Kimba SA 5641 (Pop 700)

Kimba is an Eyre Peninsula rural service town and gateway to the SA Outback located 460 km n-w of Adelaide. Early pastoral settlement began from 1870s with the railway (1913) adding a permanence to the small settlement. It is surrounded by important wheat and sheep farming lands. ‘Beyond and Back’ Gawler Ranges Outback Challenge (even-numbered years Oct).

Tourist Attractions & Info:
Kimba & Gawler Ranges Historical Society Museum, Eyre Hwy features a pioneer house (1908), a school, blacksmith’s shop and machinery sheds containing a large array of equipment, tools and machinery. Roora Walking Trail (n-e Kimba) scenic 3 km bushland trail to White Knob Lookout.

Nearby:
Lake Gilles Conservation Park (20 km n-e) 42 000 ha semi arid mallee reserve of gypsum dunes, salt pans and rocky hills and habitat for the mallee fowl. 4WD if accessing the lake’s northern area. Caralue Bluff (20 km s-w) popular abseiling spot. Carappee Hill Conservation Park (25 km s-w) great bush walking trails and camping areas. Darke Peak (40 km s-w) memorial to early explorer John Charles Darke and wonderful summit views. Pinkawillinie Conservation Park (turnoff 50 km west) contains the Peninsula’s largest mallee area which is home to number of desert birds, emus and kangaroos.

Accommodation:
Kimba has a couple of hotel/motels, a B&B, holiday cottages and a caravan park. Visitor Information Centre: Kimba Mobil Roadhouse, Eyre Hwy. Tel (08) 8627 2040.

Airports:
Kimba Aerodrome, Aerodrome Rd, Kimba Council Tel (08) 8627 2026; Port Augusta Airport (PUG), off Eyre Hwy. (154 km n-e).

Hospital:
Kimba District Hospital, Martin Terrace. Tel (08) 8627 2400.