On the Way Home across the Nullarbor

Hannah and Louise with the camels at Norseman

At the start of the Longest Straight

Kids decided they wanted to have a go at packing up the trailer

Kids realised it was too hard so Strick and I had to step in to help pack it up

Telegraph Station at Eucla

Telegraph Station at Eucla

Telegraph Station at Eucla

Kids playing in the sand dunes at Telegraph Station at Eucla

Kids playing in the sand dunes at Telegraph Station at Eucla

The road coming into Eucla

Hannah with the Big Whale at Eucla (Another BIG AUSSIE ICON)

Having a play while also having breakfast at Eucla

Distance sign at Eucla

On the WA/SA Border

BIG KANGAROO at Border Village along the Nullarbor (Another BIG AUSSIE ICON)

BIG WHALE at the Nullarbor Roadhouse (Another BIG AUSSIE ICON)

Animal caution sign at Nullarbor Roadhouse

Here is the animal warning sign on the actual road

Part of the Nullarbor

BIG OYSTER at Ceduna (Another BIG AUSSIE ICON)

BIG GALAH at Kimba (Another BIG AUSSIE ICON)

Sign at Kimba telling us we are half way across Australia

Our last border crossing, back into our home state of Victoria

Border of Victoria (we thought this was a nicer sign than the one marking the border)

GIANT KOALA at Dadswell Bridge (Another BIG AUSSIE ICON)

All pooped after our HUGE TRIP!

Well our final Blog for our 2014 trip around NT and WA. We can't believe that the 3 months is almost over as we head for home across the Nullarbor from Kalgoorlie (3,044km to home).
After saying Goodbye at Kalgoorlie to Sarah, Aaron, Nathan and Matthew we headed off. Our first stop was Norseman to see the camels which are actually listed on one of the many different lists for the BIG AUSSIE ICONS, so Louise and Hannah had their photos taken, we fuelled up and the plan was to see where we got. We have travelled the Nullarbor a couple of times before so the plan was to see what the weather was like and see how the kids were travelling as to whether or not we stopped at many of the things to see along the way. This was though the first time we have travelled the Nullarbor with rain. The first day their wasn't alot to see and as it was starting to get dark we set up camp at Moondini Bluff (we travelled 756km this day) (a free camp along the Nullarbor). The next morning the plan was to be an early start as we probably didn't get as far as what we would have liked. The kids decided it was finally their turn to try and pack up the camper trailer. So Strick and I stood back and watched, encouraged and had a laugh at them attempting it. We eventually had to step in and help them as it is rather heavy, trying to fold it up. If not folded properly it can be a challenge to put the cover on properly and with the rain we were expecting it needed to be done properly.
We got on the road by about 7am with the first stop being Eucla where we would give the kids some breakfast and give them a good run around before sitting in the car for another BIG day. While at Eucla we took the kids down to the Telegraph Station which is in the sand dunes. The wind didn't allow us to spend too much time down there or to visit the old Jetty. The kids had a play around the station and climbing in and out of the different rooms. We ventured up to the town (caravan park and motel) to have breakfast and see the BIG WHALE (another BIG AUSSIE ICON). There was also a park which kept the kids amused and allowed them to use up some energy.
This day we also crossed the border from WA to SA where we also lost 1.5 hours, which can make a huge difference when you are trying to travel as far as you can before dark. There was also the BIG KANGAROO at the Border Village. We had a different BIG WHALE at the Nullarbor Roadhouse. Due to the weather we really didn't stop this trip along the Bite, but this is something we have done before and it is spectacular. We managed to get to Kimba (950km) where we set up camp in the free camp right next door to a train line. This wasn't too bad as the idea was to be up early and on the road again just after sunrise and there was only the one train which was as we were about to head off. The thing that kept us up all night was the Road Trains that came into the corner we were at so had to go down their gears, they went across the train tracks and then went up their gears as they came out of the corner. These were alot more frequent (about every 10 minutes) and were rather loud, so we had noted to ourselves that we would not stay here again. Before heading out of town the next morning the kids had photos taken with the BIG GALAH (another BIG AUSSIE ICON). We stopped at Port Augusta for breakfast and again the kids had a run around before being in the car again for another long day. Today we were again seeing where we got to and how we were feeling along the way as to where we would set up camp.
We crossed our final border back into Victoria (and lost another half hour) and eventually stopped at the BIG KOALA at Dadswell Bridge. We stopped at Horsham for fuel, toilet and stretch the legs. We decided we were travelling ok and would reassess once we got to Ballarat. (we were still travelling on WA time which was now 2 hours behind). We got to Ballarat and were only 257km from home so decided to push on. So in total we travelled 1334km today. So it was a big day but the kids did a fantastic job and it was nice to eventually get into our own beds at home.

