Eucla, Western Australia: Accommodation and things to do

Eucla, Western Australia, is arguably the best accommodation stop on the Nullarbor Plain. Things to do in Eucla include visiting the Old Telegraph Station, and walking through white sand dunes to the Eucla Jetty.

Eucla, Western Australia, is the last stop on the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor Plain before you reach South Australia.

Eucla is arguably the most interesting of the Western Australian Nullarbor stops, although Cocklebiddy has an enormous cave and Balladonia has a mini-museum about the Skylab space station.

Don’t want to drive the Nullarbor? Then consider a ten day camping adventure tour from Perth to Adelaide (or in the opposite direction).

Why stop at Eucla, Western Australia?

Eucla is arguably the only place between Norseman and Penong that feels like more than just a roadhouse, too. It has a few streets and a police station to go alongside the motel, petrol station and caravan park.

But divert south off the Eyre Highway for a couple of kilometres and you get an astonishingly evocative glimpse of Eucla’s past.

Things to do in Eucla, Western Australia: The Old Telegraph Station

In amongst the dazzling, high white sand dunes at Eucla are the ruins of the old telegraph station. Back in the 1900s, Eucla had the busiest telegraph station in Australia outside the capital cities. The position on the Nullarbor, next to the South Australian border, was crucial.

The ruins of the Eucla Telegraph Station in Eucla, Western Australia. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

A short walk through the dunes from the old telegraph station brings you out at Eucla Jetty. This is one of the few places on the Nullarbor drive where you can reach the ocean fairly easily.

Eucla sand dunes

The white dunes, the jetty and the sense of being in the middle of absolutely nowhere make this spot on the Great Australian Bight incredibly atmospheric.

There is, therefore, a strong argument for Eucla being the perfect place to stop on the Nullarbor. It’s a 1,200km drive from Norseman to Ceduna, the towns at either end of the Nullarbor with phone signal and a choice of accommodation options. Eucla is 710km of the way from Norseman. That distance from Norseman to Eucla is about the maximum most people are going to feel up to driving in one day.

Eucla accommodation: Eucla Motel and caravan park

The Eucla Motel’s offers pretty solid motel-style accommodation by the standards of the Nullarbor. And the Eucla Motel’s facilities are a boon to those staying at the neighbouring caravan park.

The biggest selling point is the swimming pool, which feels like heaven after a long drive in the desert heat.

Eucla or Border Village?

If the Eucla Motel is sold out, and it often is, then Border Village is pretty decent, too. Border Village is a 12km drive away on the other side of the South Australian border. Be prepared to be confused by the clocks, however.

Both Eucla and Border Village work to the unofficial Australian Central Western Standard Time. This bizarre time zone is set at UTC+8.45, and is designed to avoid a big three hour leap when crossing the border.

Driving times to Eucla, WA

Balladonia to Eucla: Distance 518km, driving time 5h14m.

Ceduna to Eucla: Distance 493km, driving time 5h9m.

Esperance to Eucla: Distance 912km, driving time 9h21m.

Kalgoorlie to Eucla: Distance 893km, driving time 9h13m.

Norseman to Eucla: Distance 709km, driving time 7h13m.

Perth to Eucla: Distance 1,428km, driving time 15h.

Port Augusta to Eucla: Distance 958km, driving time 10h2m.

More towns and cities in Western Australia

Nullarbor Western Australia