Port Augusta to Kimba: Road trip stops, distance & time

The best stop on a Port Augusta to Kimba road trip is Iron Knob. The distance from Port Augusta to Kimba is 156km, with a driving time of around 1h43m.

The drive from Port Augusta to Kimba zips along the top of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Many will tackle this drive as part of a longer road trip from Adelaide to Perth, Adelaide to Streaky Bay or Canberra to Perth.

Port Augusta is the archetypal crossroads town at the top of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia. To fix up your Port Augusta accommodation at the cheapest rates, look over here.

Kimba, meanwhile, is a little town full of quirky photo stops. For Kimba accommodation, investigate here.

This guide should help you plan a Port Augusta to Kimba road trip itinerary.

Port Augusta to Kimba distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Port Augusta to Kimba is 156km. That makes for a driving time of around one hours and 43 minutes.

The best things to do in Port Augusta include the Wadlata Outback Centre, which looks at Aboriginal and outback life, and the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden.

Port Augusta accommodation picks

Port Augusta accommodation tends towards the functional. Few people stay here more than one night. Booking site Wotif lists options for from $89, if you’d like to check what’s available.

However, these Port Augusta accommodation choices are particularly worth looking at:

For heritage and character: Pampas Motel.
For green credentials: Crossroads Ecomotel.
For overall quality: Majestic Oasis Apartments.
For cheap rates and a pool: Discovery Parks – Port Augusta.

Port Augusta to Kimba road trip: Port Augusta to Iron Knob

Leaving Port Augusta on the Eyre Highway, you’ll reaching the junction with the Lincoln Highway at Lincoln Gap shortly after the Tanks Rest Area. If you were heading to Whyalla or Port Lincoln, you’d branch off here.

The next notable stop is Iron Knob, which bills itself as the birthplace of the Australian steel industry. The iron mine here closed in 1998, but it is still open for surprisingly fascinating tours. These mine tours have to be booked in advance, however.

The town still, just about, lives on and you’ll almost certainly see emus strutting through it.

Port Augusta to Kimba drive: Iron Knob to Kimba

The Port Augusta to Kimba driving route then passes south of Lake Gilles. There are 4WD tracks up to the edge of this stark salt lake if you have the right vehicle.

Otherwise, the next stop is quirky Kimba. Here you can admire the colossal scale mural on the grain silos and see the statues of Edward Eyre and Wylie at the Whites Knob Scenic Lookout. For cheesy photos, there are also the Big Galah and the Halfway Across Australia Sign.

There are a few Kimba accommodation options if you want to break your longer journey for the night here, with the Kimba Units and Chrissie’s Dongara the best bets.