After crossing the Nullarbor, through the dry, sparse stretch through South Australia, you can continue through Kalgoolie straight to Perth, or, as we did, head south for some more coastal scenery.
Across the bottom of Australia strecthes a 1200km flat plain of beautiful nothingness.
The Nullarbor is one of the country's great drives.
One of the most famous stops is the old telegraph station at Eucla.
Sand has long taken over the once vital post.
Balladonia enjoyed world fame in 1979 when America's Skylab satellite crashed in the area. The one-pub town now has a museum.
Norseman sits at the end of the Nullarbor, from where you can go straight to the Goldfields, or south to Esperance.
South of Norseman, Peak Charles National Park sits just off the highway.
It's a nice place to camp and hike and enjoy the views.
The peaks aren't that high, but with the flat surrounds, you can see to the coast.
From the Nullarbor to Esperance on the coast is a mere two hours.
Cape Le Grand is just one of many coastal parks in the area.
Others include Cape Arid, Stokes, and Fitzgerald River, but it is the most accessible.
The hiking is excellent.
The trek from Lucky Bay to Hellfire Bay is one of the best.
The paths are generally well marked, but did involve a bit of crawling through undergrowth.
Worth it.
New Holland Honeyeaters are common.
And we were lucky enough to also see rock parrots.
But July was fucking freezing!
Perth people head here in summer, and head north in July.
Between the coast and Perth is the wheatbelt.
Wave Rock is the most famous spot in an area full of old towns.
The actual wave is kinda underwhelming, but there is a surprising amount of flora growing on top.
Small groves of hardy trees and bushes have made their home up there.
Around the rock are walkways through the flat pans. And yeah, it was freezing here too.
There's plenty of natural beauty around, but get your seasons right!