The Nullarbor Plain: 1973 - 1990

FOOTAGE: SUPER 8 FILM & VHS - Although this film concentrates on a stretch of land called the Nullarbor Plain, it is essentially a narrative of my experiences travelling the Eyre Highway to Western Australia.
Between 1973 and 1990 I have traversed the Nullarbor no less then eight times, each time with a different travelling companion. In the early seventies the road was dirt, I found it amazing that a major connecting road from the east to the west of a country the size of Australia, should have a road that was so badly maintained.

[@BBA765]

Your video was a trip down memory lane. My wife and I have crossed the Nullabor more than twenty times; mostly on dirt. At night because of some freak atmospheric conditions one could listen to most of the east coast radio stations while driving. One thing you didn't mention was the ever present bull dust and and how truckies use place old tyres in the deeper potholes to warn oncoming drivers. Also, I can remember in 1968 it was a dollar a can for coke at Eucla. The average wage then was about $30.00 per week. once again, thanks for the memories.

[@AuMechanic]

Crossed 4 times and that thing with the radio is not uncommon at night, first time I couldn't believe I was hearing 3MP AM station in Melb and just had a standard antenna and old AM radio in the XR Falcon.

[@ColinEwington]

@@AuMechanic Since I posted this video, the stories I have heard about that stretch of Australia, it is like no other road I've been on.

[@AuMechanic]

@@ColinEwington Yes the Nullarbor is a bit of a twilight zone.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

Great video. Thank you for preserving your oral history of the Nullarbor for the ages. I can see people watching this well after you and I are no longer here.

[@danozism]

This brings back many memories. I first travelled across the Nullabor from Perth to Melbourne in 1983. I dd the journey five times all up- all in the 80's. The first time was with four of us in a Datsun 1200. There were no mod cons back then. A battery powered tape player and a travel scrabble board was about it, as I recall! No air conditioning either- just an under-powered heater. It's a much safer road these days- back then it was so narrow that if a road-train came in the opposite direction, the whole car would shake! At least it was bitumen by '83. I've found that you can't really describe the experience accurately unless you do it yourself. Great video, thanks.

[@ColinEwington]

Absolutely I too have seen it when it was dirt and sealed. Either way it’s quite an experience. Thank you for the comment.

[@dongreen2403]

Brought back some nostalgic memories. We emigrated in January 1970 and came back to UK late 1972. We arrived in Sydney staying at a migrant hostel for 5 days in Paramatta before dad bought a Holden estate and the four of us motored to Adelaide where we stayed for a couple of weeks before motoring to Perth across the Nullabor at the height of the Australian summer - must have been mad!!!. Stayed in Perth for 3 months before deciding to go back to Adelaide this time in a mini! Exciting adventure for a 9 year old - highlight had to be mum freaking out on the gravel part of the road when an emu ran alongside her as she was driving!!!!!

[@Santa-22]

Memories I remember you telling me about these trips. Well done mate

[@outbacknomad9939]

love the old footage would love to watch more . did around Australia 1989 an the west coast is very vast plenty time to think. then again in 1996 .so much to look at an still so much untapped history there to explore

[@ahmedbenzfan7837]

What a beautiful memories

[@WatlingBates]

Thanks heaps for this great video. Just shared on our facey!

[@weshughes6223]

Terrific video - love seeing the different eras. To this day there is still only one sealed road linking Western Australia to South Australia. In many places the old unsealed Eyre Hwy is still there and although it hasn't been maintained for 40 years, it is in remarkably good condition and some of it can still be travelled - I did a 200 km stretch from WA/SA border to the Nullarbor Roadhouse earlier this year.

[@tonioboydini9652]

Always worth a drive along there............👍

[@ColinEwington]

I did not know about the road still being there. Does it go anywhere near the Ivy Tanks ruin?

[@aussiedrifter]

Great video mate, we crossed the Nullarbor for the first time back in 1980 & have now crossed it a total of 13 times privately. I love the trip & think it is one of the best & very relaxing trip's you could do. Safe future travels Mate, Steve.

