After Bells we headed west looking for surf but didn’t find a wave to rival Bells until we hit Cactus, South Australia. There were many waves between Bells and Cactus, but none worth noting. Cactus is a remote desert camp, located at the start of the Nullarbor Plain and is notorious for epic waves and equally epic sharks.
We settled into the wild west camp with the most characterful flushing toilets you will find in any bush base. There is no power or water and it’s 30kms over potholed dirt road to the nearest one horse town Penong, and a further 70kms to any town of significant size to get supplies. This desert surf camp became an instant favourite with the parents and kids, the vast open space and wild surrounds engulf you making you realise how insignificant you are, especially when the stars come out and light up the sky like a light show. You see photos of the stars in the outback but it’s not until you are out there, sitting in the dark desert that you really appreciate its beauty. We scored again with great waves running 3 to 5 foot.
Every night, as we were now in the desert, it would drop down to almost 5 degrees c then jump up to almost 30c in the day. The kids revelled in the outback and played in the bush and the beach like wildlings.
