Bullara Station from above (Image Tourism WA)
Julia D’Orazio discovers the Exmouth Gulf’s best-kept secret is more than just a rustic stay.
The Exmouth Gulf is a happening place. The coastal town of Exmouth, 1250km north of Perth, is a springboard for bucket-list experiences: swimming with the ocean’s ‘Big Three’ — whale sharks, humpback whales and manta rays — and discovering the flourishing World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef flipper strides from shore.
But instead of driving straight to Exmouth, consider exploring dry lands (just for a few days) by discovering what’s on the doorstep of the Exmouth Gulf. The region’s best-kept secret, Bullara Station, is 91km south of Exmouth and this family-run cattle station iffers an authentic outback experience like no other — cheeseburger pies included.
Where beef meets boujee
My partner and I pulled into Bullara Station, just off Minilya-Exmouth Road. It was a welcome change of scenery from our previous stop, frolicking the calm waters of Coral Bay (69km south). Of course, coastal life always makes for a good time, but the magic of red desert sands awaited.
We parked the car next to a couple of resting cows under a tree, attempting to escape the heat. It was unbearably hot, and unfortunately for us, this unusual October heatwave came with flies out in full force. It was the tail end of the season; the station is open for stays from April to October.
Bullara was first established in 1920 as a Merino sheep station, extending a quarter of a million acres on land known as the Punurrba by the local Yinggarda people. That’s bigger than Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Since the mid-1950s, the Shallcross family has owned and managed the station. Over time, it switched from sheep to Droughtmaster cattle due to declining live exports. Aside from being a working station, with Tim and Edwina Shallcross now at the helm, it has slowly evolved from herding livestock to inviting outsiders to embrace an outback lifestyle.
Today, Bullara is one of Western Australia’s premier outback station stays, best described as where beef meets boujee. The station is more than just a peek into life on a working cattle station; it offers a range of outback experiences found nowhere else.
Finding your way during your Bullara Station stay
Unwinding in Bullara
We quickly retreated to check in at reception, which doubles as a small store selling merch and, perhaps the most enticing to purchase, a stocked fridge of beef products. After our briefing, we were directed to wait for the camp host outside the reception area. The station is big on making it a personal experience, with many of its staff assisting with new arrivals and providing inspiration for what to do around the station. More than just seeing cows running amok.
Upon arriving, we were quickly brought up to date with a full list of experiences by the camp host which includes legendary Friday burger nights with live music and big group mess hall-style dinners in the station’s historic, revamped Woolshed, mixed in with an on-site gourmet bakery and cafe, a kitsch bar and innovative lava tree open air showers. Life sure is different out here.
Before getting ahead of ourselves, we put down our roots. Bullara offers 100 powered and unpowered campsites, with sites able to accommodate almost all rig sizes. Sporadic bursts of green — snakewood, corkwood and Tamarisk trees and shrublands — beautifully contrast the sea of red. The trees — robbers of soil — act as windbreakers in the Exmouth Gulf.
Multiple communal facilities are dotted throughout the area, all riddled with character. Each building is unique in construction and made with repurposed materials, including a well-equipped kitchen, three ablution blocks and standalone toilets. Dare I say even the usually mundane toilets and hot showers impressed with structures adorned with upcycled farming machinery decor.
Salvaging goods is evident throughout the station’s grounds. A naked tree next to the communal fire pits and the tin-shed camp kitchen are ornamented with empty spirits and wine bottles. Speaking of unique shade coverings, I couldn’t wait to get under the campground’s famed Lava Tree showers.
The unique bottle tree
Two old rainwater tanks have been given a new lease of life (and a good orange paint job) as the station’s novel private shower and toilet blocks. Adding to the originality factor are watering cans used as shower heads. Showering under a watering can and drooping leaves from towering gums is a lovely self-care moment. Pity, the feeling of being refreshed was short-lived with temperatures in the high 30°s. Luckily, there are many places to retreat beside the campsite.
It all happens at the Woolshed
The scene is set at Bullara’s Woolshed, a repurposed outbuilding transformed into the social heart of the station. A timeworn Bedford truck is bogged at the entrance; its rims are half-buried in pale tangerine dirt. Like many station structures, the truck’s tray has been creatively repurposed and converted into a stage. It’s used twice a week with live music every Thursday and Friday.
