Esperance to Madura, WA

A call from the recruitment company, Hays with a job offer for Shovel at the Olympic Dam Mine in South Australia had us back on the road heading east. This time our Nullarbor journey would be much quicker. The first day saw us travel approximately 730kms pulling into the Madura Pass Oasis at sunset. With Florence only rated for 80kph it made for a long day, one that would need to be repeated a further two days if were going to make it to Roxby Downs in time for Shovel’s start date. 

Some reviews I’ve seen online recommend not to stay at the Madura Pass Oasis Roadhouse, however we have actually loved the experience of staying here on both occasions. The feeling of complete remoteness, coupled with the thrill of the Nullarbor; there’s a simplicity and a rustic no frills charm that oozes from the dated décor and shabby demountable amenities. Our dinner of classic roast meat and three veg truly added to the ‘middle of nowhere’ ‘no bullshit’ vibe. A group of workers from a nearby sheep station, nearby I mean hundreds of kilometres away, visited the pub for dinner and a few drinks, they’d spent the day building fences in the scorching heat, yet filled the pub with a frivolity and appreciation for simplicity only outback farming people can possess. Despite travelling a long distance, the Nullarbor has an endearing power to make you stop, appreciate the simply things and smell the roses…