Camping between Port Augusta and Kimba
Submitted: Monday, Sep 21, 2009 at 01:06
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Graham Watson
Finalising planning for our trip to
Googs track on the October Long Weekend. We will not be leaving
Adelaide till around 1pm on the Saturday and are therefore looking at camping overnight between
Port Augusta and
Kimba. Have looked at Camps Australia 4 but it doesn't indicate if any of the sites are suited or unsuited to camper trailers or tents. We will have 3 vehicles, one towing a soft floor camper trailer. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
One option we are considering is camping the night at
Lake Gilles. I've searched the net but havn't found any solid information on the
campground or maps of the conservation park. Does anyone have GPS co-ordinates for the
campground and the turn-off from the eyre highway?
Thanks in advance.
Graham
Reply By: Member - Mal and Di (SA) - Monday, Sep 21, 2009 at 15:38
Monday, Sep 21, 2009 at 15:38
Do not I repeat do not stop at the roadside park at Gillies Downs just west of
Iron Knob. We stopped there back in July and it was a
mine field of dirty peoples utter waste. I cannot believe that if someone wants to do their thing that they could have at least climbed the fence and gone in a hundred yards. There were long ones just laying on the ground outside our door in the cold light of morning.
Bloody disgusting.
H'mm I feel a lot better know. Been wanting to tell someone that for weeks.
M.
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Follow Up By: Muddy doe (SA) - Monday, Sep 21, 2009 at 22:55
Monday, Sep 21, 2009 at 22:55
That is why we never stop on the main hwy but always try and find a spot a few kms in on a dirt road (such as Gilles Tanks in my reply below).
What some travellers do in roadside stops is truly gross. I am betting it is mostly people in normal cars who do not plan journeys and just stop when caught short and let rip without a care. At least most 4wders take a shovel and make some attempt to do the right thing!
Muddy
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Reply By: Muddy doe (SA) - Monday, Sep 21, 2009 at 22:49
Monday, Sep 21, 2009 at 22:49
Hi,
We have camped a couple of times at the old Govt water tanks near
Lake Gilles. You take the Mt Ive turnoff to the right off the Hwy virtually opposite the turnoff to
Iron Knob and head North. After around 10 km the
ruins of the tanks will be on the right side of the road and there is enough room there for 3 or four campsites beside the track. No facilities whatsoever. Just a bit of good solid flat ground next to the
ruins of the water tanks.
If getting up there in daylight then there are probably a stack of spots along that road to just pull off and
camp if you are totally self-contained.
If you are going to
Kimba on the hwy then these spots will be a bit out of the way for you. The reason we camped there was it was a good distance from
Adelaide on way to the top end of
Googs Track out via
Kingoonya. We did the trip North to South.
Friday night at Gilles Tanks, Mt Ive station by lunchtime Saturday, Camped beside Mt Ive to
Kingoonya road Sat night, Camped 1/2way down Googs Sunday night,
Ceduna Monday night then 8hrs tarmac
home to
Adelaide Tuesday. Really is a 4 day trip.
Most people do Googs trip south to north but it can be done north to south and the dune approaches are soooo much smoother and easier. We went June LWE and saw only two other groups going north. Passing was pretty easy.
Cheers
Muddy
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Follow Up By: Krakka - Tuesday, Sep 22, 2009 at 06:03
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2009 at 06:03
Good info Muddy, but I think it really needs to be a 6 day trip from
Adelaide to
Adelaide. In 4 days we didn't go to Mt. Finke or Googs
Lake. Just my thoughts.
Krakka
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Follow Up By: Muddy doe (SA) - Tuesday, Sep 22, 2009 at 12:45
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2009 at 12:45
Yep, probably should have said MINIMUM 4 days!.
Muddy
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Follow Up By: Graham Watson - Tuesday, Sep 22, 2009 at 20:18
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2009 at 20:18
Thanks for the info folks. Tne broad plan is
Adelaide to Port Augusta/
Kimba on Saturday, Port Augusta/
Kimba to Googs
Lake on Sunday, Googs
Lake to Mt Finke on Monday, Mt Finke to
Wilmington??? on Tuesday, ????? to
Adelaide on Wednesday. Unfortunately commitments by various members of the group prevent us taking a longer period.
Graham
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