Eyre Highway

Eyre Highway
Length	1675 km (1,041 mi)
Direction	West-East
From	Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, Norseman, Western Australia
via	Nullarbor Plain, Eucla, Ceduna, Kimba
To	Princes Highway, Port Augusta, South Australia
Established	1941
Allocation	Norseman - SA/WA Border SA/WA Border - Port Augusta (formerly )
Major junctions	Flinders Highway, Streaky Bay Highway, Tod Highway, Lincoln Highway, Stuart Highway

The Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highway 1/A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first to cross the Nullarbor by land.

The Eyre Highway starts at Norseman and ends in Port Augusta. The road, and Highway 1, then continues as Port Wakefield Road to Adelaide.

History

There are two parts of the Nullarbor crossing that are now distinct and separate routes to the current Eyre Highway: on the Western Australian side is a mapped Old Coach Road that is further north towards the Trans Australia Railway line. On the South Australian side the older highway route runs from Border Village to the Nullarbor Roadhouse, well away from the coast and running through the centre of the Nullarbor National Park.

Construction on the Eyre Highway first started in July 1941 and was completed six months later. First known as the Forrest Highway (named after John Forrest) Originally, the roads that followed closely to the route were very rough in condition, and during the road around Australia road trials in the 1950s, movie newsreels would show cars on very sandy tracks. The current route of the highway has not been deviated from significantly during various upgrades to the highway.

The differences between the condition of the road on either side of Eucla were notable as late as the mid-1980s. The last section was finally sealed on the South Australian section only in 1976.

Western Australian section

Mundrabilla Roadhouse, a typical Nullarbor roadhouse

Royal Flying Doctor Service emergency airstrip

The Western Australian section of the Eyre Highway lies entirely on the Nullarbor Plain. The Nullarbor gets its name from Latin for 'no trees'. The typical view is that of a straight highway and practically unchanging flat saltbush covered terrain, although some parts are located on ridges. The population on this stretch was estimated at 86 as at the 2006 census and, apart from Eucla, no towns exist along the route. Roadhouses providing basic services such as petrol, food and bottled water are approximately 200 km (124 mi) to 300 km (186 mi) apart, but not all are open 24 hours. Because of its remoteness, some sections of the Highway serve as emergency airstrips for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. These airstrips are signposted and have runway "piano keys" painted on the road, and turnaround bays for small aircraft.

This section of the highway includes what is regarded as the longest straight stretch of road in the world, between Balladonia and Caiguna; the road stretches for 146.6 kilometres (91.1 mi) without turning.

Localities in this section include:

• Norseman
• Balladonia
• Caiguna
• Cocklebiddy — South of Cocklebiddy is the Eyre Bird Observatory, located in a restored telegraph station. Many caves are also located in this area and are popular among cave divers and fossil hunters.
• Madura — Once a homestead where horses were bred for use in the British Cavalry and for polo. This is now a peaceful roadhouse and hotel located on the pass through Hampton Tablelands. A lookout over the pass is located nearby.
• Mundrabilla
• Eucla — Located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the WA/SA border, this roadhouse is situated close to the Great Australian Bight. A historic telegraph station, half-buried in sand dunes, can also be viewed nearby.

South Australian section

The Great Australian Bight is a short detour away at several places along the highway

Driving north along the Eyre Highway between Iron Knob and Port Augusta.

The South Australian section of the Eyre Highway crosses the eastern section of the Nullarbor Plain before arriving in the town of Ceduna. It then skirts the northern boundary of the Eyre Peninsula before reaching the city of Port Augusta. An alternative route between Ceduna and Port Augusta, formerly signed Alternate Route 1 and now signed B100, follows Flinders Highway and Lincoln Highway down the western and eastern sides of the peninsula respectively.

Localities in this section include:

• Nullarbor
• Yalata
• Nundroo
• Penong
• Ceduna — Westernmost big town in South Australia, located near the Great Australian Bight. Offers fishing and whale watching between May and September.
• Wirrulla
• Cungena
• Poochera — A small town, the entrance of which is distinguished by spectacular native pines. Poochera is the home of the dinosaur ant, the most primitive surviving ant species.
• Minnipa
• Wudinna - Gateway to the Gawler Ranges and home to the Australian Farmer.
• Kyancutta
• Kimba — a grain-growing and pioneer town, and home to the "Big Galah", an 8 metres (26 ft) monument.
• Iron Knob, off road
• Port Augusta

See also

• Highway 1 (Australia)
• Highways in Australia
• A1 highway (South Australia)
• List of highways in South Australia
• List of highways in Western Australia
• List of roadhouses in Western Australia

External links

• Across the Nullarbor Driving Guide by Roderick Eime

Further reading

• Main Roads, Western Australia (2006) Distance book: distances to towns and localities in Western Australia East Perth, W.A. Main Roads ISBN 0730976688
• Western Australia. Dept. of Tourism. (1978) Eyre highway traveller survey, 1978 : a study of travellers prior and subsequent to sealing of the highway Perth: Western Australian Dept. of Tourism. ISBN 0724478000 (Roads. Use. Australia. Eyre Highway. Reports, surveys (ANB/PRECIS SIN 0061603)