Pinkawillinie Conservation Park

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Closures and safety

This park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.

You can determine the current fire danger rating by checking the Fire Ban District map on the CFS website.

Check the CFS website or call the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline 1800 362 361 for:

• Information on fire bans and current fire conditions
• Current CFS warnings and incidents
• Information on what to do in the event of a fire.

Listen to your local area radio station for the latest updates and information on fire safety.

Visitor information, bookings and park management:

Port Lincoln Natural Resources Centre
Phone: (+61 8) 8688 3111
Email: DEWEPOnlineBookings@sa.gov.au 

Emergency contacts:

Medical, fire (including bushfire) and police emergency situations
Phone: Triple Zero - 000

Police Assistance
Phone: 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance

National Parks and Wildlife Service SA – After-hours duty officer
Phone: 08 8688 3223

Injured wildlife:

Within the park
Please contact Port Lincoln Natural Resource Centre on (08) 8688 3111 or the after-hours duty officer on (08) 8688 3223

Outside of the park
Please contact a local wildlife rescue group

The best time to visit is between March and October, when the temperatures are mild during the day and cool at night.

Pinkawillinie Conservation Park is located 60km north-west of Kimba.

• Park map

The Park is accessible by 4WD vehicles only via three access points:

• Stringer Road, which begins at the Eyre Highway, 55 kilometres west of Kimba at the Buckleboo sign. On the northern side of the park, Stringer Road links with the Buckleboo-Kimba sealed road, approximately 12 km north-west of Kimba.
• the historical Number 17 Stock Route, which bisects the park from the rugged granite Corrobinnie Hill to the Woolford Track.
• Woolford Track, which traverses the northern area of the park from Buckleboo westward to farming land in the Wudinna area. This track should not be attempted during the summer months.

Assistance dogs are permitted in most public places and are therefore welcome in South Australia’s parks and reserves. Assistance dogs must be appropriately restrained on a lead and remain under your effective control at all times while in a park or reserve.

As per the dogs in parks and reserves policy, if the dog is not an accredited assistance dog, they must be trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate that disability and meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for a dog in a public place. However, refusal may be given if the person with the disability is unable to produce evidence the dog is an assistance dog with the appropriate training.

Before taking your assistance dog into a park that does not normally allow dogs, it is highly recommended that you contact us so we can provide you with the latest information on any potential hazards within specific parks that may affect your dog. Please contact the park via the contact details provided under the contact tab or call the information line on (+61 8) 8204 1910.

Dogs are not permitted in this park.

Discover which parks you can walk your dog in on our find a park tool or read 12 dog-friendly walks in Adelaide Parks by Good Living for inspiration.

There are very limited facilities in the park. Please ensure you carry sufficient water, food and supplies for your entire visit. It is also a good idea to let a responsible person know of your intended movements and when you expect to return.

• Remote area travel information
• Parks management plans
• Trails SA
• SA Marine Parks

Outback Road Report

1300 361 033 (24-hour automated service)
Northern and Western South Australian Outback Roads Temporary Closures, Restrictions and Warnings Report

• Important: Collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited. Dead wood plays a vital role in providing shelter for animals and adding nutrients to the soil.

Plants

White sandhills dotted with porcupine grass, eucalypts and sand pine are the dominant landform in the park. A variety of shrubs, including hakeas, grevilleas and melaleucas, can also be found. Seasonal wildflowers, myoporums, santalums, casuarinas and western myalls dominate in the northern section. 

Animals

Birdlife is prolific and includes parrots, wattlebirds, honeyeaters, wrens, babblers and birds of prey. The park is also home to the vulnerable malleefowl and, at night, visitors may hear the southern boobook owl, nightjar or tawny frogmouth.

Small rodents such as Mitchells hopping-mice, sandhill dunnarts and fat-tailed dunnarts also live in the park. Lizard species include the barking lizard, goanna and extraordinary thorny devil.

Flora and fauna species lists

To download flora (plants) and fauna (animals) species lists for this park, use the 'Create Simple Species List' tab under 'Flora Tools' or 'Fauna Tools'  in NatureMaps. 

Aboriginal peoples have occupied, enjoyed and managed the lands and waters of this State for thousands of generations. For Aboriginal first nations, creation ancestors laid down the laws of the Country and bestowed a range of customary rights and obligations to the many Aboriginal Nations across our state. 

There are many places across the State that have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal first nations.  At some of these places Aboriginal cultural protocols, such as restricted access, are promoted and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of Traditional Owners.

