Penong Roadhouse serves horrible hot chocolate. I think it was just a Cadbury cocoa powder but it just screamed to me “you shouldn’t have. Really, you shouldn’t have”.
But the hot chocolate was the only wrong about this place that was full of unexpected highlights. We loved the meat pies (especially anything made by the owners). The shop has a selection of fresh local veggies which is amazing given we are on the Nullarbor where it doesn’t seem possible that anything could grow. Penong is home to a free outdoor windmill museum which is much more interesting that we expected (I wouldn’t say I had ever taken any notice of windmills before…but now I do!). Just off the main road is Cactus Beach which we soon found out is a surf mecca, considered by many as one of the best spots to surf in Australia. To get to it, you will pass by a lake that turns pink at certain times of the year which makes for fantastic pictures.
Most of those visiting Penong are either about to start driving the Nullarbor, or have just finished it. The Nullarbor is a long stretch of straight road with no trees or obvious towns that connects eastern Australia and Western Australia. This is, as the sign says, the last chance to top up on any supplies…minus the hot chocolate.