Bedford truck stage
The biggest night is on Fridays; we are told Exmouth locals make the trek for the station’s legendary burger night. Burgers are cooked on two massive hanging grills over charcoals with things heating up under zigzagging festoon lights. It’s pretty convenient to have a party on your doorstep. While we missed out on burger night due to unfortunate timing, we still got to savour a taste of the Woolshed’s other events.
Passing by swinging barbecues, high-top oil barrel tables and chairs and the barn-like stage on wheels, we walked under the Woolshed’s mounted bull skull (remember, Bullara has a penchant for quirky decor) to the station’s licensed small bar, The Local Joint. It was happy hour, and we took up a stool to mingle with other campers, escaping the heat, escaping the flies. The colossal shed is equipped with fans, ample seating (stools, chairs, couches and long tables) for all vibes and a cafe (more on that later).
The Woolshed at twilight is a great place to be
Another event Bullara prides itself on is The Table. Curated by head chef Toby Fisher, the two-course dining experience, which costs $65 per head, highlights the best of regional produce, with the menu changing seasonally. The experience is not just a culinary but a social one. It’s about making new friends over good food and sharing a unique dining experience.
“The long table dinners allow for great conversations about travel and family, and it is so heartwarming to see people wave and swap numbers the next day after they have experienced the magic of The Table,” Co-owner Edwina told us about the exceptional outback dining concept.
The wholesome dinner started at 6.30pm, and conversation easily flowed with fellow diners. We discussed our travel plans, routes, mishaps and adventures along the way. It seems something we all weren’t expecting was this bistro-in-the-bush experience. We collectively raved about our hearty serves of meatloaf, being spoilt with beautifully plated, restaurant-quality food.
“We are always delighted to hear that our food is so unexpected and appreciated given our remote location in WA,” Edwina said, revealing the sources of the ingredients which include fresh produce from the state’s ‘food bowl’ Carnarvon, fish from Exmouth, and the station’s grass-fed beef.
Exploring Bullara
We kick-started the day with a morning visit to Woolshed Café, headed by pastry chef Maree Fisher — Toby’s wife — with offerings just as impressive as the previous night’s feed. Eating at Bullara is hardly basic. My mouth started watering when I saw a gourmet toastie filled with beef sirloin with siracha, mayo, cheese and onion marmalade on the menu. I discovered it was unavailable, but I was encouraged to order another station staple — homemade pies.
Exploring the station’s grounds (Image Tourism WA)
If we were missing burger night, we would go for ‘second best’ — a cheeseburger pie. We made the rookie error of going halves on the bigger-than-usual hand-held pie — its golden, flaky pastry beautifully encasing a mixture of beef mince, tomato sauce and melted cheese with relish on the side for dipping. I’m happy to own the title of Ms Glutton as I went for a second helping, ordering one all to myself. It was that good!
Despite my overeating, we were urged to order another famed item off the menu — scones. A small bite does not seem to be a concept here as the scones are big and served alongside generous blobs of homemade jam and cream. The Woolshed offers many seating arrangements, so taking our coffees and scones to the couch seemed a safe bet.
Moving on, with mid-morning temperatures bearable, we stretched our legs along the Windmill and Tin Can Walk. It is one of the station’s three marked walking trails: an easy 2.2km red dirt trail weaving through campgrounds, thirsty shrublands and passing the Hale Hut.
Windmill and Tin Can Walk
For more adventurous property exploration, there is the 4WD Gulf Track. The bush track stretches roughly 20km (35 minutes) to the bottom of the Exmouth Gulf. At the end, there is a viewing deck (chairs supplied) to kick back or go fishing. Throw a line into the tidal creeks near the boat ramp or launch a tinny to the islands (a minimum of a 1.2m tide is required for a successful launch). Nearshore, mud skippers and crabs frequently lurk around the deck’s fringing sandy mangroves.
It was almost sundown, and we ventured along Red Sandhill Walk. The 2.6km walk is the perfect spot for sunset viewing, with the trail leading to the top of small sand dunes. Atop is an arbour constructed of thick black piping and a wooden couples seat. My partner and I sat down to take in the bold hues in front of us: fiery sands, patches of green bush and a blue sky streaked with clouds. Four brown cows slowly passed us by, animating the vivid scene.
With the sun setting, we could not believe our luck. Exmouth is known for its activities in the Big Blue, but life on dry red lands can also be remarkable in other ways. Secret’s out.
More information
Bullara Station
P: 08 9942 5938
E: stay@bullarastation.com.au
Inlet north of Bullara Station (Image Tourism WA)
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