Lake Hindmarsh is Victoria’s largest freshwater lake. But it’s not often full. With the recent rain and floods the water has returned, so I thought it would be a good idea to squeeze in a quick trip before the school holidays begin (I prefer camping when there aren’t loads of people around).
According to newspaper reports, Lake Hindmarsh was quite the tourist attraction when full in the 70s and 90s. And they claim the recent inflows from the Wimmera River have drawn people back – though there were only 4 other camps set up when I arrived. Not that I’m complaining!
The campground at Four-Mile Beach on the southern end of the lake is quite large, with half a dozen powered sites (and loads more unpowered), coin-operated hot showers, and a camp kitchen. However, the facilities are not well looked after. The camp kitchen was pretty disgusting. But there were lots of bins around, so no rubbish littering the area.
I don’t usually mind a stark bush camp setting, but I didn’t get good vibes from Four-Mile Beach. The water looked quite murky, the deep sand walking tracks weren’t overly inviting, and there was some (mild) animosity between the groups camping nearby.
So after staying only the one night, I set off for Schulzes Beach on the western side of the lake. There was no beach to speak of, no walking tracks nearby, and the toilet block was locked. I didn’t bother trying the third campground at the northern end of the lake.
So I moved on to spend the next night by the Yarriambiack Creek in Beulah at a very small, but pretty campground operated by the local council.
Next morning we headed home, with a short stop at Lake Boort for a coffee and a walk.
Dey Alexander 
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