The Corrugation Way

Day 18 - Mundrabilla rest area to 100kms east of Norseman, parking bay

Mon 31 Aug 2015

There had been some rain overnight but it was dry when we woke up and stayed that way until it was time to pack up, seems Murphy came with us 🙂 We were back on the bitumised Eyre Highway, corrugation free, heading to Cocklebiddy for fuel when just before Madura we saw some wedge tailed eagles up ahead. We slowed down to give them time to fly away, it takes time for an eagle to get airborne. They were feeding on a carcass so we moved it off the road to reduce the possibility of them being hit while feeding. Taking advantage of the photo opportunity we took some photos as they settled in nearby trees.

: Welcome to Madura.

: In flight, a young eagle just off the Eyre Highway east of Madura

: Photographing an Eagle, Eyre Highway, Western Australia

: Wedge tail eagles look majestic in flight

: An older eagle on the higher branch and a juvenile eagle on the lower branch, near the Eyre Hwy, on the Nullarbor Plain, WA

We paid for the Eagle Experience in Alice Springs but honestly this was a far greater eagle experience in the wild.

: It seemed like he was posing for us, near the Eyre Hwy, on the Nullarbor Plain, WA

After fueling up at Cocklebiddy we headed down to the Eyre Bird Observatory which is within the Nuytsland Nature Reserve. The building was originally used as a telegraph station and in 1977 was adopted by Birds Australia who set up the Bird Observatory.

The road in is a mix of formed limestone and soft sand. After a steep limestone decent you turn right toward Cocklebiddy and right again at Green Bottle Junction and yes! there is a green bottle there 🙂 Not long after there is a pull off with advice to pressure down, they suggest 20psi.

The rest of the way is sandy and a single lane all the way with little room to pull off if you meet someone coming the other way. Along the way down you can see some old telegraph poles still standing.

: Entering the Nuytsland Nature Reserve east of Cocklebiddy, WA

: On the way to the Eyre Bird Observatory

: Warning sign on the way to the Eyre Bird Observatory

: Its a steep descent from the Nullabor Plain to the Coastal Plain.

: Track into the Eyre Bird Observatory

: Old Telegraph post on the way To the Eyre Bird Osbservatory

: The track To the Eyre Bird Observatory

There is a sign welcoming you to the Eyre Bird Observatory which is nestled among the sand dunes about 1km from Kanidal Beach. We checked out the museum which is historically interesting and also had some old weather recording instruments including a Stevenson Screen.

We strolled down toward the coast but Brrr the wind whipping off the Southern Ocean was quite cool and blowing sand everywhere 🙂 . Although on this visit we didn’t see many, birds listening to them was lovely.

: “Welcome Swallow” at the Eyre Bird Observatory, Great Australian Bight.

: “New Holland Honeyeater”, near the Eyre Hwy, on the Nullarbor Plain, WA.

: Kanidal Beach, Southern Ocean

The sun was setting as we headed west. After getting diesel at Balladonia we continued on hoping to make Norseman however about 100 kms east of Norseman we pulled into a truck bay and decided to sleep in the car. We drifted off to sleep listening to the rain on the roof and a thunderstorm off in the distance.