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    Ceduna (SA) → Norseman (WA), Eyre Highway

    Nullarbor Crossing: the full drive guide

    The Nullarbor is the crossing between South Australia and Western Australia along the Eyre Highway — approximately 1,200 km of fully sealed road between Ceduna and Norseman, including the genuinely treeless plain the name refers to and the 90 Mile Straight, the longest straight stretch of road in Australia.

    Distance
    ~1,200 km
    Time needed
    3 days minimum; 4–5 days lets you stop properly
    Vehicle
    2WD suitable
    Surface
    Fully sealed the entire way
    Best months
    Year-round — there is no wet-season gate. April–October avoids the worst summer heat and overlaps whale season at Head of Bight (June–October).
    EV suitability
    EV: long charging gaps
    Route style
    Point-to-point
    Nullarbor Crossing — South Australia, Western Australia

    Route map

    Stops shown in driving order with a straight line between them, for planning only — this is not a turn-by-turn route. Always check current road conditions before you travel.

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    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors

    Route stops in order: 1. Ceduna, 2. Nullarbor Roadhouse, 3. Border Village, 4. Eucla, 5. Cocklebiddy, 6. Caiguna, 7. Balladonia, 8. Norseman.

    Seasonal gate & outback safety

    Check before you commit to dates
    1. JJanuary — Caution
    2. FFebruary — Caution
    3. MMarch — Open — go
    4. AApril — Open — go
    5. MMay — Open — go
    6. JJune — Open — go
    7. JJuly — Open — go
    8. AAugust — Open — go
    9. SSeptember — Open — go
    10. OOctober — Open — go
    11. NNovember — Caution
    12. DDecember — Caution
    • Open — go
    • Caution
    • High risk / cut

    Open year-round — there's no wet-season gate here, unlike Australia's tropical routes. December to February is the caution window: temperatures regularly exceed 40°C with no shade for hundreds of kilometres, and a breakdown becomes serious fast. Winter (June–August) is mild and comfortable.

    Wildlife warning: do not drive at night

    Do not drive after dark. Kangaroos, wombats and feral camels are active on and near the road from dusk, and there is no shoulder to swerve into on much of the crossing.

    Live road conditions

    SA Traffic (DIT)Travel Map WA (Main Roads WA)

    It works in either direction. This guide runs west (Ceduna to Norseman), which is the more common way to drive it if you're coming from Adelaide or the eastern states.

    The real difficulty isn't the road — it's sealed the whole way and any 2WD handles it — it's the distance between anything. Some fuel gaps run close to 200 km, several roadhouses keep limited hours, and mobile coverage drops out for long stretches.

    The stops, in driving order

    1. 01

      Ceduna

      0 km in · Start

      Critical supply point — Last full supermarket and wide fuel choice before the crossing. Fill up here.

      The last town with a full supermarket and a wide choice of fuel before the crossing proper. Oyster country — Ceduna is South Australia's oyster capital if you want a last good meal before the roadhouses.

      Tip: Fill up here even if you don't need to yet. Roadhouse fuel gets progressively more expensive the further you go.

    2. 02

      Nullarbor Roadhouse & Head of Bight

      275 km in · 3h

      Critical supply point — Fuel available; the last stop before some of the longest gaps on the route.

      The roadhouse marks the start of the true treeless Nullarbor Plain. The Head of Bight whale-watching centre, a short signed detour off the highway, overlooks a major southern right whale nursery — entry fee applies, with dedicated whale-season hours from June to October.

      Tip: Check the whale season dates before you plan a detour here outside June–October — outside that window there may be little to see and the visit is much less worthwhile.

    3. 03

      Border Village

      459 km in · 2h

      The SA–WA border, marked by a large fibreglass kangaroo. This is also a WA quarantine checkpoint.

      Tip: Eat or bin fresh fruit, vegetables, honey and some plant products before you reach the checkpoint — they will be confiscated and can't be carried across.

    4. 04

      Eucla

      472 km in · 10m

      Critical supply point — Fuel and basic supplies just past the WA quarantine checkpoint at Border Village.

      The old Eucla Telegraph Station (built 1877), now a picturesque ruin half-buried in coastal sand dunes — a short, free walk from the town.

      Tip: This general area unofficially runs on 'Central Western Time', 45 minutes behind the rest of WA and 45 minutes ahead of SA — locals use it, official maps don't. Don't rely on your phone's time zone alone for opening hours.

    5. 05

      Cocklebiddy

      745 km in · 3h

      Roadhouse stop, and the gateway to Cocklebiddy Cave, one of the longest and most significant cave systems explored in Australia — visited by experienced cave divers, not a casual walk-in attraction.

      Tip: The cave itself isn't a self-guided stop. Treat it as a 'point of interest you drive past', not a place to detour into without organised access.

    6. 06

      Caiguna

      828 km in · 1h

      The eastern end of the 90 Mile Straight — 146.6 km of dead-straight road to Balladonia, the longest straight stretch in Australia.

      Tip: It's a genuine fatigue risk, not just a novelty. Dead-straight roads make it easy to lose concentration — take the fatigue stop here seriously even if the road looks easy.

