Crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway
From Norseman to Port Augusta along Australia's great southern crossing: roughly 1,700 km of straight road, remote roadhouses, sea cliffs and whale watching, with fuel and rest stops planned in advance.
- Distance
- 1,841 km (1,144 mi)
- Driving
- 20 h 04 min
- Suggested days
- 5
- Stops
- 10
- States
- Western Australia, South Australia
- Updated
- April 25, 2026
At a glance: 5-day road trip of about 1,841 km (1,144 mi) with 10 stops, from Norseman to Port Augusta. About 20 h 04 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Western Australia, South Australia
Route description
Day 1: Norseman to Caiguna, about 370 km. Fill the tank and top up water in Norseman, the last real town before the Nullarbor. Balladonia is 191 km east with a roadhouse and Skylab display, then the Ninety Mile Straight runs 146.6 km without a bend. Roadhouses are roughly 100 to 200 km apart, so never pass fuel casually. Avoid dawn and dusk driving: kangaroos, wombats and camels are common.
Day 2: Caiguna to Eucla, about 330 km, via Madura and its escarpment views. Eucla's old telegraph station, built in 1877, is half buried in white dunes and worth an hour. Many locals in this area keep an unofficial time about 45 minutes ahead of Western Australia, so ask before booking meals. Road trains and caravans are frequent; allow generous overtaking distances and keep headlights on.
Day 3: Eucla to the Head of Bight area, about 220 km. Cross into South Australia at Border Village, where fruit and vegetables are checked for westbound travellers. Signposted lookouts then show the Bunda Cliffs, high above the Southern Ocean, with no fences. Stop at the Nullarbor Roadhouse for fuel; between roadhouses the gaps are among the longest on the route, so carry water.
Days 4 and 5: whales, Ceduna and Port Augusta. From June to October, southern right whales calve at Head of Bight; check access, as it is on Yalata land. Nullarbor Roadhouse to Ceduna is about 295 km, then Ceduna to Port Augusta about 470 km through wheat country. Allow two relaxed days, and fill up at Ceduna, Wirrulla or Kimba before the Eyre Peninsula inland run.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Norseman
Western Australia - 2213 km
Balladonia and the Skylab display
OdditiesBalladonia, Western AustraliaA tiny Nullarbor roadhouse stop where pieces of the falling US Skylab space station landed in 1979. The roadhouse museum shows fragments and tells the story, and it is also a key fuel point.
- 3141 km
Ninety Mile Straight
OdditiesCaiguna, Western AustraliaAustralia's longest dead-straight road, 146.6 km of the Eyre Highway between Balladonia and Caiguna without a single bend. Signs mark each end; stay alert, as the monotony makes fatigue the real hazard.
- 4244 km
Madura Pass lookout
ViewsMadura, Western AustraliaThe Eyre Highway drops down the Hampton Range escarpment here, with a wide view over the Roe Plains towards the Southern Ocean. A good photo and rest stop beside the Madura Roadhouse, roughly halfway across Western Australia's Nullarbor.
- 5215 km
Eucla
Western Australia - 65 km
Eucla Telegraph Station ruins
HistoryEucla, Western AustraliaStone ruins of the 1877 telegraph station, slowly swallowed by drifting white dunes beside the Southern Ocean. The old jetty and the dune walk make a memorable stretch-your-legs stop on the long Nullarbor crossing.
- 7113 km
Bunda Cliffs lookouts
ViewsBorder Village, South AustraliaSignposted lookouts just off the highway in Nullarbor National Park, where the plain ends abruptly in sheer limestone cliffs above the Southern Ocean. Keep well back from unfenced edges; whales may be seen from June to October.
- 8144 km
Head of Bight
NatureNullarbor, South AustraliaLimestone cliffs above the Great Australian Bight, where southern right whales come to calve between about June and October. Whales can be watched from clifftop platforms on Yalata Aboriginal land, which requires a paid access permit.
- 9303 km
Ceduna
South Australia - 10464 km
Port Augusta
South Australia
Suggested stages and overnight stops
5 days, split by driving time. Campsites from OpenStreetMap: check opening dates before you go.
- Day 1: Norseman → Ninety Mile Straight · 353 km · 3 h 51 minOn the way: Balladonia and the Skylab display.
- Day 2: Ninety Mile Straight → Eucla · 459 km · 4 h 60 minOn the way: Madura Pass lookout.
- Day 3: Eucla → Head of Bight · 262 km · 2 h 51 minOn the way: Eucla Telegraph Station ruins, Bunda Cliffs lookouts.
- Day 4: Head of Bight → Ceduna · 303 km · 3 h 18 min
- Day 5: Ceduna → Port Augusta · 464 km · 5 h 03 min
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually April–June and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, July–August and November. Hot in January–February. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early.
Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons
FAQs
How long is Crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway?
5-day road trip of about 1,841 km (1,144 mi) with 10 stops, from Norseman to Port Augusta. About 20 h 04 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway?
We suggest 5 days: about 20 h 04 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway start and end?
It starts in Norseman and ends in Port Augusta.
Which states does Crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway pass through?
Western Australia and South Australia.
When is the best time for Crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway?
The most pleasant months are usually April–June and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, July–August and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
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