We crossed the Nullarbore in 2 days

Today we got up in the morning after Dad had clapped his hands very loudly and woken us up. Feeling very sleepy I climbed out of my bunk and made a hot chocolate for my sister and myself. Dad toasted some bread and made it nice and crispy. After a very nice breakfast we headed outside and I took out the jockey wheel and put a sway bar in. Then we drove away from the Nullarbore Roadhouse and headed east towards the end of the Nullarbore. The drive was pretty uneventful. All we did was stop at every second Roadhouse for fuel.

After a bit we reached Ceduna where the Quarantine station is located. We declared all our fruit and veggies and moved on to the petrol station. Dad filled up the car, I cleaned the windows and my sister took some photos of Ceduna Bay. When Mum came back from paying she was carrying a paper bag. In that bag there were some delicious chicken strips. They were nice and crunchy and we got 2 each. We kept on driving until we reached a small rest area.

There we stopped for lunch. For lunch we had some packet soup and bread. The toilet there was in a concrete water tank and it said 'Concrete Crappa' on the side. I took some photos and then we moved on. We stopped at Wudinna for fuel. Then we continued east until we reached Port Augusta. Once we were in Port Augusta we found the caravan park and got a site.

Once we were backed in we unhooked the car and drove into town to do some shopping. After an hour of shopping we headed out of the shopping centre to the car and out the shopping away. Then we drove back to the caravan park and my sister and I went to the play ground. We were on the swings when these people came up and we got talking. They told that they were riding from Perth to raise money for Diabetes. Then they told us that they'd been riding for 7 and a half weeks. Thats a lot of riding.

After a bit we headed back to the caravan and I went and had a shower. After a nice warm shower I went back to the caravan and started writing my blog. Then we had dinner. For dinner we ha spaghetti bolognese and noodles. After dinner we had dessert. For dessert we had some chocolate milk and some crusty bread. Then I finished writing my blog and went to bed.

The Nullarbor Plain

Today we were awoken in the very early morning by Dad who rushed us out of bed. Feeling very sleepy I made my way to the stove and made a very hot chocolate for my sister and myself. It felt like it was about minus 3 degrees but once we got in the car the temperature gauge told us that it was plus 3 degrees. We headed east along the Nullarbore Plain. We stopped for fuel at Balladonia Roadhouse and then we kept driving east.

After another couple of hundred kilometres we reached another roadhouse where we stopped for fuel and I got to fill up the car. Then we continued our drive. On the way we ate some fruit because we need to get rid of it before we hit the S.A road block in Ceduna where we have to hand over all fruit that we still haven't consumed. Eventually we drove through the W.A Roadblock/Quarantine station.

After driving through we were officially in South Australia even though the roadblock isn't until Ceduna. We kept driving for another hour and then we pulled into a rest area that is situated about 300 metres from the Great Australian Bight. We had lunch and we ate as many veggies as we could. After lunch we took some photos and walked back to the car. On the way to the car my sister farted and the strong wind wafted it over Mum, Dad and me. It stank a lot!

After we finished coughing we hopped in the car and drove away as fast as we were allowed. We kept driving until we reached the Nullarbore Roadhouse. We stopped for fuel and Dad enquired if we could stay the night. We got a powered sight and since we were in S.A it was already 5 o'clock! Once we'd backed the caravan in we went inside and I wrote my blog. After I finished my blog we had dinner. For dinner Mum, my sister and Dad had some fried rice and I had some potatoes that were left over form yesterday. Mum very kindly fried them to a light crispiness for me. After dinner we had dessert. Dessert was Strawberries with whipped cream. After dessert I went to bed.

Fraser Range

Today we got up pretty early to make a breakfast of balked beans on toast with eggs. We decided to make it because Mum said yesterday that she felt like a nice fried egg. So we had to all get up really early so that we could fit it in before we had to leave. It tasted great. After breakfast we headed outside and hooked on the caravan. Then we drove out of the caravan park and headed south towards Norseman.

The drive was pretty uneventful except for the time when 6 bikies zoomed past. While we were driving I did some more schoolwork. Once it was finished I listened to my iPod until we reached Norseman. Just out of Norseman we passed a burnt out truck trailer. When we reached Norseman we pulled in at the roadhouse for fuel. After we were fuelled up we headed about 80 km east until we reached Fraser Range Station. We stayed here on the way across.

