A vast, almost treeless limestone plain stretching across southern Australia to the sea cliffs of the Great Australian Bight.
Area
200,000 km²
Continent
Australia
Location
Southern Australia, on the Great Australian Bight
Temperature
Hot, dry summers
Rainfall
Around 150–250 mm a year
Climate
Arid plain
About the Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor is the world’s largest single exposure of limestone bedrock, a flat, arid plain crossed by the Trans-Australian Railway. Almost nothing grows tall here — just hardy saltbush and bluebush — yet caves riddle the rock below, and at its southern edge the land ends abruptly in the towering Bunda Cliffs above the Southern Ocean.
Did you know?
Its name comes from Latin for “no tree”, and it holds the world’s longest straight stretch of railway — 478 km.
Highlights
- The world’s largest single slab of limestone
- Ends in the sheer Bunda sea cliffs
- Crossed by the longest straight railway on Earth
Photo gallery
Life in the Nullarbor Plain
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Red kangaroo
The largest marsupial, roaming the arid Australian outback in mobs.
Dingo
Australia’s wild dog, a top predator across the outback deserts.
Birds
Emu
Australia’s tall flightless bird, wandering the outback for food and water.
Trees & plants
Spinifex grass
Spiky hummock grass that covers vast stretches of the Australian outback.
Day & night in the Nullarbor Plain
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a subtropical desert.
Midday sun
+45°C
typical daytime high
Blistering daytime heat gives way to surprisingly cool nights — clear skies let the day’s warmth escape, and the temperature can tumble by 30°C or more after dark.
Recorded range for the Nullarbor Plain: Hot, dry summers