Postcard from Koonalda Homestead
The Koonalda Homestead is an eerie place, a wide stretch of empty land suddenly littered with cars that sputtered to a stop in the middle of the Nullarbor in the 1950s.
Originally a sheep shearing station, the Gurney family also established a fuel and rest stop for weary Nullarbor travellers from the 1950s into the mid-1970s. The family was forced to abandon its home because of a tainted water supply, and the homestead is now a campsite for those who dare to tackle the rocky side road from the highway (warning: if it’s rained recently, it’s prone to “road lakes”).
Peek in the family’s dusty house for a glimpse of an old-school sewing machine and pot-bellied stove, and take a wander through the car graveyard before setting up your swag outside the shearer’s cottage. While the cottage is overrun with mice, there’s a fireplace and a bit of shelter if it rains. On a clear night, brave sleeping outside for the most brilliant view of the stars you’ve ever seen: there’s not even a light post for another 100 kilometers. It was here that I spotted my first shooting star!
Interested in camping at Koonalda Homestead? It’s not visible from the current freeway that crosses the Nullarbor, but if the weather is right, it’s a stop on the Nullarbor Traveller trek.
