Day 137 07/08/2011 Nullabor NP – Ceduna SA

Day 137 07/08/2011 Nullabor NP – Ceduna SA

We had a very late start this morning as crossing the border meant that we lost 1 ½ hours yesterday so whilst we were in SA we were still functioning on WA time!! Also it is a change to be waking up whilst it is still dark!!

We decided that our first stop with be the Head of the Bight, where we had been assured that we could see Southern Right Whales and their calves from the shore line.  Apparently this bay is renowned as a whale nursery and 100’s of people travel every year to see these whales.  Southern Right Whales are an endangered species and we were excited at the prospect of seeing them up close.

Head of Bight is known as a premier whale watching area of Australia, and it is also where white sand dunes and beaches meet the Bunda Cliffs of the Nullabor.  When we arrived we were overawed by the gorgeous scenery, the towering cliffs with their sheer drops into the pounding Southern Ocean.



Spot the whale tail!!



To assist all visitors to maximise their opportunity to see whales there was a fabulous boardwalk out over the cliffs with strategically placed lookouts, room for everyone!!  There where whales everywhere, we could see up to 10 most with calves.  Southern Right Whales do not breach like other whales but they do great pectoral fin and tail slaps.  Today was one of the few days that I wished I had a better camera!!

After spending a significant amount of time just watching whales and their calves cruising west we realised that we needed to continue to head east, the path to home.

It was interesting to also watch the terrain change from shrubby bush land to by the time we camped for the night just outside Ceduna, very fertile sheep / wheat country!!  I’m not sure the kids appreciated any of this as their heads were stuck in movies and games!!

A very memorable day!!