Accommodation for Trip across Nullabor

[gamefish]

Planning a trip to pick up our new caravan and looking for pet friendly accommodation between Perth and Melbourne. We will have a small tent with us but not looking forward to that in September. Would appreciate any recommendations! Just the two of us and Marlin the border collie. Have looked through the pinned post and have picked up some places from there, but some seem to no longer take pets so anyone with recent experience of the trip would be great. Thanks in advance.

[Pjrt]

I didn't have a dog with me but I drove both ways Adelaide Perth Adelaide in May/June this year. I mostly stayed in motels attached to roadhouses but noticed most of them have camping areas as well. Several nights there were dogs in vehicles, tied to vehicles that were backed up to motel rooms. It all seems reasonably casual out there.  

 

@Canisbellum might have something to add. He did the trip with a couple of dogs and a camper trailer not so long ago 

[Canisbellum]

Wiki camps app is your best bet. Plenty aces to stay with dogs but not in rooms for most of them. September in the Nullarbor is barely getting into the mid 30's so nothing to be scared of. I did in November in mid 40"s and survived.

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[gamefish]

Thanks guys, appreciate comments. Not worried about heat, more the cold  We live in tropics so feel it, 24 here today and in long pants, jumper and socks...I know... soft. 

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

last time I was there (and it was a while ago)...

Cocklebiddy was a bit down market.   Beware of going off track and camping near bushes or trees on the nullarbor proper - because ... the shrubby stuff marks sink holes and caves - ie that's where they get water... and I nearly fell in one looking for enough bushes for a toilet stop. 

Eucla near the WA/SA border is really nice - and has varying types of accommodation (camping, cabins thru motel) and a nice restaurant/cafe/ hamburger shop. 

Fuel costs lots.  Like double the expensive price in the cities. 

Plan to stop about an hour before dusk... cos you don't want to be on the road when the roos are.

You might want to visit the whale watch station at "head of the bight" (look at whales from cliff top board walks $)  but I think in Sept there will not be many there - it's a July thing.   The whales are amazing if they're around.  OK I'd be wrong... if you go in Sept they're usually around.  As you drive in - you can ask the people driving out about whether there are any whales to be seen that day.

http://headofbight.com.au/whale-watching 

I really liked staying at / near Fowlers Bay.   There's a nice (basic and clean) motel there with bbqs outside - not sure if they let you have dogs.  Awesome beach, jetty, fishing and dunes if you're into 4WD.   But back then - I knew people connected to the owners and the local service station at Nundroo.    It's an hour or so off the main road tho and you do not want to be on it in the dark (hopping critters).

A bit further East from Fowlers Bay is the very famous surf and shark beach called "cactus beach"... lots of camping there but I think it's dirt roads in.

 

Ceduna still has an awesome bakery.   And I like to go visit the arid lands botanic gardens - just north of Port Augusta.  I think they have a nice place for lunch there.

heaps of touristy things to visit all around that coast line - just don't let anyone fall off the cliffs.    And when I've been swimming in those areas (will be very cold in Sept) - I have had seals, and dolphins join me and didn't notice any sharks.   But pretty sure there are always sharks around.  And dolphins up close have scary big teeth.

[Pjrt]

I concur do not drive between dusk and dawn, just don't do it.

 

I chose to drive less than 600km per day to ensure I could stop at least an hour, if not more,  before dusk and not pull out until around 9am. 

 

when I went over in May I found fuel quite reasonable actually. I did not pay more than $1.90 litre for unleaded, usually 10 - 20c less. 

 

Ps, I saw whales at the head of the bight early June. It's been a bumper whale season! 

Edited August 5, 2017 by mingaling

[Tassie]

7 years since I did the trip. with 2 BCs.   I checked ahead with the motels to ensure that they were OK with dogs in car outside rooms.  On the way over I stayed at Ceduna (easternmost motel, Madura Pass, Kalgoorlie, and on the way back, Norseman, Eucla and a dog friendly house in Kimba .. not sure if that one is still available.

 

This  was my go to information source then.