Once we were backed in we had lunch. For lunch we ate all the veggies that we could eat because we're crossing the border into South Australia tomorrow. After lunch we lazed around and listened to the radio. It announced that yesterday night there had been an accident just out of Norseman. A truck that was carrying some flammable liquid had rolled and caught fire. We saw that same burnt out trailer just out of Norseman. After listening to that I read a few magazines. Then I wrote my blog. After that I did some more things on the computer. Then we had dinner. For dinner we had potatoes. After dinner we had dessert. Dessert was german wafers. After dessert I went to bed.

Boulder

Today we got up in the morning and I made some breakfast. We've been out of the tropics for a few days now and we woke up to a freezing 10 degrees Celsius. After we got over the freezing weather we got the car hooked onto the caravan. The water that came out of the tap that I washed my hands in was so cold that I thought my fingers would drop off. Then we hopped in the car and drove off. While we were driving I did some schoolwork.

After 2 hours we arrived at Kalgoorlie. Last time we did the super pit tour but this time we just pulled into the caravan park and set up the caravan. Then Dad gave the towbar and the coupling a good hose down. After that we all hopped back into the car and went shopping. While we were shopping the Dad spotted some Chicken burgers that we could fry. So we took a pack and added it to the trolly.

After finishing our shopping we headed back to the car and drove back to the caravan. Once we were back at the caravan we put the shopping away and had lunch. Fro lunch we had those chicken burgers fried to the perfect crispiness inside some long bread rolls with avocado and cucumbers. It tasted rather like a Subway roll. After lunch we had some chocolate milk and some bread with it. Then I did some drawing.

After finishing it I did some schoolwork. That took until dinner to finish. After it was finished we had dinner. For dinner we had some chicken and noodle thingamajig. After dinner I wrote my blog an dried the dishes. Then we had dessert. For dessert we had some fruit. The Strawberries tasted really good. After dessert I went to bed.

Menzies

Today we got up in the morning and I made some breakfast. After breakfast we drove off. We drove until we reached Leinster. There we stopped for fuel and and Dad bought some early lunch. We had some Hamburgers and Mum and Dad shared a Cheeseburger and a hamburger. While they ate, my sister and I shared a Hamburger. Then we kept driving. We saw loads of Wedge Tailed Eagles on the side of the road. They were feeding on roadkill. The wingspan of a full grown Wedge Tailed Eagle is supposed to be 2 metres. Today we saw them up close. Just as the car rush past I saw them stretch their wings and take off. The wingspan is really 2 metres but up close it looks like 3 metres.

Just as Mum stated that there were no more eagles we were scared out of our skin by an enormous shape that appeared out of nowhere. It soared right above us for a split second before we rushed past. We didn't hear a thump but we stopped anyway. I wasn't really happy at the thought that we might have hit a Wedge Tailed Eagle with the caravan. We didn't hit it and Dad thought the reason for that was the won that the caravan was pushing. Our caravan slopes down at the front and the wind rushes up it when were doing 110 km/h. Dad suspected that the eagle got sucked over the top of the caravan. The Eagle had been right over Mum's window and it looked like it would have crashed right through the caravan.

After that we started driving again and Mum cut up some fruit and shred it around. Then we kept driving until we reached Leonora. We stopped for fuel there as well. After a quick stop we were driving again and didn't stop until we reached Menzies. Menzies is a small town which has the smallest caravan park that I've ever seen. It wouldn't have more than 30 sites. We were not alone though. There were some motor homes and two other caravans. Once we were backed in and set up I went inside and did some drawing.

After I finished it Mum and Dad drove around Menzies and filled up the car. While they were gone I tried to do some more drawing but none of them turned out any good. Then Mum and Dad came back. After that I went and had a shower. When I got back I wrote the blog. After I finished it I did some stuff on the computer. Then we ha dinner. For dinner we had Nachos. After dinner we went to bed.

