit of fun.

Passed a couple of Western Greys relaxing under a tree. The first part of the road was good and wide until we reached the tower. Should have unhooked the van there as the road condition was ok but the track was very narrow. Luckily we didn’t meet any other vehicles. Parked up the van in the trees near the escarpment and made some lunch. The caretaker arrived to pick up a couple who had a normal car. A couple of other 4wds came up too. Walked out to the Lookout for a fabulous view.

Off we went down the rocky track along the top of the escarpment then down to the plain.

Turned off the main track to Eyre and followed another one east following the old telegraph poles to the ruins of an old sheep station, ‘Burnabbie’. It was built by John and Harold Carlisle around 1933 but was unsuccessful in this area. The telegraph wire still hangs off some poles but mostly it is on the ground on the track.

Straight line of poles reminds us of the Cape York Telegraph Track. They keep going till they reach Madura then on to Eucla Telegraph Station.

Burnabbie is tucked up under the escarpment. The vegetation is slowly taking over. On the right was a small house with fire place and the bigger framework is covered in chicken wire – maybe they had lots of chickens.

A fence enclosed the shearing shed area. The floorboards have collapsed.

Back to the turnoff called Green Bottle Junction – obviously the caretakers get annoyed at having to rescue people who don’t let their tyres down.

Narrow track up and down the sand hills. They had buoys marking down the kilometres as it felt like we had been travelling for hours!!

The Bird Observatory people have done a wonderful job of restoring the building and it is a lovely area with lots of birds tweeting and flying around. It was the Eyre Telegraph Station from 1897 to 1927. The original weatherboard building was 300m east of here and was used from 1877. Amazing to think they brought all the blocks in by boat and carted them here.

A telegraph pole with china insulators stands tall.

Walked around the wide verandah to check out the museum. Lots of old bones outside.

A map of the area showing the different walks etc.

The museum was a small room packed with old bits and pieces and lots of information to read. The caretaker told us about the area and how the Bird Aust Group took up the lease and restored the building etc.

Hard to imagine the men getting dressed up to work here – these were the telegraph men at Eucla and it was down in the sand dunes too.

More bones – the stumpy skink we see is called a ‘Bobtail’.

The shell with the plug we have been collecting is a Turbo.

Interesting reading about the first operator, William Graham. He and his wife raised 10 children here. One of his daughters, Jessie, wrote her memories of growing up here.

In another room was more information. The caretaker got the telegraph machine tapping out the first message it sent – noisy. They would all have gone balmy listening to that tapping all day long. The photo of the house was taken in 1916, 100 years ago.

Camels were used for transport.

Will have to keep an eye out of emu poo!! The shark eggs look like seed pods.

Two seasons on Kanidal Beach – summer, white and sandy – winter, piles of sea grass.

We have seen the emus on the Murray River, this would be great to see too.

They also take the weather here for BoM – boy they have had some extreme temperatures.

This sand hill is called Mt Joseph.

Drove down the track to Kanidal Beach, up and down the sand hills then onto the flat area called ‘calcrete’. A memorial to Eyre and crew.

Up the last sand hill and onto the beach.

Continued east along the beach. Found crayfish tanks and a tinny near a moored crayboat but no one was around. Another tank was still floating in the water.

Looking east then west along the beach. The sea grass is starting to come in.

Nice clean sand that is crunchy but doesn’t squeak. Only a couple of shells and a 2 of Clubs!! Lots of march flies too.

At lot warmer today so it nice to put my feet in the Southern Ocean, probably the last sea water we will see for a while.

Drove up another track near where the crayboat stuff was and found their camp. No one here either.

Nice hard surface (calcrete) to drive on here.

Back past the Station then the 9.5km up and down the sand hills to the escarpment. Half way up Steve spotted this blowhole sign. On with the handbrake – we are on a steep hill!! I got out for a photo. The bottom one only had a little bit of air but the top one was blowing hard.

Steve got the bag out again.

Back up to the top to hook up the van. Back along the track again, luckily no one else was on the track. Out to the main highway and we turned back east a bit to the Observatory Turnoff Rest Area. Our home for tonight.

Another couple from Mandurah (near Perth) invited us for drinks. He gave me heaps of places to see and to stay so scribbled all over my Camps 7 book.

The sun sets earlier and gets darker quicker, 6.15pm. The moon was up with its one star near in and there was a perfect circle of clear sky around them and the rest of the sky was covered in cloud. Looked amazing.

Still warm in the van when we went to bed, 29 degrees. The wind has sprung up too.