Cheap and cheerful camping where Burke and Wills made themselves famous.
You would think the Town Common would be one of the busiest places at this meeting place and cross roads in the desert wilderness. After all it is the only place nearby to Innamincka that you can camp for next to nothing ($5 per night into the honesty box at the reserve entrance) and it is a handy 2 to 5 minute walk to The Innamincka Hotel if you feel like spoiling yourself with their top-notch meals.
The Common is a very large area in-between the town and Coopers Creek and there are plenty of spots for rigs of any size. Many sites overlook the water where you can watch fish, turtles and birds doing their thing. The bird life is one of the highlights for many people and when you are camped near the water they come to you. There are no particular amenities other than new toilets in several locations around The Common but a 5 minute wander up to the town amenities will do the trick with showers available for a gold coin investment. There is a water point at the entrance so you can fill a bucket or two but it looks like river water so you can just grab it from the river too. The tap point might be handy when the river is dry of course which can happen from time to time. And there is a dump point for your RV if you require it, probably the only one for a long, long way.
It is fair to say that Innamincka is in the middle of nowhere being roughly equal distances from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as the crow flies (around 1200 kms) although the road distance tells a slightly different story (1806 kms from Melbourne, 1579 kms from Sydney and 1350 kms from Brisbane). A road trip from Adelaide will add 1145kms to the odometer so Innamincka is truly a long way from the main population centres. At the time of my last stay in late 2018 Telstra customers were out of luck (although Telstra reception is available at Moomba) but Optus customers had 5 bars of solid signal. A curse to some, but worth a mention in case you need it.
If you are watching your dollars this is one of the cheapest spots you will find. I read somewhere that there is a 4 night maximum but I would doubt that it is strictly monitored. No bookings are required and it is one of those casual spots you roll into, park where you find a spot that suits and just settle back and enjoy the place. The alternatives nearby are more costly being within Innamincka Regional Reserve which requires a permit for your vehicle and camping fees which are quite a bit more than a $5 note each night.
FACT FILE
Location: Several hundred metres walk from Innamincka along the old Strzelecki Track.
Facilities: Toilets (new long drops) are located at several spots across The Common.
Rates: $5 paid into an honesty box at the entrance.
Pets: Pets are allowed.
Bookings: None required.
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