The tiny township of Eucla is located approximately midway between Adelaide (1,265 km) and Perth (1,430 km), where the Nullarbor Plain meets the Great Australian Bight. It was established in 1877 to service the telegraph repeater station on the original overland telegraph line that connected Western Australia with South Australia. Its location was also strategic from a maritime standpoint, as shoals lying about one and half nautical miles offshore that parallel the coast for over ten nautical miles afford modest protection from the prevailing southerly winds. This anchorage, which is officially known as Eucla Roads, made it possible to establish and service the township by boat at a time when the Eyre Highway was just a dirt track. It is the only anchorage between Fowlers Bay, SA and Eyre, WA, and it is this fact that commanded our attention when planning our crossing of the Great Australian Bight. Stopping at Eucla means you can break up what would otherwise be a four-day crossing of the Bight.
The Western Australian Cruising Guide (WACG) provides a good description of the anchorage, which I’ll summarize here. Enter from the east by heading for Wilson Bluff (31°41.093'S 129°0.783'E), a distinctive 90m high dark cliff, which is straightforward to spot. Then keep within 1km of the coast until reaching the anchorage, which is just west of the ruined jetty. The bottom is sand and weed and the holding is excellent . We found it very comfortable in 20 knot ESE winds and reportedly it is usable in even a 30 knot southerly.
After pulling into Eucla Roads the night before, Paul and I were keen to stretch our legs. We took the dinghy ashore near the ruins of the old jetty, and after enjoying a swim, set out in search of the old telegraph station.
In the early 20th century, sand dunes encroached upon the old Eucla township, which was the result of a devastating rabbit plague in the 1890s. Rabbits ate the native vegetation that stabilized the nearby sandhills and the entire old town was buried by the encroaching sand. The original town was abandoned barely two decades after being established, with present-day Eucla established 6km inland.
There was no signage from the ocean, as most people don’t come that way, and we walked right past the telegraph station. After walking 2 km we should have turned around, but we decided to instead walk to the new town. Bad move. It was over 40°C and reaching the new town required walking uphill.
Fortunately, a holidaying farmer from Esperance named Alan picked us up in his ute and saved us from heat stroke. After refreshments at the hospitable Eucla Motor Hotel, Alan from Esperance, drove us back to the old telegraph station. The ruins are a poignant reminder of the destructive power of nature, not to mention invasive species, and are well worth a visit.
Back at the beach, there was time for another swim, before we weighed anchor at 13:23, with ship time now AWST, not ACDT. As there is no navigable channel through the shoals to the west, we exited the same way we entered, via the east. We then headed south for three nautical miles before turning west, as the exact extent of the shoals is not marked on charts. Better safe than sorry.
OVER.
PS Fun fact: Eucla has its own time zone, Australian Central Western Time (ACWST), which is UTC+8:45.
The Western Australian Cruising Guide (WACG) provides a good description of the anchorage, which I’ll summarize here. Enter from the east by heading for Wilson Bluff (31°41.093'S 129°0.783'E), a distinctive 90m high dark cliff, which is straightforward to spot. Then keep within 1km of the coast until reaching the anchorage, which is just west of the ruined jetty. The bottom is sand and weed and the holding is excellent . We found it very comfortable in 20 knot ESE winds and reportedly it is usable in even a 30 knot southerly.
After pulling into Eucla Roads the night before, Paul and I were keen to stretch our legs. We took the dinghy ashore near the ruins of the old jetty, and after enjoying a swim, set out in search of the old telegraph station.
In the early 20th century, sand dunes encroached upon the old Eucla township, which was the result of a devastating rabbit plague in the 1890s. Rabbits ate the native vegetation that stabilized the nearby sandhills and the entire old town was buried by the encroaching sand. The original town was abandoned barely two decades after being established, with present-day Eucla established 6km inland.
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| Map of Eucla Old Town superimposed on present-day sand dunes (by Paul Clouston) |
There was no signage from the ocean, as most people don’t come that way, and we walked right past the telegraph station. After walking 2 km we should have turned around, but we decided to instead walk to the new town. Bad move. It was over 40°C and reaching the new town required walking uphill.
 |
| Alan from Esperance. |
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| Old Telegraph Station ruins. |
Back at the beach, there was time for another swim, before we weighed anchor at 13:23, with ship time now AWST, not ACDT. As there is no navigable channel through the shoals to the west, we exited the same way we entered, via the east. We then headed south for three nautical miles before turning west, as the exact extent of the shoals is not marked on charts. Better safe than sorry.
OVER.
PS Fun fact: Eucla has its own time zone, Australian Central Western Time (ACWST), which is UTC+8:45.
Good to know seems worth the effort cheers
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