Before we hit the Nullabor I had two dominating thoughts:
1. there's not much to see, and
2. the kids will struggle with long days in the car.
There is so much to see out here. It might not be obvious but it's beautiful and it's subtle and I don't mean anything manmade.
The vegetation is so varied in colour. I've never seen so many greens and greys of grasses and shrubs. The plains expansive (obviously) and you can see a vehicle approaching from a few kilometres ahead.
Unfortunately there's so much litter along the Nullabor. The motels and caravan parks are rundown and if you can I'd be freecamping as much as possible. Be aware of the locations of dump points too. And take a shovel to dig a hole if you need to.
The kids have done so well. In the past I'd have been anxious about doing a four hour drive with the three kids but we've got the routine sorted for these long stints. We do 2-3 hours in the morning then only up to 2 after lunch. We have two substantial stops and a few wee breaks but we also play it all by ear!
Cocklebiddy Caves is about 5km off the highway down dirt. It's probably the most recognised cave diving site on the Nullabor and possibly the most accessible. I wonder what it would have been like discovering the entrance and then diving it for the first time.
The entrance was far bigger than I'd expected and it only sparked J's enthusiasm to, maybe, one day, get down there and dive. I couldn't think of anything more claustrophobic!
The cave is closed to the public and permission is essential before entering the cave. So far about 6km of cave has been explored. That blows my mind!
A game of cricket at Cocklebiddy.
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