The extreme dangers lurking along one of Australia’s most iconic coastal landscapes, with crumbling cliff edges and deep cracks threatening sudden collapse at South Australia’s Bunda Cliffs.
The dramatic limestone cliffs, stretching along the Great Australian Bight and popular with travellers crossing the Nullarbor Plain, have again drawn attention after footage showed large fissures opening close to the cliff face, with massive slabs of rock appearing ready to plunge into the ocean below.
The vision has prompted renewed warnings to visitors, as authorities enforce bans and hefty fines to stop people venturing too close to the edge.
Paul and Deb, a couple from Townsville who are currently completing a full lap of Australia, said they were stunned by the scale of the damage when they visited the cliffs.
“You could see the rocks and rubble at the bottom from some viewpoints, which would have been from previous slips,” they said. “Some of the rocks or chunks of cliff would have been bigger than our caravan.”
The pair, who began their journey on New Year’s Day last year, said they were well aware of the dangers and deliberately set up camp about 80 metres back from the edge.
“We felt very safe at that distance, but I did spot one small van camped about 20 metres from the edge. I would have had a very nervous sleep that close,” they said.
They also described seeing tyre tracks leading to within just two metres of the cliff edge. “It amazed me what people will do for a photograph,” Deb said.
Despite its popularity with campers and caravaners, walking or driving along the cliff tops outside designated lookout areas is prohibited. Trespassing can attract fines of up to $1,250.
A spokesperson for South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water said the restrictions were essential for public safety.
“The Bunda Cliffs and surrounding landscapes are natural and fragile environments that constantly crack and fall into the ocean, making it unsafe to be too close to the edge,” the spokesperson said, adding that unofficial tracks were not accessible to the public due to ongoing collapses.
Authorities have installed warning signs at multiple unauthorised access points after visitors repeatedly drove off the highway to reach the cliffs, causing significant environmental damage that can take years to recover.
Paul and Deb spent New Year’s Eve at Bunda Cliffs before crossing into Western Australia on New Year’s Day, where they plan to spend the next seven or eight months before heading north to the Northern Territory.
