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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Menzies
Give Menzies one night, not a base: the town is a 300 m walk, and the reason to stop is Lake Ballard, 51 km west on unsealed road.
Menzies is a Goldfields town of about 100 people that boomed to 10,000 after the 1894 gold find and then emptied out. Almost everything worth seeing sits along a 300 m stretch of Shenton Street, with the 51 sculptures on Lake Ballard a 51 km drive west. Most travellers use it as a break on the Goldfields Highway between Kalgoorlie and Leonora.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (40°C+ days), and the first weekend of June if you want a quiet townDec–Feb (104°F+ days), and the first weekend of June if you want a quiet town
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$60–100 excl. bed · Mid A$100–170 excl. bed · High A$170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and cake at the Achievable Outback Cafe | A$8–15 |
| Pub meal at the Menzies Hotel | about A$17.50 |
| Caravan park site | A$20 unpowered / A$26 powered |
| GRT Express bus from Kalgoorlie | A$45 |
| Fuel | Expect a Goldfields premium over Perth prices |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KGI · Kalgoorlie–Boulder Airport
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights, 132 km south; Perth (PER) has the international connections.The nearest airport with scheduled flights, 82 mi south; Perth (PER) has the international connections.
Typical fares
- GRT Express, Kalgoorlie → Menzies
- A$45, about 1 h 40 min, Thursdays (check)
- GRT Express, Laverton → Menzies
- A$57, about 2 h 30 min, Fridays (check)
- Menzies Hotel room
- single about A$70, double about A$90 (check)
Get around
The town is small enough to walk: most sights line a 300 m stretch of Shenton Street. You need a car for Lake Ballard, Niagara Dam and the cemetery; the Lake Ballard road is unsealed but passable without a 4WD. A weekly GRT Express bus links Kalgoorlie–Boulder and Laverton via Menzies.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Ballard sculptures
- Gold rush heritage buildings
- Menzies Hotel, the last original pub
- Niagara Dam
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Ballard | Drive the Menzies–Sandstone Rd, signposted from the Goldfields Hwy at the north end of town; unsealed but smooth | About 1 h each way |
| Niagara Dam | North on the Goldfields Hwy to the Kookynie turn-off (42 km), then 16 km to the dam turn-offNorth on the Goldfields Hwy to the Kookynie turn-off (26 mi), then 9.9 mi to the dam turn-off | About 1 h each way |
| Kookynie | Continue past the Niagara Dam turn-off on the road north | About 1 h |
| Kalgoorlie–Boulder | Goldfields Hwy south, 132 kmGoldfields Hwy south, 82 mi | About 1 h 40 min |
| Leonora | Goldfields Hwy north, 105 kmGoldfields Hwy north, 65 mi | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Shenton Street (town centre)
- The caravan park and the Menzies Hotel rooms are both on the main strip; everything is a short walk.
- Lake Ballard
- Free basic camping 51 km west: long-drop toilet and fire rings only, bring water and food.Free basic camping 32 mi west: long-drop toilet and fire rings only, bring water and food.
- Niagara Dam
- Maintained campsites above and below the dam wall, 58 km north; a swim and two short trails.Maintained campsites above and below the dam wall, 36 mi north; a swim and two short trails.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the fuel? | Where's the servo? |
| Is the road sealed? | Is it bitumen all the way? |
| How far to Lake Ballard? | How far to the lake? |
| Do you have water? | Can I fill my water bottles? |
| Is there phone signal out there? | Will I get reception? |
| Thanks, mate | Thanks, mate |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- There is no supermarket in Menzies: stock up in Kalgoorlie or Leonora.
- Fuel up before you arrive; services in town are limited.
- Lake Ballard has no shade and the salt surface gets unbearably hot at midday: go early or late, and carry water.
- Flies are heavy around the lake during the day; a net or repellent helps.
- The railway station is fenced off and used by a mining company; you can only walk the perimeter.
- Summer days regularly pass 40°C; plan drives for the morning.
Menzies is a very small, quiet town and personal safety is not the issue. The real risks are heat, distance and supply: no supermarket, limited fuel, long unsealed drives and no phone signal in places. Tell someone your route before heading to Lake Ballard.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Menzies yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Ballard sculptures
- Gold rush heritage buildings
- Menzies Hotel, the last original pub
- Niagara Dam
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Shire of Menzies — Menzies Visitor Centre: www.menzies.wa.gov.au/community/menzies-visitor-centre.aspx
- Menzies Water Playground: www.wfbd.com.au/menzies-water-park
- Menzies Hotel and General Store: menzies-hotel-and-general-store.business.site/
- GRT Express timetable: secure.jbs.com.au/grt/Express.html
- Wikivoyage: Menzies, revision 5240388 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240388
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Menzies
Shenton Street, the caravan park, thanks
To the caravan park on Shenton Street, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Menzies; the nearest consular help is in Perth. US, UK, Canadian and other embassies and consulates-general are in Perth (check).
No supermarket in town: buy food and water in Kalgoorlie or Leonora. Fuel up before you arrive.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/menzies). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.