While some uninitiated grey nomads may view crossing the Nullarbor as nothing more than a long and boring ‘necessity’, for others it is an exciting opportunity to discover some of Australia’s most beautiful ‘secret’ spots.
While not all of these secret spots requite a huge deviation from the Eyre Highway, others in this remote part of the word most certainly do. For grey nomads looking for adventure and an experience they will never forget, a trip to the Eyre Bird Observatory – almost exactly halfway between Esperance and the South Australian border – well and truly fits the bill.
Sitting on the Great Australian Bight, the observatory can only be accessed by four-wheel-drive and the nearest town is five hours drive away. The area is home to 240 species of birds, and is a nationally significant site for ornithological and environmental research.
While some visiting grey nomads are drawn to the observatory by the birds, others are drawn by the desire to help save a unique piece of West Australian history. The observatory itself consists of a single limestone building, which was built in 1897, and was rescued from a derelict state in the 1970s.
The ABC reports that volunteers rebuilt the former telegraph station, which was constructed near where explorer Edward John Eyre and his companion John Baxter, along with three Aboriginal expedition members, found water in their trek across the Nullarbor in 1841.
For the past 40 years the former telegraph station has become a haven for bird watchers, and it has relied on volunteers to help keep the facility habitable and functional. However, more help is desperately needed.
Long-time volunteer John Hanrahan, 81, regularly assembles a group of retirees to travel out to the observatory to paint, repair or replace the rotting woodwork, fixing roof leaks and broken flywire.
“There used to be a queue of volunteers to caretake the property for three months at a time,” he told the ABC. “Just in the last year or two the waiting time has diminished because there is a lag time between being appointed and when you take over.”
He worried that if the waiting time gets down to less than six months it could be a serious problem, and leaving the place unmanned could be disastrous.
“Here’s a beautiful limestone building stuck in the bush and it needs to be looked after, and needs to be used,” Mr Hanrahan said. “We believe it is an important historical building. People come here for the history and the natural history. It’s unique.”
yes been there for a days drive and a look around – but found it was vacant and nobody about but admired the area to no end – the beach being a wonderful spot – didn’t get a chance to fish / but imagine it would be good , We would like to go again and volunteer but haveing a slight health problem , it is difficult when my partener can not drive , so would be better if this position was taken by two couples , in case of an emergency you would have some one else to help with any situation that could possibly arrise — but we were very taken by surrounds and living conditions ( wasn,t so keen on the big snakes around the immediate building lurking in the garden !) there is plenty of maintenance to be able to be carried out while there .