PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Nullarbor Motel airstrip - any info?
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Old 16th Jun 2006, 08:04
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compressor stall
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: 500 miles from Chaikhosi, Yogistan
Posts: 4,299
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Further to a few posts ago, Caiguna and Cocklebiddy have good strips - at least 24 months ago when I last landed at both. Hotel rooms basic but not sure of the price.

The Readymix "sign" carved into the earth NW of Caiguna is getting pretty overgrown nowdays, but still visible from about 4000'. You can just make out the diamond shape on Google earth, but not the writing.

If you've got time to spare, ring the caretakers at Eyre Bird Observatory (it's on the coast south of Cocklebiddy). They'll come and pick up up (for a fee) and you can stay the night there too (again for a fee). Basic, but a wonderful place with an incredible natural history collection, and a bizzare library (bequeathed by an eccentric American millionaire) of natural history and philosphy texts peppered with communist and religious manifestos! It's all in one of the original old telegraph stations, except this one is almost intact. I don't know why everyone raves about the crumbling walls in Eucla, as here's the real thing!

Also the weather observations from Eyre had its fair share of controversy in met cirlces with various people not prepared to believe the temperature variations expereinced there with respect to other observations on the nullarbor. The latest I heard was that all was fine and, yes, it has its own micro climate.

Further to the west from the air you may notice a track running along near the top of the cliffs of the western Bight. That's the old telegraph line, and the actual wire along which the signals were sent is still on the ground, along with some of the posts!

It's a short stroll over the beach to the dunes, and there'll be almost certainly be whales to see now, with the odd seal and penguin to boot.

A great part of the world. Where else are you headed?
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