 

Definitely stay off the road in non daylight hours, and in fog.   There was thick fog coming west oiut of Ceduna .. I was lucky to have a huge truck in front of me, so I hung back (well back) behind him so he could hit the roos first.  (Truckies advise stay well back, cos they can spit the wildlife out under the truck and into the path of vehicles that are following too close.    And if you see one emu, be careful .. there will probably be another.)

 

The roadhouses are comfortably placed for stops every couple of hours or so .. just make sure to keep the dogs on lead, particularly in WA because of 1080 baits, which can be dropped by birds.

 

Enjoy!

[*Avanti*]

It is over ten years since I did that trip, Melbourne to Perth and back, with my partner at the time and my Labrador. We mostly camped in the roadside camping places that were provided. The only facilities back then were rather run-down toilets. One had a wasp hive under a toilet seat and we had to watch for human poo on the ground unfortunately because the dog would eat it. 

 

I'm not much help with info about accommodation but I'd like to volunteer a word of caution to anyone doing that trip with a dog; that being not to tether it in the desert unattended. Most people may know this but I learnt the hard way. We stopped at the Balladonia roadhouse for a very welcome breakfast. It was December and quite hot so we could not leave him in the van. We tethered him in the shade and within a few minutes he was barking loudly. We went to see what the problem was and in that short time desert ants had started trailing up his leg towards his eyes. I'm so glad we got to him so soon the poor boy. Other that that he absolutely loved that trip and was a great camp guard. He slept in the van with us at night too.

Edited August 5, 2017 by *Avanti*

[Pjrt]

Oh yes!! If you have a dog even slightly interested in poo, please heed the advice above. It's so gross but within a few footsteps of the  cleared areas on the roadside areas, it's a sea of human poop and used toilet paper & tissue

[gamefish]

Great info peeps! the NullaborNet looks great had not found that one. Live in tropics so we are well aware of the night critters, we dont ever go out around town at night! 1080 is a big concern, have a soft muzzle for her, but thinking something a bit more sturdy as she will guzzle anything that looks like food. Hopefully we will take our time coming back west and be able to enjoy the tourist bit.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Quote

I did not pay more than $1.90 litre for unleaded

that would be close to double the adelaide prices at the moment.   I also found that driving a 100 series landcruiser at 110km/h does horrible things to my fuel economy too.  Ie I have to fill up more often.

I guess we're being a bit Nularbor focussed... When coming from Melbourne to Adelaide I like to detour via the fast road to Geelong and then cut across towards Coonawarra and stay at my cousins place - they do a farm stay near Poolajelo (called Ardmeen).  I follow the Aspley Border Inn on facebook (since my cousins and surrounding farmers took it over) and really looking forward to having a meal there too.

Penola has some great lunch places - not sure about accommodation cos always have family in the area to stay with.   Apart from the farm stay.  Which I like. 

http://www.apsley.vic.au/accommodation_&_meals.html

The coast road would be pretty too... It does get a bit stinky around the Coorong tho.  Do not let anyone walk out on the mud - you will have to throw the shoes away...
 

[Tempus Fugit]

6 hours ago, gamefish said:

Great info peeps! the NullaborNet looks great had not found that one. Live in tropics so we are well aware of the night critters, we dont ever go out around town at night! 1080 is a big concern, have a soft muzzle for her, but thinking something a bit more sturdy as she will guzzle anything that looks like food. Hopefully we will take our time coming back west and be able to enjoy the tourist bit.

Did a return trip to WA last year with my dog in a campervan stopping mainly at caravan parks or roadhouses. Liked Streaky Bay in SA, then went on to Nundroo Roadhouse & Mundrabilla RH, followed by Balladonia RH & a CP at  Kalgoorlie - a bit of hassle there with the 'pet friendly' CP I had booked at as they told me on arrival the pet friendliness only extended to small dogs (something the guides don't mention). After touring the goldfields, my last stop before Perth was in Westonia, which I liked because it was a township a few kms off the main highway (no truck noise) and had a nice pub.

 

One guide I have found useful in my travels is Australian Caravan Park Reports .

 

As for a muzzle for a BC, I would recommend going to a farm supplies store (either bricks & mortar or on-line) rather than a pet shop. The former seem more likely to have muzzles to prevent sheepdogs picking up baits, whereas pet shops sell muzzles like the Baskerville Ultra, which prevents biting but allows the dog to pick up treats.