After 6 weeks of being grounded thanks to a persistent irregular heartbeat (now back to normal), I finally got out for my first camping trip of the year. Continuing the lake theme from last year, I decided to head to Lake Lonsdale, near Stawell.
Lake Lonsdale is a large reservoir created in 1903. It was originally a large water depression known by the Djab Wurrung people as Djakil, a generic term meaning “lake”. At just over 62 sq km, it is capable of holding over 65,480 ML of water. At the moment thanks to the wet year we’ve had, it’s 92% full. This time last year it held just 14% of its capacity.
There are several free camping spots around the lake, including the boat ramp camping area which has drop toilets. The campground is sandy and dotted with large eucalypts which provide some shade. Camping spots are not exactly lakeside – the water is about 30m away, so I chose a slightly higher spot so I could see the water from the van. As usual, I parked with the rear of the van facing roughly north, so I could catch the start of the sunrise from the side window. And what glorious sunrises they were!
On the downside, it was pretty warm for bush camping, and the heat exacerbated the smell from either the long drop toilets or the rotten-fish smelling skip bins nearby. There were no walking tracks in the area either, so I had to do a few loops of the campground to give Mala some exercise. The biggest issue was grass seeds. I had to carefully brush Mala off several times each day to clear them from his coat.
More info
- My photos
- Lake Lonsdale info (GWM Water)
Dey Alexander 
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