Travel Tips

Travelling along the Nullarbor is an extremely enjoyable experience....as long as you are prepared.

Alcohol

Please note that Yalata Community and Head of Bight are dry zones. It is an offence to possess, sell, or transport alcohol through Yalata Community or Head of Bight. Fines apply if you break this law.

Bushfire Season

There is a total fire ban in South Australia between 1 December and 30 April. At no time during these months are you permitted to light a fire. Please listen to bushfire warnings on the radio and act accordingly. During other months when fires are permitted please use designated fireplaces. If you must light a fire, always extinguish it completely with water.

For more information about current fire bans please visit the South Australian Country Fire Service.

Off Road Travel

Before you embark on your journey, ensure you have a spare tyre, maps, extra food, water and fuel and an emergency plan. Plan your route carefully and notify a third party of your expected arrival.  Please ensure you have an remote emergency contingency plan.

Check road conditions before beginning your journey, stay with your vehicle if it breaks down and avoid travelling in extreme heat conditions. If driving a conventional vehicle through remote areas, drive slowly on unsealed, dusty or narrow roads and always check road conditions before turning off major roads. If travelling off road please check to see if you require a permit.

Permits

If you wish to camp on or enter Aboriginal land in the region you will require a permit to do so. Please visit: www.yalata.org for more information.

Sharks

Whilst shark attacks in Australia are very rare, they can be fatal. Sharks have been known to visit the beaches along the Nullarbor. You can reduce your risk by always swimming between the flags on patrolled beaches and not swimming at dusk or evening. Avoid swimming alone, a long way offshore, at river mouths or along drop-offs to deeper water.

Snakes & Spiders

When bushwalking or hiking, you can avoid snake and spider bites by wearing protective footwear and using your common sense. If bitten, seek immediate medical attention. Deaths from snake bites are extremely rare and there have been few deaths from spider bites since anti venoms were made available in 1981.

Sun Protection

As the Australian sun is very strong it is recommended that you always wear a shirt, hat, sunglasses and SPF 30+ sunscreen lotion. Reapply sunscreen regularly. It is also suggested that if you can you should stay out of the sun during the middle of the day when the sun is strongest. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Swimming

The beautiful beaches along the Nullarbor Coastline can hold many hidden dangers. Never swim alone, at night or whilst under the influence of alcohol. Always check water depth before diving in and never run and dive into the water from the beach. There are beaches along the coast that have swimming enclosures (eg Point Sinclair) and it is recommended that you swim within these.

Telephones

As mobile phone range can be limited you may not always have coverage. Please be extra careful if and when travelling off road. In case of an emergency you can use UHF radio.

UHF CB Radio Emergency Procedures

On UHF CB Radio emergency channels are repeater channel 5 and repeater input channel 35. UHF Truck channel 40.  To access emergency repeaters:

1. Ensure the Duplex (DUP) button is depressed (On)
2. Hold the Push To Talk button (PTT) before beginning transmission
3. Begin transmission with "This is (Name/Callsign) Calling for any Emergency Monitors"
4. Release PTT and wait 30 seconds
5. If no reply after 30 seconds try again
6. If still no reply try and make contact with other UHF CB operators on other repeaters

Water

It is recommended that you take at least 2 to 4 litres of per person per day.

Disclaimer

In many areas of Indigenous Australia it is considered offensive to publish photographs or names of Aboriginal people who have recently passed. Browsers are warned that this website may inadvertently contain such names or pictures.

Events

The Nullarbor Golf Course Nullarbor Links

The Nullarbor Links is the world's largest 18 hole par 72 golf course spanning 1,365 kilometres. Each hole is located in a participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway, from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie. For more information and tournament dates please visit: http://www.kalgoorlie.com/nullarborlinks

TV Events

BBC

Filming has taken place at HoB and Bunda Cliffs for a BBC Science TV series called 'The Story of the Continents'. It tells the story of how the continents we see today were created and shaped over many millions of years, and how that process has affected the landscape, wildlife, and culture of today, all around the world. The Bunda Cliffs scene, will describe how the Continent of Antarctica split away from Australia about 50 million years ago, before the two continents headed in their separate directions.

ABC

The ABC TV’s weekly science program, Catalyst will shortly commence filming the Bunda Cliffs. Keep a look out for this upcoming segment on measuring the Australian Coastline.