Balladonia to Eucla road trip: Distance, drive time & fuel stops

The best stops on a Balladonia to Eucla road trip are Cocklebiddy and Mundrabilla. The distance from Balladonia to Eucla is 518km, which makes for a driving time of around 5h15m.

This guide is aimed at travellers planning a Balladonia to Eucla road trip itinerary through Western Australia, probably as part of a longer road trip from Perth to Sydney or Perth to Uluru.

To work out the best stops on a Balladonia to Eucla road trip, read on…

Balladonia to Eucla distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Balladonia to Eucla is 518km. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 15 minutes.

The best stops to add to a Balladonia to Eucla road trip itinerary are Caiguna and Eucla.

Balladonia to Eucla fuel stops

The only fuel stops between Balladonia and Eucla are at Caiguna, Cocklebiddy, Madura and Mundrabilla.

The Balladonia to Eucla drive is entirely along the Eyre Highway. This outback highway stretches all the way to Port Augusta in South Australia and it is one of the loneliest roads on earth.

Balladonia is the first fuel stop on the Nullarbor Plain after Norseman. It’s also the best fuel stop on the Western Australian stretch of the Nullarbor crossing. There’s a mini-museum on site telling the hugely entertaining tale of what happened when the Skylab space station crashed here in 1979.

Road trip essentials that many travellers forget

Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.

Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.

Balladonia to Eucla drive: Balladonia to Cocklebiddy

Soon after Balladonia, you embark upon the longest straight road in Australia. 90 Mile Straight stretches 146.6km towards Caiguna without deviation.

Caiguna, 164km from Balladonia, is the next fuel stop. That’s followed 83km later by Cocklebiddy, gateway to the huge Cocklebiddy Cave.

Balladonia to Eucla road trip: Madura and Mundrabilla

The Balladonia to Eucla road trip gets punishingly boring from here. In terms of Nullarbor fuel stops it’s 91km from Cocklebiddy to Madura, then 116km from Madura to Mundrabilla.

From Mundrabilla to Eucla, it’s a relatively merciful 66km.

Eucla is the last stop on the Western Australian leg of the Nullarbor, and it’s the most interesting here. A trail through the almost-Saharan sand dunes takes you to the ruins of the old telegraph station that once connected the continent, and the Eucla Jetty. This is one of the few places along the Nullarbor drive where you can see the ocean.

The Eucla Motel is one of the best accommodation options on the Nullarbor, and it has a swimming pool.

That said, it’s only 12km to another good option, Border Village in South Australia. This is one of the best accommodation options on the Nullarbor drive, and one of the few you can book via online booking sites. Make your accommodation booking here.