Driving 4,000 km from Perth to Sydney is one of Australia's great road trips. Stretching across the vast Nullarbor Plain, the journey is filled with endless horizons, remote landscapes, and some of the country's most iconic highways. At first, I wondered whether such an open landscape would offer enough photographic opportunities. It turned out to be exactly the opposite.
Knowing this trip was coming, I added the Sony FE 100-400mm GM to my camera bag. It was my first full-frame telephoto lens, replacing the APS-C 55-200mm I'd previously used on my Sony a6000. The extra reach completely changed the way I photographed the Australian outback.
Perth to Fraser Range
Leaving Perth at 3 a.m., I crossed the Wheatbelt before reaching Norseman and turning onto the Eyre Highway—the road that would carry me almost all the way across Australia. I spent the night at a quiet rest stop near Fraser Range, rewarded with a spectacular sunset over the bush.
The following morning, another early start led me to one of the first memorable photographic moments. Near Balladonia, the new 100-400mm lens transformed what appeared to be a simple landscape into countless layered compositions.
Unlike a wide-angle lens, which would have been dominated by the bright dawn sky, the telephoto allowed me to isolate textures and subtle light across the landscape. Shooting around f/11 provided enough depth of field while the lens stabilisation made handheld photography effortless.
Madura Pass and the Roe Plains
After driving the famous 90 Mile Straight, Australia's longest straight road at 146.6 km, the landscape suddenly changes at Madura Pass. From the escarpment, sweeping views stretch across the ancient Roe Plains—once covered by an inland sea millions of years ago.
Large storm clouds drifted across the plains during my visit, creating dramatic patches of sunlight and rain. From this elevated viewpoint I found myself shooting almost entirely in portrait orientation, using the telephoto lens to compress layers of rain, trees and distant hills.
The Nullarbor and the Bunda Cliffs
Despite its name meaning "no trees" in Latin, the Nullarbor is far from empty. Low bluebush, mulga scrub and seasonal wildflowers cover much of the landscape, but the real photographic highlight is the spectacular Bunda Cliffs.
Although I arrived well before sunset, the afternoon light illuminated the eastern cliffs beautifully while waves crashed into the limestone below. I experimented with handheld panorama images, wishing I'd carried my tripod down from the car.
I also swapped to the Sony 14mm GM hoping for astrophotography later that evening. While the expansive landscape looked impressive in person, the ultra-wide perspective struggled to capture the scale I'd experienced.
Stars Above the Outback
I reached the Nullarbor Roadhouse just before sunset and stayed for the night. Once darkness fell, the outback delivered exactly what I had hoped for—crystal-clear skies filled with stars.
Although the Milky Way core wasn't visible during this season, I created a different type of image by pointing the camera towards the Eyre Highway. A 20-second exposure allowed passing road trains to paint streaks of light across the foreground while keeping the stars perfectly sharp.
There's something special about photographing the Australian outback under a sky full of stars.
Storms Across South Australia
Continuing east towards Ceduna and Kimba, the weather became increasingly dramatic. Massive storm cells rolled in from the north, pushing walls of dust ahead of them to create incredible mud storms—one of the most memorable sights of the trip.
Photography soon became secondary as severe flooding across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales turned the remainder of the drive into an endurance test. Road closures, lengthy detours and flooded crossings eventually pushed me north before I reached Griffith after a 14-hour day behind the wheel.
Local advice convinced me to continue driving overnight, allowing me to stay ahead of the worsening conditions. Looking back, it proved to be the right decision.
Reflections on the Journey
Five days after leaving Perth, I finally arrived in Sydney with several thousand images waiting to be edited and a new appreciation for telephoto landscape photography.
The Nullarbor may appear empty on a map, but for photographers willing to slow down and look beyond the horizon, it offers endless opportunities. Sometimes the biggest landscapes reveal their beauty through the smallest details.
And finally, a special thank you to our faithful Toyota RAV4, which carried us safely across Australia one last time. You'll be missed.