[@brickpaver1]

Terrific recount mate, especially the 8mm footage of the old road, Love the memories of driving on that old road.. It's a shame that 8mm film was so comparatively expensive back then for only 3-1/2 to 4 minutes of film. I did my first trip across in June of 1964 on a wet and muddy 'track', until Ceduna before it turned to a drier track from there on. Dusty, corrugated in places, especially around Ivy Tanks, potholes etc. Even back then as well as my twelve subsequent Nullarbor crossings during the sixties, that old road always seemed better maintained and graded on the W.A. side of the border. I did sixteen 3-1/2 minute Super 8 films in 1970 of Adelaide to Perth, Albany and return,..joined them all together into two 31 minute films but because of film costs in 1970, I couldn't afford to buy more film and make it a better account. I will try and find those two reels and do my best to convert them for youtube.

[@billcrowle]

I did it in 63 in a bus with SUSS then in my #VWBeetle1965 in Dec 64-Jan 1965 see Spelio on Flickr!

[@billcrowle]

Paste the link to your old films here PLEASE Lance..

[@trevorzzealley2670]

I love watching & learning other peoples records of these epic trips . We made our first trip out there in 1975 to the road construction camp two telecom towers east of the border.Rolled into camp with my family late at night with three flat tires & one square rim , alternator bearing collapse,uni joint gone , caburetor gasket disintergrated .It was a tough life but the guys I felt for were the truckies who still had to use the old road . I remember one bloke carting road dirt but not allowed to use the new road with 28 flat truck tires to mend with a hand bead breaker & tire levers. That was only a week of carting. I did hear him and his mate using the new road after midnight sometimes though , good on `em I say. I worked as an all round plant operator but mostly on a grader. Loved my time there.

[@ColinEwington]

I’ve heard so many horrible story’s about that road. I had a couple of my own. But in the 60s it had even less traffic, those who travelled back then really risked their lives.

[@ColinEwington]

I love the bit about the square rim.

[@trevorzzealley2670]

@@ColinEwington Colin , [Prior to the Nullabor job I worked with an older guy on the Talia to Streaky Bay road .Rupert Mudge from Streaky . He drove our lubricants truck. One day he told me how he and his brother drove over to the west in a model T in 1927. They were looking to find work . I love those stories of hardship and over coming them .Pioneers are our heritage .

[@krislewis9645]

I have really enjoyed watching this - Thankyou. Like other viewers, I have also crossed the Nullabor - in 1973, as a 10yr old. My parents had an old Holden estate, so there were mum n dad in the front, and us 3 children lying on a mattress in the back of it! I recall the pot-holes!!

[@BradGryphonn]

In the beginning of 1976 (I think) my parents and I drove from Perth back to Brisbane and did the Nullarbor. At that stage, a lot of it was bitumen but there was still a lot of work going on near the SA/WA border. We hit hit a Kangaroo half way across the plain and spent five hours on the side of the road while dad fixed the radiator with Araldite. That radiator lasted a few years after that.

[@ColinEwington]

The first time I went across the Nullarbor was in the 80s we got two puncher within a hundred meters.

[@bazzinbulgaria4826]

Interesting video mate...my first trip across and back was around Xmas 1965, and I've done it many times since. Also interesting was your bit about the Starling trappers...quite possible that one of them was my Father as he worked with the Dept of Agriculture back then and spent many months out there dealing with starlings.

[@ColinEwington]

Thank you for the comment Bazz. Mate I would love to know if one of the Starling trappers I met was your father. I will look through my travel journal to find out if I mentioned their names. I know one of them was dutch.

[@lauriekibblewhite]

Great stuff Colin. The Nullarbor is indeed an amazing place.

[@richhopkins2422]

Brilliant mate. Only done the trip once so far but hope to do it many more time

[@ColinEwington]

Thank you for the comment Rich. Traveling in the 70s & 80s, especially the parts of Australia that weren't sealed. One day I might get out there again.

