Tues, 19th Apr, 2016 Eyre Observatory Turnoff rest area to Woorlba Homestead rest area, near Balladonia, WA (caves & blowholes)

Warm night. Shower of rain again during the night. Overcast morning, 22 degrees.

Watched Race 6 and 7 race highlights online of the V8s at Phillip Island. Better than nothing.

Into Cocklebiddy Roadhouse for another game of golf. Cocklebiddy was originally established as an Aboriginal mission in early pioneer times. 32km south on 4WD track is Twilight Cove where another Telegraph Station was.

Battled with a rain shower, flies and rabbit holes but did well. Steve got 6 and I got 8 – our best yet!!

Continued on down the highway 6km then turned off to Murra-El-Elevyn Cave. We are in the Nuytsland Nature Reserve.

One kilometre back down the highway we turned off onto another cave area. Cocklebiddy Cave is 13km north. A flock of plain turkeys wandered across the road.

Flat and open out here.

There are no signs on the highway letting people know the caves are here but there are big signs and information boards. Seems a shame they don’t promote their natural attractions. I suppose I shouldn’t complain otherwise it might have cost us $20 to enter!!

As I went over to read the info boards a big red thumped up then stopped and watched me. Then off he went again.

These caves are amazing. We had heard about people scuba diving in the caves – now we know where.

It says Cocklebiddy Caves is the Nullarbor’s most famous cave but they don’t have it on the Nullarbor Tourist Map!! In 1983 it was the world’s longest cave diving penetration when a distance of 6.24km from the cave entrance was reached. In 2008 another chap continued further to 6.38km and found the end of the passage.

It isn’t as spectacular opening as the others but you can walk down into this one. Had some lunch and put on our boots and headed down.

The entrance has been fenced off as the last bit is quite an ordeal to climb down into the cave entrance. This view is good enough for me!! A few welcome swallows flew out to greet us.

Left, bottom & top then right views.

Climbed back up and walked around the top.

Looking straight down into the entrance. Steve was hanging on to me!!

An anchor post where they lower things down from to the cave entrance.

Looking back to the truck and van.

Some little fruit.

Headed back to try and find Capstan Cave which is marked on our Hema map but we drove around following tracks but couldn’t find it. Back to the highway and Tony & Yvonne drove  past.

Dark clouds are heading towards from the west. Passed the western edge of the Central WA time zone.

Next stop Caiguna Roadhouse for the next hole of golf. Starting to rain but the drops are light so we headed off. Caiguna is the at the east end of the 90 Mile Straight. Not as good this time, Steve 10, me 13.

Another 4WD track goes down to Baxter Cliffs, named after Edward Eyre’s overseer, John Baxter, who tragically lost his life on 29^th April, 1841. But we decided to miss that one.

Pulled up for a photo before heading down the straight road. I had imagined it as flat and straight so you could see forever but it is over rolling hills so you can’t see too far in the distance.

Seen the kangaroo now for the emu and camel.

5km out of Caiguna we pulled off to the Blowhole just as Tony & Yvonne were leaving. A very big hole compared to the others. Another couple said that it used to be small – maybe it collapsed in and they had to open in up. So it isn’t wind blowing through that makes the wind but the caves ‘breathing’ because of air pressure. Amazing.

Chatted with a couple from the Gold Coast (been on road for 18 months) who are heading back east and offered me their herb garden which I gratefully accepted. No parsley though so will still have to get dirt and parsley for my other pot.

Chatted with ‘Willy Wagtail’ (on the back of his van) and his wife – we have seen them here and there. Another couple pulled in looking for a Geocache which they couldn’t find. We made some lunch then headed back onto the long straight road.

A bit flatter as we get nearer to the end. Passed the two guys skiing/skating again. They are making good time but obviously not stopping to enjoy the attractions like we have!!

Pulled into a rest stop named after the Woorlba Homestead just as it started to rain.  Woorlba Sheep Station Homestead is further down the highway and it is on this station that parts of the 1979 Skylab crash landed. Got the awning out and put out a bucket to catch the rain water.

When it stopped Steve had half a bucket to give the back of the van a wash as it was looking sad all covered in red dirt.

More rain so Steve’s bucket is filling up again. Quiet afternoon catching up on my blog. Quite dark with the heavy rain clouds passing over us. The wind picked up too.