So after finally arriving home we had been away for 89 nights and 90 days. We had travelled a total of 20,438km, across 4 states and territories of Australia.
We had set up and packed up our camper 32 times (plus another 2 to get out sleeping gear and put it back when staying at Geraldton and Kalgoorlie where we slept inside).
Our average fuel usage was 11.67 litres per 100km, with us using 2,385.24 litres of fuel. The most expensive fuel was at Kalumburu where we paid 247.0 a litre and our cheapest fuel was at Adelaide on our return where we paid 151.9 a litre.
We spent $4018.70 on accommodation with the average cost being $45.15 a night. Our accommodation was a mixture of caravan parks (42 nights), national parks (19 nights), free camps (7 nights), station stay (1 night), Private property in a NP for a night, 2 stays (13 nights) with family at Geraldton and Kalgoorlie (and one with mum to begin the trip) and we had 3 nights in motels or cabins. Our most expensive was Coober Pedy in the underground motel at $305 for the night and obviously our cheapest being the free camps, otherwise it was Devils Marble a National Park where we paid $11.70 for the night.
Jacob had taken an interest again this trip in the Road Trains and kept a tally from Port Augusta to Port Augusta. He only counted the ones that were on the road while we were on the road (so if we were parked or the road train was parked it wasn't counted). There was a total of 470 road trains, with SA having 69, NT having 127 and WA having 290.

On our trip home we asked the kids a few questions about what they enjoyed the most and where would they go back to. They kept adding to their list as they enjoyed alot more, so these are the standouts for them at that moment.
Jacob: Hovercraft ride in Broome, snorkelling at Ningaloo and riding around Rottnest Island.
Louise: Feeding the Dolphin at Monkey Mia, snorkelling at Ningaloo, going to school at Kalumburu and Rottnest Island.
Hannah: Seeing the BIG AUSSIE ICONS, Rottnest Island, snorkelling at Ningaloo, eating seafood along the way and riding the camels at Broome.
They all said they would like to go back to Ningaloo or anywhere they could swim.
There favourite camps were Cape Range (Ningaloo) and the girls was Geraldton with cousins while Jacob also really liked and would go back to Whalesong on Cape Levique.
Strick: Kakadu (especially Gunlom), Litchfield (Walker Creek) and Ningaloo.
Kylie: Ningaloo and Cape Levique. The time in Kalumburu and visiting the school is something that I will not forget due to the positive experience I had. I would like to visit Mitchell Falls as this was my only disappointment for the holiday not getting in here due to the shock absorber blowing on the way in.
They have all learnt alot, seen alot and experienced some amazing scenery and wildlife. It was a great experience and one that both Strick and I enjoyed taking the kids on and watching their reactions to various experiences. It is hard to pinpoint one favourite place or experience as they were all different in their own way. Although we had a few hiccups along the way, they were all part of the experience. We have met some fantastic people along the way, which is something that can make a difference with your journey. We have enjoyed watching the kids grow not only physically but also in their maturity and knowledge. We are now home and looking forward to sharing some of our stories. It will be hard to choose photos as there are so many that are a reminder to the different adventures and experiences we have had. Looking at them there is a story behind each one.