Casuarina is the smallest and quietest of the Innes camps near Pondalowie, ten sites off a gravel track in the mallee and heath. We drove through on our way out of the park after Dolphin Bay and didn’t camp, but with a tent or the camper trailer it’s the one we’d book for peace and quiet.
What we like
- Only ten sites, very quiet
- Beach access track from camp
- Camper trailers on five sites
- Pondalowie and Dolphin Bay close
What we don’t
- Little or no shade
- No caravans
- Gas fires only
About Casuarina CampgroundAbout
The campground is run by National Parks and Wildlife Service SA on Nharangga Banggara, Narungga Country, off Browns Beach Road near Pondalowie Bay, and is signed from the park road. Every site is booked and paid for online at parks.sa.gov.au, and when we checked it was $27.50 a night for one vehicle and up to five people, plus the park’s $14.40 vehicle entry. Bring a gas stove, because it’s gas fires only.
Quick facts
- AddressCasuarina Campground, Browns Beach Road, Inneston, SA 5577, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionPatchy
- FacilitiesToiletsBeach AccessCamper Trailer AccessNo Drinking WaterNo ShowersNo PowerNo Campfires
- Good to know10 booked sitesTents and camper trailers, no caravansGas fires only
- Fees$27.50 a night per siteplus $14.40 park entry
- 8.3/10Overall rated
- Book via Parks SA
Getting There
From the park gate past Marion Bay, follow the sealed road through the park towards Pondalowie and turn off at the green Casuarina Campground sign. A short, firm gravel track leads in past the welcome sign, fine for a car or a camper trailer in the dry. Inside, a one-way gravel loop runs past all ten campsites, so follow it round and pick yours off it. Pay the vehicle entry before you come in; the self-registration is card only.
The Campsites
The sites are cleared, roughly square patches of pale sand and gravel, about 5.5 to 7.5 metres across, set off the track behind timber rails with a numbered post at each, and the mallee and heath between them keep them private. There’s little or no shade, but some shelter from the wind, and the toilets are 25 to 105 metres away. If you’re towing a camper trailer, book 4 to 6, 9 or 10; sites 1 to 3, 7 and 8 are tent only. There are no caravan sites, which is a big part of why it’s quiet.
Campground LayoutLayout
The track in leaves Browns Beach Road by the info sign and runs north-west to the loop. Sites 1 to 5 sit along its southern side, 6 to 8 up the western and northern side, and 9 and 10 on the way back down the east. The toilets and a small parking area are on the western side of the loop, and a walking trail heads north from the top of it to Pondalowie Bay beach.
Facilities
A toilet block with a rainwater tank beside it stands off the track, and that’s the extent of the facilities: no showers, power or drinking water, so bring your own and fill up at Marion Bay. Cook on gas: wood fires are banned in the park from 1 November to 24 March. From the camp, a signed beach access track heads off through the heath.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
Pondalowie Bay and its beach are next door, the white salt lakes are beside the road in, and Dolphin Bay, the calm sandy bay where we swam, is a short drive back along the park road. Cape Spencer is the park’s great lookout, and the Inneston ghost town, the West Cape lighthouse and the Ethel wreck are all on the west side of the park. Everything is in our Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park guide.
Summary
Casuarina is ten quiet booked sites in the Innes mallee near Pondalowie, for tents and camper trailers only, with toilets, a rainwater tank and a track to the beach. Bring water and shade, cook on gas, and book ahead in the holidays.
The quiet one near Pondalowie.
Casuarina has ten booked sites off a gravel track in the mallee and heath, for tents and camper trailers only, with toilets, a rainwater tank and a track to the beach. There’s little shade and it’s gas fires only, but for a small camp near the best beaches in the park it’s hard to beat.
- Caravanners
Yes. $27.50 a night plus park entry for one of ten quiet sites, with a beach track from camp and Pondalowie and Dolphin Bay down the road.
Recommended Gear for Casuarina
It’s gas only, so pack a stove like the Dune single burner, and bring your water in good water containers. The sites have little shade, so an awning like the Kings 270 Tourer helps, and a camp shower gets the salt off after the beach.
