Nullarbor Net
Nullarbor Quarantine Rules
Western Australia and South Australia both check vehicles on the Eyre Highway to keep out pests and diseases that could damage their farms — fruit fly above all. The checks are strict, so plan your food shopping around them. There's one checkpoint in each direction:
- Heading west into WA: the WA quarantine checkpoint on the border beside Border Village, 12 km east of Eucla. It is open 24 hours, every day of the year.
- Heading east into SA: South Australia's quarantine station on the Eyre Highway at Ceduna, about 485 km east of the border.
Heading west: entering Western Australia
You must declare quarantine risk material to the quarantine inspector when you arrive, and your vehicle may be inspected. In general no fresh fruit or vegetables are allowed, apart from the items below — and even those must be free of soil, pests, disease and sprouting green growth.
| Item | Rule for WA |
|---|---|
| Fresh fruit & veg | Not allowed, except: pineapple, watermelon (peeled or diced), onions and garlic (peeled), carrot, corn on the cob, mushrooms (packaged), parsnip, beetroot, swede, sweet potato, pumpkin (peeled, seeds removed), taro, turnip, galangal, turmeric, ginger and coconut. |
| Frozen fruit & veg | Hard-frozen is allowed, except grapes, mango with seed, unpeeled onions, garlic or potatoes, and fruits of the Myrtaceae family (such as guava and feijoa). |
| Honey | Not allowed unless certified on a health certificate — which in practice means leave it behind. |
| Raw crustaceans | Raw fresh or frozen crustaceans, including bait prawns, are not allowed unless they meet special import requirements. |
| Packaged snacks | Small commercially packaged fruit and nut mixes, such as trail mix, are fine. |
| Pot plants | Need prior approval from Quarantine WA. Dried flowers are inspected for seeds. |
| Tools & pots | Gardening tools and empty pots must be clean of soil, seeds and plant material. |
| Cats & dogs | No major restrictions. Other animals need an import permit. |
If you do have restricted food when you reach the checkpoint, you can eat it at Border Village first or throw it out. Full details are on the WA Department of Primary Industries site. The Eucla checkpoint's phone number is (08) 9039 3227.
Heading east: entering South Australia
South Australia's rules target fruit fly, which is established in Western Australia. You must eat restricted produce or put it in the quarantine bins before you enter the state; the Ceduna quarantine station takes disposals. SA also runs random roadblocks after the disposal points, and you will be fined if you're caught with restricted produce there. For travellers coming from WA, the official list says:
| Item | Can it come into SA? |
|---|---|
| No | Fresh fruit (apart from pineapple, and melons — see below); avocado; capsicum, chilli, eggplant, tomato and tamarillo; leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and celery; soil; grapevines and cuttings; stock feed such as hay. |
| Yes | Processed, dried, preserved, cooked, frozen or canned fruit and vegetables; pineapple; sweet potato; mushrooms; cured onions and garlic (topped and tailed); root vegetables such as carrot, beetroot, parsnip and turnip, if free of soil with tops removed; dried nuts, herbs and spices; eggs; dairy; meat; fresh and canned fish; bread, cereals and other processed food; cats and dogs. |
| Phone first | Honey, honeycomb and other bee products; melons; potatoes; fresh herbs; fresh onions, leeks and spring onions; cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini and squash; spinach, silverbeet, peas and beans; asparagus; plants, bulbs, cut flowers and firewood. Call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010 (24 hours). |
See the official SA list for travellers from WA and the map of quarantine stations and bins.
Tips for getting through smoothly
- Shop for the crossing, not the week. Buy only as much fresh food as you'll eat before the next checkpoint, then restock on the other side.
- Check the caravan fridge, the esky and the fruit bowl. A forgotten apple still counts.
- If you're unsure, declare it. Entering WA you must declare quarantine risk material, and the inspector can tell you whether it's allowed.
- Rules change during fruit fly outbreaks. South Australia adds extra restrictions in outbreak areas, so check the official sites close to your travel date.
For the rest of your planning, see Nullarbor fuel stops and distances and the driving essentials on the home page.
Rules checked against the official WA and SA government websites in September 2026. Quarantine rules can change at short notice — the official sites always have the final say. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.