Lap Around Australia: Bullara Station & Coral Bay

Bullara Station

It was a massively long drive from Tom Price to Bullara Station. Almost 600 kilometres, mainly because we had to go the long way around via Parabadoo as we didn't fancy travelling via a corrugated dirt road for 80 km towing the caravan. There was very little traffic on the road, not even any road trains, so we made good time to Nanutarra Roadhouse. The tank was almost empty by the time we got there, but at least we didn't have to dip into the reserve jerry cans.

When we turned into the Bullara Station gates it was getting quite late in the afternoon. We were met at reception by Claire, a lovely Irish girl from Dublin who is here on a working tourist visa, and then one of the station hands, John showed us to our campsite. It's un-powered, but we are allowed use our generator from 0900 to 2030 hrs. Sadly no phone or internet coverage. It's a long way from anywhere!

After setting up camp we had a brief wander around before the sun set. We were rather amused by our amenities block. It's call the "Lava Trees" and is very rustic! So rustic and al fresco that there is no roof at all on the building. The shower head is a tin bucket with holes in it strung from a tree branch! The water is heated twice a day by a wood-fired "donkey" heater. It's primitive .... and yet spotlessly clean and very user-friendly. The toilet is a proper flushing toilet with real toilet paper,  liquid soap with a proper hand towel. Eat your heart out five star hotels!

Bullara Station is a working cattle station about 86 km from Exmouth. They host caravans and do "farm stays" in a variety of cottages on the property. When we arrived they were having a hamburger night and all the guests were seated round a big open campfire chatting and eating their burgers outside the old shearing sheds.

When we woke up after a really restful sleep, we were met by some sheep grazing right outside our door. They were very docile and friendly, although there is one rogue ram who is locked up in a pen because he was charging at people.

 

 We are allowed wander all over the station (except for the private residences) to have a look at how the station runs. We watched the horses being fed and also the cattle. The sheep seem to fend for themselves. I think they're there just for show as the shearing sheds don't seem to be in current use. They serve very decent barista-made coffee and home made scones and jam up at the main residence. We sat on their covered back verandah in the cool this morning and enjoyed our morning tea.

We thought it was going to be too hot to hang around the station all day, so we drove the 65 kilometres to Coral Bay to have a look there at the beach and also to get more fuel. It's a lovely little seaside resort town. The beach and lagoon is absolutely idyllic with white sand and shallow turquoise water. Really great for all the families with little kids to play and swim safely. Also there were lots of water sports and coral viewing activities as the reef is not far off the beach.

We hadn't brought our togs, but we did purchase some snorkel, mask and flippers for when we go to Exmouth tomorrow for several days. We had lunch at the resort. Simple Greek pizza with a beer and a lemon lime & bitters, very nice on a hot day. The resort looked like a lovely place to stay with beautiful pool and a large expanse of green lawn where there was a spirited volley ball game going on. All fringed by tall palm trees and it looked luxurious. The nearby caravan park also looked nice but was also very expensive and booked out with the school holidays approaching.

 

 

The drive back to Bullara is rather long. It's a flat landscape punctuated by the occasional termite mound. It feels very isolated. There was a very stong breeze buffeting the car too. When we got back to our van the wind was still very gusty so we ended up taking down the awning as soon as there was enough shade to do so. The temperature under the awning and inside the van was 40 (yes forty!) degrees but luckily it cools down quickly once the sun goes down.