GREY NOMAD AWARDS

Be an explorer and follow in the tracks of Edward John Eyre, the first white man to reach what is now the town of Kimba in 1840.

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Location: 37 North Terrace, about 800m from the Visitor Information Centre on West Terrace.

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Open: 24/7

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Facilities:  The Council free camp is a large site providing plenty of room for all types of vehicles. The camp has two new amenity blocks, coin-operated showers, bins, picnic tables, potable water and a HUGE new Camp Kitchen to rival any caravan park. It is pet-friendly and adjacent to the Kimba oval, which also features a playground and courts. Generators are allowed.  The Grey Nomad Awards encourage you to donate to stay - honesty box on site.

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Experiences: Kimba's location at the heart of Australia's greatest road trip from one coast to the other makes it a must-stop town. Among the experiences that have cemented Kimba's reputation as a favourite among mature travellers is:

Kimba Vittera silo art - Painted by Cam Scale in late 2017, the 25-metre-high, 70-metre-wide, seven-stack mural of a young girl playing in the wheat fields at sunset signals to travellers that you have arrived in the heart of Kimba. 

Conservation parks - The area around Kimba is a goldmine when it comes to nature walks and unexpected vistas. In the immediate area there is the White's Knob, Moseley Nobs, Lake Gilles, Cortlinye, Pinkawillinie, Caralue Bluff, Carappee, the Gawler Ranges and Refuge Rocks, aka Secret Rocks, which Eyre named because he was so relieved to find a good water source.

Roora Nature Trails and Edward John Eyre sculptures - The short circular track starts just across the road from the free camp and rises to a scenic bluff where a series of re-purposed metal sculptures of Eyre and his party shine in the bright sun.

Half Way Across Australia sign - On the Eyre Highway's eastern entrance to the town, this giant sign will set the scene upon arrival, sharing interesting historic information and giving you a clear picture of your exact location in the bigger scheme of things.

The Big Galah - And we do mean BIG! At a mighty eight metres tall, this is the biggest birdie you'll see in South Australia and the only big flying bird among Australia's more than 60 "big things". Crafted in 1993, this pink parrot is impossible to miss and was given a do-over in 2022.