The '''Eyre Highway''' is the main road that connects South Australia with the south of Western Australia. It runs for 1668 km. from Port Augusta in the east to Norseman in the west. In Port Augusta it splits into the Princess Highway taking you to Adelaide and the East Coast cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and the Stuart Highway going all the way to Alice Springs and Darwin. At Norseman you have the choice of taking the direct route to Perth via the Coolgardie - Esperance Highway and the Eastern Highway, or you can visit Esperance and the scenic Southwest region by following the South Coast Highway.

By all means, the Eyre Highway can be described as a long and lonely road. While in the East you still find some towns like Kimba, Wudinna and Ceduna, the western three quarters is almost void of life. What you do find is a number of roadhouses, a mixture of hotel, caravan park and garage. One or two of them are quite fancy (relatively speaking, that is), like ''Border Village'', right at the border between South and Western Australia, but most of them are just plain dusty and boring. The mean distance between them is about 100 km., with the longest stretch being 190 km. (between ''Balladonia Roadhouse'' and Norseman). The stretch of road between ''Caiguna Roadhouse'' and ''Balladonia Roadhouse'' is known as the ''90-mile straight''. It's the longest stretch of straight road in Australia, 146.6 km. of asphalt without a single curve!

The highway skirts the southern end of the notorious Nullarbor Plain, roughly between the ''Nullarbor Roadhouse'' in the east and ''Balladonia Roadhouse'' in the west. Between those two roadhouses you can make a number of side trips, penetrating north and into the Nullarbor itself. Just south of the highway, between ''Nullarbor Roadhouse'' and ''Border Village'' are a number of lookouts. Here you can see how the flat Nullarbor Plain abruptly ends and the waters of the Great Australian Bight begin. The 70-meter high cliffs, beaten by wind and water are quite an impressive sight. <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <table border="1"> <tr><th align="center" colspan=5>Eyre Highway distance table</th></tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan=2>East to West</th><th align="center" rowspan=2>Place</th><th align="center" colspan=2>West to East</th></tr> <tr><th>Cumulative<br>distance (km)</th><th>Point-to-point<br>distance (km)</th><th>Point-to-point<br>distance (km)</th><th>Cumulative<br>distance (km)</th></tr> <tr><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">-</td><td align="center">Port Augusta</td><td align="right">26</td><td align="right">1668</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">26</td><td align="right">26</td><td align="center">Lincoln Highway turnoff</td><td align="right">42</td><td align="right">1642</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">68</td><td align="right">42</td><td align="center">Iron Knob</td><td align="right">87</td><td align="right">1600</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">155</td><td align="right">87</td><td align="center">Kimba</td><td align="right">88</td><td align="right">1513</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">243</td><td align="right">88</td><td align="center">Kyancutta</td><td align="right">49</td><td align="right">1425</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">292</td><td align="right">49</td><td align="center">Minnipa</td><td align="right">33</td><td align="right">1376</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">325</td><td align="right">33</td><td align="center">Poochera</td><td align="right">48</td><td align="right">1343</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">373</td><td align="right">48</td><td align="center">Wirrulla</td><td align="right">89</td><td align="right">1295</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">462</td><td align="right">89</td><td align="center">Flinders Highway turnoff</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right">1206</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">465</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="center">Ceduna</td><td align="right">73</td><td align="right">1203</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">538</td><td align="right">73</td><td align="center">Penong</td><td align="right">35</td><td align="right">1130</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">573</td><td align="right">35</td><td align="center">Bookabie</td><td align="right">44</td><td align="right">1095</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">617</td><td align="right">44</td><td align="center">Nundroo (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">50</td><td align="right">1051</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">667</td><td align="right">50</td><td align="center">Yalata (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">94</td><td align="right">1001</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">761</td><td align="right">94</td><td align="center">Nullarbor (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">186</td><td align="right">907</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">947</td><td align="right">186</td><td align="center">Border Village (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">13</td><td align="right">721</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">960</td><td align="right">13</td><td align="center">Eucla (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">64</td><td align="right">708</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">1024</td><td align="right">64</td><td align="center">Mundrabilla (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">116</td><td align="right">644</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">1140</td><td align="right">116</td><td align="center">Madura (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">91</td><td align="right">528</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">1231</td><td align="right">91</td><td align="center">Cocklebiddy (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">66</td><td align="right">437</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">1297</td><td align="right">66</td><td align="center">Caiguna (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">181</td><td align="right">371</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">1478</td><td align="right">181</td><td align="center">Balladonia (roadhouse)</td><td align="right">190</td><td align="right">190</td></tr> <tr><td align="right">1668</td><td align="right">190</td><td align="center">Norseman</td><td align="right">-</td><td align="right">0</td></tr> </table>

Side trips

''Nullarbor Roadhouse'' to Cook

You can make a short but interesting side trip by taking the track from ''Nullarbor Roadhouse'' to Cook, a settlement on the Indian-Pacific Railway. The track starts just behind the roadhouse airstrip and runs in a north-northwesterly direction. You don't need a 4WD because the track surface is quite solid and there are no obstacles to negotiate. On the other hand, you do need a reliable topographic map and a compass since there are almost no reference points along the way. A good way to get a feel of the Nullarbor is to stop about halfway between the roadhouse and Cook, climb on top of your vehicle and look around. The surrounding landscape is as flat as a pancake and seems to consist of only two dimensions.

Cook's sole reason of existence is to serve the Indian-Pacific Railway - most of its inhabitants work for the railway company. Apart from the train station, this bland little settlement boasts a shop and even a hospital. Judging by the signs at the station, living on the Nullarbor must be quite healthy. One gives you the advice: "If you're crook, come to Cook." A second one is more blunt: "Our hospital needs your help. Get sick!" You'll also learn that you're actually looking at the longest stretch of straight railway in the world. Due to the incredible flatness and the extent of the plain this piece of track has no curves for 479 km!

A gravel road brings you back to the Eyre Highway, to a point about 42 km west of ''Nullarbor Roadhouse''. The total distance of this side trip is somewhat over 200 km.