Kalgoorlie - 28 September - Norseman - Fraser Range Station - and Balladonia & Cocklebiddy - 29 September

The "Nullarbor Links" is an 18 hole par 73 golf course and it's said to be "the world's longest golf course".  "The Nullarbor Links" is a unique concept designed to get tourists to stop along the highway and bring tourism and money into some of the smaller towns.  

Anyway, having not played golf for about 25 years we've decided to play this course on the way home across the Nullarbor.  So far, as at Thursday 28 September, we've played the two holes at Kalgoorlie and one at Kambalda and we're getting our money's worth! 

We enjoyed playing the fairways at Kalgoorlie with their beautifully manicured lawns and finely cut greens - and the kangaroos enjoyed them too!


The Kambalda Golf Club offered up gravel and rock fairways with fine black tar greens!  The Vice President of the Club kindly offered me the loan of a putter for $5 that was donated to the RFDS. We've scoured the op shops to date only managing to buy a 5, 7 and nine iron club. "So are you the Club pro?!" asked John. "No, I've never played golf in my life!" he declared. I guess in small towns it takes many volunteers, experienced and non experienced to run these clubs. 

Lorraine sunk a 4 metre put on the first hole - but mercy called and she took a score of 10!  

At the Norseman Information Centre I asked the women if the Nullarbor Links has been good for the town, "No, people just rush in and get their card stamped and move on" she grumbled. Anyway we did a small shop and checked out the town from Outlook Hill, then we moved on!

Slag heap at Norseman.
Fraser Range Station is about 100 km further along the Eyre Highway and is the first sheep Station established on the Nullarbor plain. It was a working sheep station until 2011 when the sheep were sold because of the high number of wild dogs. The land was rested until 2015 when Santa Gertrudis, a breed of beef cattle developed in Texas, arrived at the Station. Being good foragers and able to adapt to a wide range and of climatic conditions, the are a perfect match for Fraser Range. The 500,000 acre Station stretches for 160 km to the north and is 25 kms wide. 

As the first Station settled on the Nullarbor, Fraser Range Station is steeped in a history that is still evident today with its beautiful stone buildings, gully dams and tanks originally constructed utilising convict and Aboriginal labour. 
Fraser Range Station Quarters
One of the very old cars at Fraser Station

Fraser Station campsite.


29 September- Happy 19th Birthday to Joshua! 

We hit the road towards Balladonia to play the next hole and visit the "Skylab Museum".  The hole was truly unique; it consisted of an an artificial tee and green with the natural bushland (scrub, rock and trees) in between. The museum comprised one piece of the Skylab and a few newspaper articles. Skylab crashed in Australia in July 1979.  The wreckage was strewn from Balladonia to Esperance. NASA offered a $10,000 reward for the first piece of Skylab junk. A 17 year old from Esperance took his backyard find to the San Francisco Examiner to have it authenticated and collect his reward. 
Skylab remnant.
and with more stretches of unfenced roads, had to be aware of wandering camels, emus and 'roos.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service has airstrips along the Nullarbor - the actual road!

RFDS tarmac/Eyre Highway.


On the road again, heading to Caiguna and the next hole.  Between Belladonia and Caiguna is the "90 Mile Straight", which is Australia's longest straight road, 146.6 km. 


We played the Ninety Mile Straight hole with mixed success ... 


Eucla Roadhouse was our destination for another hole - "Nullarbor Nymph". Who'd have thought someone would steal that sign?! 
... and to watch the Grand Final. Getting there early we had front row seats and enjoyed Richmond's win over Adelaide although we would have been happy to see them win too after the horrendous past two years. 




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