[@martingoodef811]

Not many of us left that had that experience, also from Port Headland across the top was a tough road, great days

[@ColinEwington]

Thank you for the comment Martin. I heard about the Port Headland across the top road being bad. I went up there in the 80s and it was sealed.

[@bayutw34]

Thanks mate, inspire me to have my trip there.

[@jonoedwards4195]

Just me,, or has time HOOKED IT? Great post Col, A beauty Mate!

[@3goldfinger]

Went across from Carnarvon to Melbourne back 1972 in an old Holden FJ, great trip.

[@ColinEwington]

Thank you for the comment Michael. I have 8mm film footage of that trip taken in 1973, which I should post to my channel. The Nullarbor was very rough in those days.

[@markspencer6030]

I drove across in 1975 , i was heading to PERTH.

[@Rob-fx2dw]

I travelled this plain first in late 1971 and late 1972 in a VW beetle. The road had nearly 500 Km of dirt roads with the sealed part only extending about a few meters past the WA border and then near Penong in south Australia. Stopped at Ivy tanks in the night for a fuel top up where it was blustery. Drove straight from Eucla to Penong at an average of 80kmph and arrived late at night. The VW beetle with Michelin ZX tires just glided over the corrugations and we passed (after stopping to ask if we could help) a number of heavier cars with blow outs and other problems due mainly to their heavy loading compared with excessive speed on this road. Could not have chosen a more suitable passenger vehicle for these unsealed roads.

[@ColinEwington]

Those roads of the 80s certainly made you concentrate. Everybody on that road looked out for their fellow travellers. A simple wave to let people know you were ok was all that was needed.

[@Rob-fx2dw]

@@ColinEwington Yes, on the return journey for us it was night and we came across a vehicle that had broken down due to flat tyre. We stopped to help and they were struggling to replace it due to a failed jack. So were lent ours and after a few minures were soon on out way again.

[@ColinEwington]

@@Rob-fx2dw You are very brave driving at night. Mind you it's not as if you can’t see what is ahead the landscape being so flat. The only wildlife I have seen on that trip was a camel.

[@Rob-fx2dw]

@@ColinEwington When i drove the Nullabor at night it was way back in the early 1970's when there was roughly 500 km of unsealed road - Penong to the W A border. The beakdown we assisted with as I described was on that unsealed section in South Australia. We saw no wild life that night and our speed was down to about 65 Kph mostly. Yeah, I was less cautious then and would not do it now at night. Neither would I recommend others doing it at night.

[@person.X.]

You can still have the same experience by taking the Great Central Rd from Laverton to Yulara and then on the Plenty Hwy to Boulia. I did it recently in my Falcon (2wd sedan) no problems. The big difference is that cars and especially tyres are so much more robust now.

[@ColinEwington]

I’ve always wanted to do that road. In 1988 I was going to do it but heavy rains closed the road. The following year I was again denied the trip more rain closed the road.

[@person.X.]

@@ColinEwington Y rain in the centre is low but unpredictable. Always a small but significant risk. A consideration is that the local authorities tend to grade the road for the winter tourist season so that is probably the best time to have a go.

[@ColinEwington]

If they ever let me out of Melbourne again, that is a bit of advice I can use. Thank you.

[@desmondnewell5955]

I came across in 1975, I reckon I struck the same mechanic, I had a flat and he wouldn't lend me any tools...still, a memorable trip.

[@ColinEwington]

The road bypassed that station a few years later. I wasn’t sorry to see the change.

[@russe19642]

Went across there as a kid several times with the family long before bitumen strip was laid,5 kids in the back of a pink galah station wagon

[@ColinEwington]

Something about that road always fascinated me, when you first experience flat landscape everywhere you look, is kind of exciting but in my case by the end of a number of days seeing the same landscape, I was ready for different views. Five kids in a station wagon must have been hard on mum & dad.

[@colinl9018]

That Honda looks like a Mazda to me. I bet you wish you still had that old Torana eh? Worth a quid now. I might of past you on that '73 trip, i headed from perth up to mt isa qld in an old XR Fairmont around that time.

[@ColinEwington]

Was you guy that waved as you passed me.

