Eyre Highway - Citizendia

Eyre Highway


Length	1675 km
General direction	West-East
From	Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, Norseman, Western Australia
via	Balladonia, WA, Cocklebiddy, WA, Eucla, WA, Ceduna, SA, Kimba, SA
To	Princes Highway / Stuart Highway, Port Augusta, South Australia
Allocation	Norseman - SA/WA Border: SA/WA Border - Port Augusta: Formerly
Major Junctions	Flinders Highway Streaky Bay Highway Tod Highway Lincoln Highway

Approximate road distances (in kilometres) of towns from Port Augusta westwards

1 Location
2 History
3 Conditions
4 South Australian section
5 West Australian section
6 See also
7 External links
8 Further reading

Location

Named after Edward John Eyre the Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand The Coolgardie-Esperance Highway is a 368 km Western Australian highway between Coolgardie and Esperance. Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth Balladonia is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. Cocklebiddy is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. Eucla is the easternmost locality in Western Australia, located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Eyre Highway Ceduna ( is a small town in the West Coast region of South Australia. Kimba ( is a rural service town on the Eyre Highway at the top of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The Princes Highway is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 that extends from Sydney to Adelaide and Port Augusta South Australia The Stuart Highway is one of Australia 's major highways it is part of Australia's Highway 1, and Australia's National Highway Port Augusta (post code 5700 ( is the fifth most populous City in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Lincoln Highway (Australia Flinders Highway connects the South Australian towns of Ceduna and Port Lincoln, a distance of 410 kilometres Tod Highway is an important 177 kilometre highway serving South Australia 's Eyre Peninsula 's wheatbelt There is also a Lincoln Highway in the United States. Flinders Highway South Australia Lincoln Highway links Port Augusta Edward John Eyre (5 August 1815 30 November 1901 was an English land explorer of the Australian continent and a controversial Governor of Jamaica. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country It forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. Highway 1 is Australia 's coastal Highway joining all mainland's state capitals and coastal towns circumnavigating the entire Australian continent The National Highway (now part of the AusLink National Network) is a system of Roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia with a Its route number is National Highway 1 in Western Australia and National Highway A1 in South Australia.

Westwards, the Eyre Highway starts at Port Augusta, South Australia and ends in Norseman, Western Australia and the National Route 94 continues to the gold town of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and then as Great Eastern Highway to Perth, Western Australia. Port Augusta (post code 5700 ( is the fifth most populous City in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth Great Eastern Highway Western Australia is a major road linking Perth with Kalgoorlie. The highway between Adelaide and Port Augusta is Port Wakefield Road (National Highway 1). Port Wakefield Road is an important highway connecting the South Australian capital Adelaide to Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, northern

History

Originally the roads that followed closely to the route were very rough in condition, and during the round-Australia road trials in the 1950s, movie newsreels would show cars on very sandy tracks. Constructed during World War II, 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 in 1978.

Conditions

Eyre highway in the past was considered to be a highway with extreme conditions - however many other Australian highways are now considerably more dangerous and remote. The improved current conditions of the highway are illustrated by the type of traffic utilising the highway and the facilities that are available at the localities on the highway. However as with all country driving in Australia awareness of basic preparation and equipment requirements are essential for care free driving.

Driving north along the Eyre Highway between Whyalla and Port Augusta.

Mundrabilla Roadhouse, a typical Nullarbor roadhouse

South Australian section

Some towns/settlements and features along the way (westwards from Adelaide):

Flinders Ranges. The Flinders Ranges is South Australia 's largest Mountain range which starts approximately 200 km north west of Adelaide. Stretching from South of Crystal Brook to north of Port Augusta. Spectacular scenery and plenty of picnic places.

Port Augusta. Port Augusta (post code 5700 ( is the fifth most populous City in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla and One of South Australia's busiest towns. It is the highway and railway crossroads for Australia. Once considered as being the site for a national capital instead of Canberra. Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City.

The Great Australian Bight is always a short detour away on many places along the highway

Eyre Peninsula. Eyre Peninsula is a triangular Peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight A vast region of South Australia with national parks, historic buildings, spectacular coastline and beaches. An alternative way via Lincoln Highway and Flinders Highway (both are formerly National Alternative Route 1 now B100) to reach Ceduna before the Nullarbor Crossing. There is also a Lincoln Highway in the United States. Flinders Highway South Australia Lincoln Highway links Port Augusta Lincoln Highway (Australia Flinders Highway connects the South Australian towns of Ceduna and Port Lincoln, a distance of 410 kilometres

Poochera. Poochera is a small Grain belt Town located 60km North West of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. A small, yet not unpleasant 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. Poochera should be considered if needing a rest before moving onto Ceduna and the Nullarbor.

Ceduna . Ceduna ( is a small town in the West Coast region of South Australia. Westernmost big town in South Australia, located near the Great Australian Bight. The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay located off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia. Offers fishing and whale watching between May and September.

Royal Flying Doctor Service emergency airstrip

Nullarbor Plain . The long, flat Nullarbor gets its name from Latin for 'no trees'. It is a long and arduous trip across the Nullarbor Plain (a desert). The typical view is an endless long straight monotonous drive with practically unchanging flat saltbush covered terrain. Petrol is expensive and as scarce as fresh water in these parts. Road hazards include fatigue and at nighttime, kangaroos darting across the highway. A kangaroo is a Marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods meaning 'large foot'

West Australian section

Spectacular coastline of Great Australian Bight is just a short detour south of the highway in many places. On the average the settlements are 200 km (124 miles) to 300 km (186 miles) apart.

Eucla. Eucla is the easternmost locality in Western Australia, located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Eyre Highway Situated just over the W. A. border. This roadhouse is situated close to the Bight. An historic telegraph station, half buried in sand dunes, can also be viewed nearby.

Madura Pass. Madura is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia, on the Nullarbor Plain. 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.

Cocklebiddy. Cocklebiddy is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. South of Cocklebiddy is the Eyre Bird Observatory, located in a restored telegraph station. Eyre Bird Observatory is an educational scientific and recreational facility in the Nuytsland Nature Reserve, Western Australia. Many caves are also located in this area - they are popular among cave divers and fossil hunters.

Norseman. Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth Officially the end of the Eyre Highway, it is a small town and a junction of the Eyre Highway and the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway. The Coolgardie-Esperance Highway is a 368 km Western Australian highway between Coolgardie and Esperance. Northwards to Perth via Kalgoorlie and southwards to Albany via Esperance. Albany ( is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, situated around a port on the southern coast Esperance is a town in Western Australia, located on the south coast around half-way between Albany and the South Australian border

Due to its remoteness, some sections of the Highway serve as emergency airstrips for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia ( RFDS, informally known as The Flying Doctors) is an Air ambulance service for those living in the remote inland These airstrips are signposted, have runway "piano keys" painted on the road, and turnaround bays for small aircraft.

This also includes what is regarded as the longest straight stretch of road in Australia, and probably the world, between Balladonia and Caiguna which stretches for 146. 6km without a turn.

External links

Across the Nullarbor Driving Guide by Roderick Eime

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