Australia

The Nullarbor Plain stretches between the states of South Australia and Western Australia, a vast tract of arid, virtually treeless and flat terrain. Edward John Eyre, an English explorer, described the Nullarbor as “a hideous anomaly, a blot on the face of Nature, the sort of place one gets into in bad dreams.”

The Nullarbor boasts the longest section of straight railway in the world and the second longest straight section of road in Australia. There have been numerous UFO sightings reported from the Nullarbor, probably because there is nothing else to do except imagine things. The Nullarbor has been romanticized as synonymous with Australia’s wide open spaces but really, many Australians would rather have the crap beaten out of them by a mob of rabid kangaroos than spend more than a day or two there.

The Hay Plain isn’t much better. Like the Nullarbor, it is flat and virtually treeless. Saltbush is the most interesting vegetation you’ll find. The town of Hay (population 2700) is the major centre on the plain. The Hay Plain has a few redeeming qualities: incredible sunsets and sunrises; an unsurpassed canvas of stars at night; and its remoteness – it makes you realize just how big the world really is.

Back to Top - More Australia Articles - Print this page