Eyre Highway - Western Australian Section

Western Australian Section

The Western Australian section of the Eyre Highway lies entirely on the Nullarbor Plain. The Nullarbor gets its name from Latin for 'no trees'. The typical view is that of a straight highway and practically unchanging flat saltbush covered terrain, although some parts are located on ridges. The population on this stretch was estimated at 86 as at the 2006 census and, apart from Eucla, no towns exist along the route. Roadhouses providing basic services such as petrol, food and bottled water are approximately 200 km (124 mi) to 300 km (186 mi) apart, but not all are open 24 hours. Because of its remoteness, some sections of the Highway serve as emergency airstrips for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. These airstrips are signposted and have runway "piano keys" painted on the road, and turnaround bays for small aircraft.

This section of the highway includes what is regarded as the longest straight stretch of road in the world, between Balladonia and Caiguna; the road stretches for 146.6 kilometres (91.1 mi) without turning.

Localities in this section include:

• Norseman
• Balladonia
• Caiguna
• Cocklebiddy — South of Cocklebiddy is the Eyre Bird Observatory, located in a restored telegraph station. Many caves are also located in this area and are popular among cave divers and fossil hunters.
• Madura — Once a homestead where horses were bred for use in the British Cavalry and for polo. This is now a peaceful roadhouse and hotel located on the pass through Hampton Tablelands. A lookout over the pass is located nearby.
• Mundrabilla
• Eucla — Located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the WA/SA border, this roadhouse is situated close to the Great Australian Bight. A historic telegraph station, half-buried in sand dunes, can also be viewed nearby.