Pondalowie Bay is the biggest campground in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park and the most sheltered, tucked into the mallee and sheoak behind Pondalowie Bay on the west side of the park. We drove through the bush camping loop on our day in the park, after Cape Spencer, and didn’t camp, but it’s where we’d pitch a tent for a few nights in Innes.
What we like
- Sheltered sites in the mallee
- Some shade, unlike the other camps
- Short walk to Pondalowie Bay
- Inneston and West Cape close
- Quiet after 10 pm
What we don’t
- No campfires, gas only
- No drinking water or bins
- Small tent-only bush sites
About Pondalowie Bay CampgroundAbout
The campground is run by National Parks and Wildlife Service SA on Nharangga Banggara, Narungga Country, and has two parts: a bush camping loop of 26 tent sites, and a separate area for caravans and camper trailers, 52 sites in all on the park board. Every site is booked and paid for online at parks.sa.gov.au. When we checked, a bush site was $27.50 a night for one vehicle and up to five people, plus the park’s $14.40 vehicle entry. Dogs aren’t allowed, and it’s gas fires only.
Quick facts
- AddressPondalowie Campground, Pondalowie Bay Road, Inneston, SA 5577, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionPatchy
- FacilitiesToiletsBeach AccessFishingWalking TrailsCaravan AccessCamper Trailer AccessNo Drinking WaterNo BinsNo ShowersNo PowerNo Campfires
- Good to know26 bush tent sitesVans in their own areaBins only at Stenhouse Bay
- Fees$27.50 a night for a bush siteplus $14.40 park entry
- 8.6/10Overall rated
- Book via Parks SA
Getting There
From the park gate past Marion Bay, the sealed road runs through the park past Stenhouse Bay to Pondalowie Bay, past the salt lakes, and the campground entrances are off the road near the end. Just after the road splits for Barndalawi-Pondalowie Bay and the surf break, the bush camping loop has its own sign for sites 1 to 26, with no trailers or oversized vehicles and gas fires only. Any car or van gets there. Pay the vehicle entry before you come in; the self-registration is card only and the internet is slow.
The Campsites
The bush camping loop is a gravel track winding through mallee and sheoak, with the sites set off it behind timber posts, and a map board at the entrance shows where each one is. They’re small to medium tent sites, about 3 to 15 metres long and 35 to 175 metres from the toilets, and unlike most camps in the park many have part shade and some shelter from the wind. If you’re travelling with friends, a few pairs can be shared with the site next door. Trailers and oversized vehicles aren’t allowed on the loop (only site 5 is listed for a tent or camper trailer), so vans go in the caravan and trailer area.
When we came through, tents and gazebos were set up on several sites among the trees and others were free, but in the summer holidays book ahead.
Campground LayoutLayout
The bush camping loop turns off the park road between Stenhouse Bay and Pondalowie Bay, past the info board, and the gravel track then winds around a big loop through the mallee. Sites 1 to 5 are off the northern side, 6 to 16 off the track that runs down the east, and 17 to 26 along the west. A walking trail leads past the barbecue in the middle, and the accessible toilets are at the south-west corner.
Facilities
The boards at the entrance are worth a read. Keep it quiet after 10 pm and leave the generator at home, and there are no campfires at Pondalowie: cook on gas, and on Total Fire Ban days not even that. There are no bins any more, so sort your rubbish and recycling and drop it at the station at Stenhouse Bay. Keep your water containers closed, because feral bees come looking for water in this dry country, and keep an eye out for snakes and kangaroo ticks. There’s no drinking water, so fill up at Marion Bay before the park.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
Pondalowie Bay and the old Fisherman’s Village are a short walk, and the board points you to the rest: fishing from the beach, the Inneston ghost town, the West Cape lighthouse and lookout, and the wreck of the Ethel at Ethel Beach. The salt lakes are beside the road in, Cape Spencer is back towards the gate, and Dolphin Bay is the calm bay for a swim. Everything is in our Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park guide.
Summary
Pondalowie Bay is the big, sheltered camp in Innes: 26 tent sites in the mallee with part shade, a separate area for vans, toilets and a phone, and the bay, Inneston and West Cape close by. Gas only, no generators, no bins and no water, so come self-sufficient and take your rubbish to Stenhouse Bay.
The big one, and the most sheltered.
Pondalowie’s bush camping loop has 26 tent sites tucked into the mallee and sheoak with part shade, a separate area takes caravans and camper trailers, and Pondalowie Bay, Inneston and West Cape are all close. It’s gas only, there’s no water or bins, and the bush sites are small, so pack light.
- Campers
- Families
- Anglers
Yes. $27.50 a night plus park entry for a sheltered site in the mallee, a short walk from Pondalowie Bay and close to the best of the park.
Recommended Gear for Pondalowie Bay
It’s gas only, so pack a stove like the Dune single burner, and carry all your water in good water containers. The bush sites are small, so a compact awning like the Kings 270 Tourer fits better than a big gazebo, and a camp shower is the only wash in the park.
