Camping at Lake Bonney has long been on my “to do” list with Molly the Coaster Bus. In this article I tell you about where we camped, what it was like, and give you some tips on the best things to do around the Lake Bonney and Barmera area. Heads up – this is one of the best value camping spots I have ever come across! Read on and thank me later.
Camping at Lake Bonney – How Do I Book?
Just putting this info right at the top of the article so you can find it easily. Here is the link to book through the Berri Barmera Council. We stayed at campsite 7, and this group of campsites (7,8,9 and 10) is the closest to the town of Barmera. We found that very convenient for parking the Coaster Bus and being able to cycle (10 mins) or walk (30 mins) into Barmera for dinner or a drink. Cost at the time of writing this article in March 2025 is $10 per night.
Where is Lake Bonney?
Lake Bonney is a pretty impressive fresh water lake in the Riverland area of South Australia. Barmera is the closest town to the lake – in fact Barmera sits right on the shores of Lake Bonney. Located a couple of hours from Adelaide, the area has a lot of agricultural land, and also a few wineries! Lake Bonney is a draw card for many holiday makers who love fishing, boating and camping.
Why We Chose Lake Bonney
This time last year we visited Barmera, which is the town on the shores of Lake Bonney. We had an accommodation voucher we purchased as part of the SA Governments “River Revival” promotion. An incentive program designed to encourage tourists to visit the towns along the Murray River after the recent flooding. We stayed at the Barmera Lakeside Resort Motel which was fantastic! We had a view of the lake from our room, the location was within walking distance to the town centre, the owners of the motel were helpful and friendly, and the price was very affordable. If you don’t want to camp, then I highly recommend the Barmera Lakeside Resort Motel.
Whilst exploring we drove around Lake Bonney (about 21km by the way) and spied some camping sites right on the shores of the lake. It looked like a beautiful, scenic and quiet location. A great place to come back to in Molly the Camper Bus! Twelve months later we loaded up our Toyota Coaster for a weekend of camping at Lake Bonney!
A Road Trip in the Toyota Coaster Bus!
The drive from where we live to the Murray River area is not the most exciting of drives to be honest. A long straight road. Once you get over the hills past the Barossa Valley it becomes a long, straight, dry road. No towns to go through until you reach Blanchetown which is about an hour into the trip. Here you cross the Murray River, and it’s about another hour until you reach Barmera.
It was great to be on a road in the Coaster Bus! The Jacaranda trees were in their full, magnificent purple bloom, standing out like beacons amongst the straw coloured crops and the green trees. I ask you, is there any better sign that summer is on the doorstep than a Jacaranda tree in flower? We bought lunch at the Road House outside of the Barossa and stopped in Blanchetown to eat it in the sunshine by the Murray River. From Blanchetown it was about another hour drive to Barmera.
On arrival at Barmera we called in to the supermarket to pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables for our stay. This is actually the first trip where I remembered NOT to pack fruit and vegetables. Usually I pack them then have to dispose of them in the quarantine bin on the highway before Blanchetown. If you don’t know already, you are not allowed to bring fruit and vegetables into the Riverland region. Something I always manage to forget. However, not this time!!
Now fully stocked, we set about finding the campsite with the address on the booking receipt. Easy Peasy! The town of Barmera is actually right on the shore of Lake Bonney, and the campsite is located a short five minute drive, anti-clockwise around Lake Bonney from Barmera.
Camping at Lake Bonney – Finding the Site
Driving in to the camping area we could see that there were three drive in camp sites, and one walk in camp site. Two of the drive in campsites were already occupied, leaving the one up the end for us. As a bonus, it is also the site we had booked – site 7. This is truly the best site out of the four. Right up the end so no-one needs to drive past, absolute privacy.