[@4fsake]

Great video! What other options did that stranded family have? To give away their fuel and stay with a broken down car??? Or am I missing the point here? Thank again for this great video.

[@lifelongbachelor3651]

damned great country.

[@nickdudman82]

Love the footage and photos. I was hoping you could give me permission to use a small 20 second clip (1 min 41s - 2 min 00s) in a video im putting together?

[@ColinEwington]

Sure you can. Please credit the video in your KZbin description with perhaps a link to my channel.

[@williamsunarko7721]

I love oz

[@Jesse-B]

My brother and three of his mates crossed the dirt on their road bikes, I think my brother was on a Honda 750, in about 1973 or 74 I think. Speaking of Hondas, isn't that a Mazda?

[@ColinEwington]

It’s a Honda Coupe 9. Don’t know what year it was made or how long that model was in production but my mate liked to drive it fast. I didn’t drive on that trip because I had lost my licence for speeding.

[@Jesse-B]

@@ColinEwington I just looked it up, I think they are pretty rare these days. The bonnet and grill area are reminiscent of an early rotary. I've crossed the Nullarbor and back half a dozen times, but all on the bitumen. I wish I could say I had been on the dirt, but alas, no. Thanks for replying Colin, great video.

[@ColinEwington]

@@Jesse-B I’m of two minds about travelling on tracks that were as bad as the Nullarbor was in the 1980. I’m glad I had the chance to do it, way back in the 80s and since in the 90s on the blacktop. Now it can still be a challenge, because it so easy to loose concentration. So far to travel over a few days with very little to see can be very tiring. Except visiting the coastal cliffs which are magnificent. Heading west at sunset can be particularly dangerous.

[@Jesse-B]

@@ColinEwington In 2003 my son and I prostrated ourselves and crawled on our bellies out far enough to look over the edge, so it was rather disconcerting when some months later whilst crossing alone, I stopped at the same place to find that a large section on which we lay down had dropped away, and there was now a rudimentary fence indicating not to go any closer. I remembered I had earlier remarked to my son about the large pile of rocks above the waterline at the bottom of the cliff. The trip is much easier with good music and a talkative co-driver.

[@ElveeKaye]

This would be a much better film if the music wasn't so loud! I could barely hear you. Great images, though, this looks like a fascinating part of the world.

[@ColinEwington]

Music too loud. Got it. Thanks for the comment.

[@Nicontrast]

Thoroughly enjoyed your video Colin, this one is fascinating. I was preparing to motorbike the Nullabor (on my channel www.KZbin.com/nicontrast ) after my half-loop around Australia in 2019, but the WA/SA border closed! I've subscribed to you and am looking forward to exploring your travel videos, particularly those in the 60s and 70s. Thank you for uploading them!

[@ColinEwington]

Sorry it’s taken so long to reply. Very rude of me. Thanks for the comment.

[@billcrowle]

Cocklebiddy check your album print! see flic.kr/p/2jmLfuC and 100s more images on Flickr #FlickrSpelio

[@BradGryphonn]

Cocklebiddy. Not so much one of the deepest, but arguably the longest cave network on the planet.

[@ColinEwington]

I stand corrected. I saw an interesting doco concerning one in France.

[@AaronHahnStudios]

5:23 in 1857!??? Absolutely FALSE! April 1841 was the year and Edward was NO explorer! He shot and killed John Baxter and Mapped nothing, but only wished to put his name on the map to gain acceptance from his father who gave Edward 400 pounds to do so, (His Aunty forwarding him another 150 pounds).The expedition was actually funded by the South Australian Government who gave Edward 150 pounds to complete, which is why he would not turn back or would have to face paying the money back. I will be releasing a documentary and book of this with proof very soon.

[@ColinEwington]

Ok maybe I got the date wrong. I’ll recheck my information.

[@supersquidgaming9350]

Lmao

[@ghostintheasylumbasement698]

Get rid of the music

[@ColinEwington]

Thank you for the comment Karnage. I'm now in the process of re-editing all my 80s uploads and I will think long and hard what music to use in the future.