Your guide to visiting the Nullarbor and seeing the Bunda Cliffs

The Nullar­bor is recog­nised as the world’s largest lime­stone plain, and is known for its scenic beau­ty, geo­log­i­cal val­ue, unique bio­di­ver­si­ty, and cul­tur­al heritage.

Stretch­ing approx­i­mate­ly 1100km across the Eyre and Far West­ern Region of South Aus­tralia, and cov­er­ing some 270,000sq km, this vast area is near­ly the size of Victoria.

Locat­ed about 1000 km west of Ade­laide and 1500km east of Perth, the Nullar­bor is a short three hour dri­ve west of Ceduna.

Where does the Nullar­bor start and finish?

Start: Norse­man, West­ern Australia

Fin­ish: Ceduna, South Australia

View a map of the Nullar­bor Wilder­ness Pro­tec­tion Area. 

How long does it take to dri­ve the Nullarbor?

Twelve to 14 hours approx­i­mate­ly, with most peo­ple allow­ing two to four days for a safe and enjoy­able trip. 

Why vis­it the Nullarbor?

Vis­i­tors to the Nullar­bor are cap­ti­vat­ed by its open spaces, peace, and qui­et. 

The lack of crowds allows for an escape where the big, wide-open skies offer spec­tac­u­lar stargaz­ing opportunities. 

The region boasts cliffs over 120m high along the Great Aus­tralian Bight, pro­vid­ing breath­tak­ing views and dra­mat­ic land­scapes. 

To the West, you’ll find pris­tine beach­es and impres­sive escarpments.

Adven­tur­ous explor­ers can dis­cov­er the Mur­raw­i­jin­nie Caves, which fea­ture vast cav­erns that are open to the pub­lic. 

Wildlife enthu­si­asts will be thrilled by sight­ings of din­gos and wom­bats across the arid land, while whales, dol­phins, and even sharks are vis­i­ble in the adja­cent waters.

You can also expe­ri­ence dri­ving on the icon­ic ​‘90 mile straight’, which is Australia’s longest straight road. It stretch­es from Cai­gu­na to Balladonia. 

The best things to see and do when vis­it­ing the Nullarbor

1. Vis­it clifftop look­outs: There are three des­ig­nat­ed clifftop look­outs offer­ing safe and spec­tac­u­lar views of the Bun­da Cliffs and the vast South­ern Ocean and Far West Coast Marine Park.
2. Explore Mur­raw­i­jin­nie Caves: Open to the pub­lic, these caves of high cul­tur­al val­ue offer a fas­ci­nat­ing glimpse into the under­ground land­scapes of the Nullarbor.
3. Whale watch­ing: From May to Octo­ber, the Far West Coast Marine Park becomes a nurs­ery for migrat­ing South­ern Right Whales, pro­vid­ing a unique oppor­tu­ni­ty to view these majes­tic crea­tures up close.
4. Vis­itKoon­al­da Home­stead: Explore this his­toric home­stead to learn about the region’s his­toric pas­toral use. The near­by Koon­al­da Cave is pro­tect­ed under Nation­al and State leg­is­la­tion in recog­ni­tion of its sig­nif­i­cant archae­o­log­i­cal and cul­tur­al values.

Safe­ty tips for dri­ving the Nullarbor 

1. Be pre­pared: When explor­ing the Nullar­bor, it’s impor­tant to let some­one know your plans, car­ry suf­fi­cient food and water, and ensure your vehi­cle is well-pre­pared for the trip.
2. Don’t dri­ve or camp along the Bun­da Cliffs: Only approach the clifftop via one of the three des­ig­nat­ed safe view­ing areas, as cliff col­laps­es are com­mon and unpre­dictable across the Bun­da Cliffs. The look­outs pro­vide some of the best view­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties look­ing either East or West along the cliffs.
3. Stick to tracks: Don’t dri­ve down a track unless there’s a sign direct­ing it’s safe to do so. Don’t cre­ate new tracks or dri­ve on tracks that have been closed; while rugged, the Nullar­bor is frag­ile and sus­cep­ti­ble to erosion.
4. Fol­low sig­nage: Adhere to all sig­nage to stay safe and informed.
5. Avoid risky pho­tos: Don’t risk your life for that per­fect Insta­gram pho­to – grav­i­ty doesn’t take a day off.

Where to stay when vis­it­ing the Nullarbor

Cur­rent­ly, camp­ing is only avail­able at Koon­al­da Home­stead with­in the Nullar­bor Wilder­ness Pro­tec­tion Area, so ensure you book online before you arrive. Note: camp­ing along the Bun­da Cliffs is not allowed due to the unsta­ble cliff edge, which is con­stant­ly col­laps­ing into the ocean.

There are alter­na­tive accom­mo­da­tion options at Nullar­bor and Bor­der Vil­lage road­hous­es and road­side rest stops along the Eyre Highway.

Wildlife in the Nullarbor

1. Best time for whale view­ing: August is the prime time for whale watch­ing at the Head of the Bight.
2. Wildlife sight­ings: Ear­ly morn­ing and ear­ly evening are the best times to spot wild ani­mals. You may see the south­ern hairy-nosed wom­bat, din­gos, and many species of birds.

Handy tips

1. Phone cov­er­age: Reli­able phone cov­er­age is lim­it­ed to areas near the Nullar­bor and Bor­der Vil­lage roadhouses.
2. Best time to vis­it: Win­ter months are ide­al for explor­ing the Nullar­bor, with cool­er tem­per­a­tures mak­ing the expe­ri­ence more comfortable.
3. Road con­di­tions: Unsealed roads can be rough, and if they are wet, it’s best to avoid them. High-clear­ance 4WD vehi­cles pro­vide added peace of mind.

Cul­tur­al significance

The Nullar­bor is the Tra­di­tion­al Lands of the Mirn­ing Abo­rig­i­nal Peo­ple who have deep cul­tur­al ties to the land.

Explor­ing the Nullar­bor Wilder­ness Pro­tec­tion Area and the Far West Coast Marine Park is a jour­ney into one of Australia’s most remote and awe-inspir­ing regions. Enjoy the soli­tude and nat­ur­al beau­ty while respect­ing the land and its cul­tur­al heritage.

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Does the Nullar­bor have a Nation­al Park?

Yes. For more infor­ma­tion on plan­ning your trip, vis­it the Nation­al Parks website.

Nullar­bor Parks Man­age­ment Plan Draft Amendment

Draft amend­ments are pro­posed to the Nullar­bor Parks Man­age­ment Plan to:

• Enable the pro­vi­sion of appro­pri­ate­ly designed and sit­ed camp­grounds and infra­struc­ture to assist in min­imis­ing envi­ron­men­tal impacts and man­ag­ing pub­lic safe­ty with­in the Nullar­bor Wilder­ness Pro­tec­tion Area
• Sup­port appro­pri­ate vis­i­tor man­age­ment that respects and con­serves the sig­nif­i­cant envi­ron­men­tal and cul­tur­al val­ues of sites with­in the parks
• Allow for the main­te­nance and upgrade of telecom­mu­ni­ca­tions infra­struc­ture nec­es­sary to ensure the long-term per­for­mance of essen­tial infrastructure.

We are seek­ing your views on the draft amend­ment. Con­sul­ta­tion is open from 18 Novem­ber 2025 to 20 Feb­ru­ary 2026. View more infor­ma­tion and how to have your say.