On the way to the Nullarbor

One raised finger is all you need, but two or the whole hand is acceptable. Whichever style you adopt doesn't matter, but the outback wave appears to be mandatory once ventured west of Port Augusta. This of course only applies to travellers (and there are plenty of them), and not to fluorescent clad workers in 4WD's or road train drivers. The caravans, motorhomes, campervans, vehicles towing a camper trailer or boat far outweigh the other road users, so one keeps busy and distracted from the long straight stretches of highway; so far featuring mallee scrub with blue and salt bush or hundreds of acres of wheat posing as green carpet, by giving a wave or two.

After successfully navigating my way to Adelaide airport three days earlier to collect my co-driver, Norma (mum), we immediately drove north to our first campsite just in sight of Port Germein, home to Australia's longest wooden jetty (1.6km in case you were wondering).

With other travellers to keep us company, along with visiting trucks and the occasional freight train clanking past, our sleep was a little disturbed. A walk along the jetty the next morning was in order, before settling into the big drive west. The challenge is to get more economical than 14.87 litres of diesel to the 100 kilometres, and with plenty of distance to travel I reckon that can be done. Stay tuned.

Iron Knob, about an hours drive west of Port Augusta, is an intriguing enough name for a town to warrant a visit. It's fame is as the birthplace of Australia's steel industry as iron ore has been mined here since shortly after its discovery in 1894.

Onwards across the top of Eyre Peninsula, along the Eyre Highway, we stopped at Kimba, the halfway point across Australia. We drove up to the lookout to see the magnificent iron sculpture of Edward John Eyre, who was the first European to walk across the Nullarbor in 1840. He couldn't have done it without his handy indigenous guide Wylie so there was a sculpture of him too.

Travelling on through South Australia's largest wheat growing region, we made our camp at Minnipa, along with about 12 other vehicles. A short bike ride to Tcharkuldu Hill along a rough dirt road the next morning was rewarded with a stunning sunrise with views of the Gawler Range.

Another big day driving ahead with stops in Streaky Bay and Ceduna, pretty little coastal towns, before heading towards the Nullarbor Plain. We camped in the middle of nowhere in amongst the mallee scrub with not a soul in sight. Freedom camping at its best!