In places where protocols are not promoted visitors are asked to show respect by not touching or removing anything, and make sure you take all your rubbish with you when you leave.

Aboriginal peoples continue to play an active role in caring for their Country, including in parks across South Australia. 

• DEW Park management
• DEW Aboriginal partnerships

Pinkawillinie is an Aboriginal word with varying interpretations; the most commonly accepted being ‘a place of many rabbit-footed bandicoot burrows’.

The first section of the park was dedicated in 1970, followed by a much larger portion in 1983, which lies to the north-west. The park is home to the historical Number 17 Stock Route, which dates back to the 1890s.

There is currently no bushwalking information available for this park, please contact the park office for more information. 

There are no designated mountain biking trails in this park, however bicycles may be ridden on public roads within the park.

• Which parks can you ride in?

Camping is not permitted within this park.

• Use Find a Park to discover which parks you can camp in.

Want to help?

To find out how you can help in this park or nearby, please visit Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula – Volunteering.

Want to join others and become a Park Friend?

To find out more about Friends of Parks groups please visit Friends of Parks South Australia.

You could join others to help look after a park. You can take part in working bees, training and other events.

The international Trail Users Code of Conduct is to show respect and courtesy towards other trail users at all times.

Ensure that you:

• keep to defined walking trails and follow the trail markers
• wear sturdy shoes, a hat and sunscreen
• carry sufficient drinking water
• be aware of weather conditions and avoid walking during the hottest part of the day
• Walk, hike or trek - what's the difference?

When camping in a National Park, it's important to remember the following:

• Always let someone responsible know your travel plans, especially when travelling in remote areas. It's a good idea to let them know when you expect to return.
• Check the weather forecast before you leave, including overnight temperatures on the Bureau of Meteorology. Even during very mild weather, the nights can get very cold. 
• The quality and quantity of water cannot be guaranteed within parks. Please bring plenty of water and food to be self-sufficient.
• Always camp in designated sites (where applicable) - do not camp beneath trees with overhanging branches, as they can drop without warning. It's also a good idea to check that there are no insect nests nearby.
• Check to make sure you're not camping in a natural waterway, flash floods can happen anytime.
• If camp fires are permitted, you must bring your own firewood, as the collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited. Extinguish your camp fire with water (not sand or dirt) until the hissing sound stops.
• Ensure that you are familiar with the fire restrictions for this park.

Can I have a fire or barbecue?

• Wood fires and solid fuel fires are prohibited between 1 November 2019 to 15 April 2020.
• You must bring your own firewood, as the collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited.
• Gas fires and liquid fuel fires are permitted through the year, other than on days of total fire ban.
• Ensure you are familiar with the fire restrictions for this park.

Closures and safety

This park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.

You can determine the current fire danger rating by checking the Fire Ban District map on the CFS website.

Check the CFS website or call the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline 1800 362 361 for:

• Information on fire bans and current fire conditions
• Current CFS warnings and incidents
• Information on what to do in the event of a fire.

Listen to your local area radio station for the latest updates and information on fire safety.

When 4WDriving in the park, it is important to be aware of the following:

• Standard road rules apply when driving anywhere in the park, including the laws for speed limits, drink driving, vehicle registration and seat belts.
• Take extreme care when driving in the park – be aware of blind corners, crests and narrow two-way tracks.
• Observe all track and safety signs, especially 'No public access' signs.
• Do not take your vehicle off the designated tracks. Wildlife can be threatened and precious habitat and indigenous sites can be damaged by off track driving.
• Make sure you know what to do in the event of getting bogged and always carry a shovel.
• When driving on sand, deflate your tyres as appropriate for your vehicle. Don’t forget to reinflate your tyres to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure before leaving the park. Take care when lowering tyre pressure as there is risk you could roll the tyre off its rim. Also, remember that lower tyre pressure can mean a change in how the vehicle handles.

Every national park is different, each has its own unique environment, it is important to be responsible while enjoying all the park has to offer.

Please ensure that you:

• leave your pets at home
• do not feed birds or other animals, it promotes aggressive behaviour and an unbalanced ecology
• do not bring generators (except where permitted), chainsaws or firearms into the park
• leave the park as you found it - there are no bins in national parks, please come prepared to take your rubbish with you. 
• abide by the road rules (maintain the speed limit)
• respect geological and heritage sites
• do not remove native plants
• are considerate of other park users.

• Important: Collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited. Dead wood plays a vital role in providing shelter for animals and adding nutrients to the soil.

Come and enjoy this park for free.

Camping is not available in this park.

There are no other fees or permits associated with this park.