Mt Magnet

Today we got up early in the morning and I made some breakfast. After breakfast we got dressed in long sleeved T-shirts and long pants for the mine tour. Then we went puttied and packed up the caravan. After that we hopped into the car and drove around Newman. We found the Masonic lodge and Dad took a photo. Then we drove to the top of the hill and Dad took some more photos. After a lot of photos we drove back into Newman and headed for the visitors centre. There we got decked out in safety goggles, a hardhat and a high vis vest. Then the tour bus arrived and we climbed aboard.

The tour guide gave us some background history about the mine and told us about the big Haul Truck that was standing in the front garden of the visitor centre. Then we drove off to the Mount Whaleback mine. It got named that because, before mining started, the arial image of that mountain resembled the back of a Humpback Whale.

Once inside the mine we drove to the lookout area. It was the oldest part of the mine and had some of the machinery on display there. There was half of the crushing part of the crusher. There were also some pump pulleys and some old shovels that used to go on the front of the big earth movers. One of the tyres from the trucks had been placed there to sow you the actual size of these monster tyres. They were 3 metres in diameter and weight 2 or 3 tons without rims. With the rims the total weight of the tyre was 6983 kilograms. Thats nearly 7 tons!

After a bit I moved to the binoculars that were there. I looked through them and was amazed to find that I could watch the expression on the operator's face in the big earth moving machine! The mine is the biggest single pit open cut mine in the world and is 5 km long and nearly 2 km wide. The big earth moving machine was on the other side of the mine and looked like a minute model without the binoculars.

Then the tour guide called us all in and we listened to a talk about the different operations in the mine and why the ground had holes in it on some of the levels. The reason for this is that they put these 17 metre deep holes in the ground is for blasting. Once the drilling rig has finished drilling the explosive truck comes along and stuffs the holes full of a type of explosive that is made from diesel and some other type of non dangerous explosive. Then they clear a kilometre radius and blast. We didn't get to see a blast because we within the 1 kilometre exclusion zone.

After that the tour guide led us to a pile of rock where we got ziplock bags and could chose any rocks that we wanted and put them in our ziplock backs. We got some of the high grade iron ore and a really heavy rock that should only have weighed 1 kilo. After that we piled back onto the bus and drove back to the visitor centre. At the visitor centre we handed in purr safety gear and we drove off back to the caravan. When we arrived we hooked on the caravan and drove off.

After an hours driving we stopped to have lunch. After a very quick lunch kept driving. On and on we drove until it felt like it was next year. Finally we reached Mekatharra where we stopped for fuel and stretched our legs. Then we kept driving until we reached Cue. Cue is a nice little town but the caravan park didn't have anymore powered sites so we drove a further 80 km to a rest area called The Granites. It's 5 km out of Mount Magnet and we were there all by ourselves.

Once we found the turnoff we backed in and then we went inside to write my blog. Pretty soon Mum told us dinner was ready so we took a break. Dinner was Beef Stroganoff with noodles. After dinner we had dessert. Dessert was some Paw-Paw. After dessert I finished writing my blog and went to bed.

Newman

Today we got up fairly early and I went outside to crack some more rocks in search of iron ore. Then I went inside and made a hot chocolate for my sister and myself. After breakfast we drove off. While we drove I listened to my iPod. After 2 hours driving we reached Newman. The first thing we did when we arrived was go to the tourist information and book a spot on tomorrows mine tour. After that we drove to a caravan park and got a site. Once we were backed in we rolled out and cleaned the awning. Then I went inside and wrote a bit of todays blog. After that I did some schoolwork. Then we had lunch. After lunch we drove around Newman until we found the shopping centre.

Once we found it we did some shopping. We got some chocolate milk as well as the stuff we needed. Then we walked outside and packed the shopping into the car. After that we drove to the lookout on top of the hill that overlooked Newman. We took some photos and then Dad started talking to a guy that standing next to us. It turned out that he was from Rutherglen! The people that you meet while travelling is just amazing. After an hour of talking Dad decided that it was time to go back to the caravan.

Once we arrived at the caravan I went inside and did some drawing. Then I went and had a shower. After a rather cold shower I returned to the caravan and did some more drawing. Once I was finished I finished writing the blog. After that we had dinner. Dinner was Nachos and cheese. After dinner we had dessert. Dessert was a choc-berry milk that we bought earlier. It tasted OK. After that I went to bed.