    7. 07

      Balladonia

      992 km in · 1h 40m

      Critical supply point — Last roadhouse before Norseman — fill up regardless of your gauge reading.

      Western end of the 90 Mile Straight, and the site NASA's Skylab space station crashed to earth in July 1979 — there's a small roadhouse museum with recovered debris.

      Tip: Fuel and food here; it's the last roadhouse before Norseman.

    8. 08

      Norseman

      1182 km in · 2h 10m

      The western end of the crossing and a historic goldfields town. From here, routes split south to Esperance, north to Kalgoorlie, or west to Perth.

      Tip: Decide your next leg before you arrive — Esperance, Kalgoorlie and Perth are all substantial further drives, not day trips from here.

    Drive planning: legs, fuel and conditions

    Three paces, same road: highway pace, a towing or 4WD rig, and what the day actually takes once fatigue and photo stops are in it.

    Nullarbor Crossing — honest timings by leg
    LegDistanceStandard vehicleHighway pace, no stopsTowing / 4WD rig90–100 km/h cruiseRealistic paceFatigue + photo stopsFuel
    Ceduna → Nullarbor Roadhouse275 km3h3h 35m3h 45mPenong, Nundroo, Yalata
    Nullarbor Roadhouse → Border Village184 km2h2h 25m2h 35mBorder Village
    Border Village → Eucla13 km10m10m10mEucla
    Eucla → Cocklebiddy273 km3h3h 35m3h 45mMundrabilla, Madura
    Cocklebiddy → Caiguna83 km1h1h 10m1h 10mCaiguna
    Caiguna → Balladonia164 km1h 40m2h1h 55mBalladonia
    Balladonia → Norseman190 km2h 10m2h 35m2h 45mNorseman
    Whole route13h15h 35m16h 10m

    How we get these: standard is moving time at signposted highway pace. Rig time assumes a 90–100 km/h cruise and slower acceleration — roughly 20% longer. Realistic pace adds a 15-minute fatigue stop every two hours (the national driver-fatigue guidance) plus about ten minutes an hour for photos, fuel and legs. Plan daylight around the realistic column, not the standard one.

    Nullarbor Crossing — leg conditions
    LegDistanceFuelNotes
    Ceduna → Nullarbor Roadhouse275 kmPenong, Nundroo, YalataSealed. Fuel roughly every 60–90 km on this stretch
    Nullarbor Roadhouse → Border Village184 kmBorder VillageThe true treeless plain — flat, open, few landmarks
    Border Village → Eucla13 kmEuclaWA quarantine checkpoint at the border
    Eucla → Cocklebiddy273 kmMundrabilla, MaduraLongest leg in this guide — Mundrabilla and Madura break it up
    Cocklebiddy → Caiguna83 kmCaigunaStart of the 90 Mile Straight ahead
    Caiguna → Balladonia164 kmBalladoniaThe 90 Mile Straight — 146.6 km dead straight
    Balladonia → Norseman190 kmNorsemanLast leg. Sealed, gently undulating after the straight

    What can go wrong

    • Fuel gaps run up to around 190 km between some roadhouses, several of which keep limited operating hours. Fill up at every opportunity rather than waiting until you're low.
    • Do not drive at dawn, dusk or after dark. Kangaroos, wombats and feral camels are active on and near the road in low light, and there is no shoulder to swerve into on much of the route.
    • Mobile coverage is patchy to absent across long sections. Carry paper maps or offline downloads, extra water, and don't rely on a phone as your only safety plan.
    • Summer heat is extreme and there is no shade for hundreds of kilometres. Carry more water than feels necessary and treat any breakdown as a stay-with-the-vehicle situation, not a walk-for-help one.
    • A WA quarantine checkpoint at Border Village confiscates fresh fruit, vegetables, honey and some plants. Plan your last big grocery stop for Ceduna, not the border.

    Conditions change seasonally and after storms. Check current conditions with the road authority before relying on any of this.

    Common questions

    Two to three days is the physical minimum for the approximately 1,200 km between Ceduna and Norseman. Four to five days is far more comfortable and leaves room for Head of Bight, the Eucla ruins and proper fatigue breaks rather than back-to-back long driving days.

    No. The Eyre Highway is fully sealed the entire way and is regularly driven in standard cars, caravans and motorhomes. The challenge is distance and heat, not terrain.

    Southern right whales are present roughly June to October, with dedicated whale-season viewing hours at the centre during that window. Outside those months the detour is far less likely to be worthwhile.

    It's being done, but treat it as an advanced trip, not a routine one. A small number of remote roadhouses have chargers, but capacity and reliability have both been genuinely inconsistent — confirm current status directly before relying on any specific site, and have a real backup plan.

    Where this is researched from

    • SA Traffic (DIT) — Live road conditions and closures on the South Australian side
    • Main Roads WA — Travel Map — Live road conditions on the Western Australian side
    • Yalata Head of Bight Whale Watching Centre — Whale season dates and entry information
    • Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA — Border quarantine rules on fruit, vegetables, honey and plants

    This is a researched guide, not a firsthand trip report. How we research.

    Spotted something we should update? Let us know.