The first impression of the camp site was, WOW! All three of the drive in sites have an absolute beach front location. Nothing between you and the water apart from a small stretch of sand. The view over Lake Bonney was so beautiful. Facing west, you get the best view of the sun setting over the water. Lining the shallows of the lake right in front of the campsites are dead gum trees in various stages of ruin. They are a haven for bird life and marine life in Lake Bonney, and make fascinating photo subjects as the light changes around them.
The great thing about the Coaster Bus is that it literally takes five minutes to set up camp. Park it, put out the table, chairs, bikes, barbecue, step and mat. Job done! Put your feet up and relax with a cuppa tea. By this time it was mid afternoon, so we relaxed with our books for an hour or so. Then we jumped on the bikes and rode a very manageable ten minutes into Barmera.
Sunset Drinks at the Barmera Club
First stop on the bike ride – actually the only stop – was the Barmera Club. Located right on the shores of Lake Bonney, its outdoor deck is a lovely spot to have a drink and enjoy the water views. As a special bonus, Bassham Wines had a wine tasting event on in the dining room when we visited. It was a great opportunity to sample some of the local Barmera wines, and I must say they were very tasty too. Bassham Wines boast a diverse range of wines, including a few European styles. My two favourites were the Sparkling Shiraz and the Prosecco. This was a great treat whilst camping at Lake Bonney!
The Barmera Club also serve meals. Friday night is Schnitzel Night where you can get a good deal on a Schnitzel, with many toppings to choose from. Delicious! After a schnitzel and a few drinks it was back on the bike to work off dinner, and we were back at the Coaster Bus in time to watch the spectacular sunset.
Sunrise at Lake Bonney
The next morning I got up early and took a few photos of the bus and the lake around sunrise. The colours in the sky were amazing, a palette of pastel pinks, blues and yellows. The strong breeze from the day before had subsided, the water was calm and still, and the reflections of everything on the surface of the lake was stunning. This was definitely a highlight of camping at Lake Bonney.
We packed the inflatable kayak for this trip, and this would have been an ideal time of day to drag it into the water and go for a paddle! It was just so lovely walking by the lake though, and just couldn’t be bothered to get the kayak out. Maybe next time!
Cycling Adventures
Around mid morning we rode the bikes into Barmera and this time visited The Lakes Bakery and Café. This too is perched right on the Lake with a great outdoor area perfect for enjoying the water views.
After coffee and cake, I took off to ride the 21km around Lake Bonney. There is no actual bike path or walking track around the Lake, and much of the land around the Lake is fenced off for Indigenous cultural reasons. I found if I kept the Lake on my right hand side I was able to find a path around it using the road network. The traffic was a bit scary at times (trucks!!) and I made a couple of wrong turns but ended up finding my way around the Lake. The roads were generally pretty quiet, and I came across grape vines, other camp sites, lovely scenery, and even a nudist camp! I was back at the bus after about two hours of riding.
Camping At Lake Bonney – Relaxing on a Saturday Afternoon
I cooked up a sausage sizzle on the barbecue for lunch – I ask, is there any better smell at a campsite than sausages and onion cooking? Then settled in for the afternoon to read, nap, and watch the birds on the lake.
That night I cooked up steak and lamb chops on the barbecue and served it with a fresh salad from the supplies we picked up at the supermarket the day before. I opened a bottle of wine and enjoyed a glass or two whilst watching the sunset. What a remarkable camping spot. We shall definitely return to this spot.
Time To Pack Up and Head Home
Sunday morning came around all too quick and it was time to head home in the Coaster Bus. On the way out we called into the Bruce Oval at Barmera to empty the toilet cassette at the dump point. This location also has public toilets and potable water which is great to know for future camping trips. The Berri-Barmera Council really seems to value RV owners, caravanners and campers and has some wonderful facilities. The people who camped next to us mentioned that during the week when the campsites aren’t busy, the council come through and tidy up the area so it is nice and clean for the next lot of campers. Exceptional!
As I said at the start of the article, this is one of the prettiest, cleanest, best value for money campsites I have ever stayed at. Put it on your destination list! Got a question about camping at Lake Bonney? Get in touch!
