Lake Gilles

You know those unplanned turn-offs, when you respond to a sign and end up on a dirt track, hoping it’s going to turn out well?

Lake Gilles was a win. Although it’s also the name of a town, I’m pretty sure we ended up at the Conservation Park.

This is mallee country, with gypsum sandhills that get quarried. Mallee means low growing native shrubs and trees and this overcast day was brilliant for bringing out their autumn colours.

The lake, which is salt, is usually pretty empty we read, so bonus points for timing. We could easily have kayakked on it and the size would make a good adventure.

There are camping flats nearby, some picnic tables and you could have a fire in the right season. The road in was dirt but graded and we had no concerns. There are information boards, a little weather-beaten, about things such as the limited, seasonal life forms,

And clearly signed walking paths. We took this one for the length of the lake near where we’d parked, but unsure how far it went.

If you’re out on the Eyre Peninsula near Kimba, this is a beaut little spot, away from the hustle and bustle, 10km off the main highway.

Safe Travels.