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Major city · Australia

Wudinna

Stop one night if you are crossing the Eyre Peninsula: the granite rocks and the Gawler Ranges gate are here, but there is no town to fill a second day.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Wudinna is a small Eyre Highway town in South Australia's granite country, about three hours by road from Port Augusta and roughly 40 km from the Gawler Ranges National Park gate. It works as an overnight break on the drive west, or as a base for rock-and-wildflower country if you have a high-clearance vehicle. The town itself is a main street, a pub, a bakery and a sculpture.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Apr–Oct (wildflowers Aug–Sep)
avoid Dec–Feb (hot, 35 °C (95 °F)+ days)
Airports
ADL · PLO
Nights
1
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • Australia ↗Almost every visitor needs a visa or an electronic authorisation (ETA or eVisitor, depending on passport) before boarding: apply only through the official Department of Home Affairs site or the official AustralianETA app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • Australia ↗Declare all food, plant material, seeds, wood and animal products on your arrival declaration; undeclared items can bring on-the-spot fines or visa cancellation. When unsure, declare it.
  • Australia ↗Drive on the left. An overseas licence in English (or with an official translation or International Driving Permit) is accepted for visitors; check the state rules and your rental contract.
  • Australia ↗Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches; rip currents cause most beach drownings.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Wudinna000 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Wudinna, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeA$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Street or quick mealCafé sandwich or lunch specialA$10–18 (≈ US$7–12)
  • Budget bedFree highway camping (Minnipa Apex Park), a night, per roomA$0 (≈ under US$1)
  • Mid-range bedMotel or hotel-motel room, a night, per roomA$150 (≈ US$100)
  • High-end bedMotel or hotel-motel room, a night, per roomA$220 (≈ US$150)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$90 (≈ US$60) · Mid A$150 (≈ US$100) · High A$260 (≈ US$180)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Mount Wudinna granite monolithThe Australian Farmer sculpturePildappa RockGawler Ranges National Park access
Airports
ADL Adelaide Airport (About 6 h by road; most travellers arrive by car, not by air.) · PLO Port Lincoln Airport (About 3.5 h by road; small regional flights from Adelaide.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    33°C (91°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    33°C (91°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    29°C (84°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  5. May

    Best

    20°C (68°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    17°C (63°F)

  7. Jul

    Best

    16°C (61°F)

  8. Aug

    Best

    18°C (64°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    29°C (84°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

Best: Apr–Oct. Avoid: Dec–Feb. Month by month →

Warmest Jan (33°C (91°F)), coolest Jul (5°C (41°F) low), wettest Jul (12 rain days), driest Jan (3). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Wudinna: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

33°C (91°F)

16°C (61°F)

3 rd

Feb

33°C (91°F)

16°C (61°F)

3 rd

Mar

29°C (84°F)

14°C (57°F)

4 rd

Apr

25°C (77°F)

11°C (52°F)

6 rd

May

20°C (68°F)

8°C (46°F)

9 rd

Jun

17°C (63°F)

6°C (43°F)

11 rd

Jul

16°C (61°F)

5°C (41°F)

12 rd

Aug

18°C (64°F)

5°C (41°F)

11 rd

Sep

21°C (70°F)

7°C (45°F)

8 rd

Oct

25°C (77°F)

9°C (48°F)

6 rd

Nov

29°C (84°F)

12°C (54°F)

4 rd

Dec

31°C (88°F)

14°C (57°F)

4 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. The town is small enough to walk, but the rocks, Pildappa and the Gawler Ranges are 7–40 km out on sealed then dirt roads. Fill the tank in Wudinna or Minnipa before heading north; the last stretch into the ranges is unsealed and best with high clearance.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Mount Wudinna

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Drive 11 km (6.8 mi) on Mount Wudinna Access Road, then walk

One of Australia's largest granite monoliths at 261 m; picnic shelters, BBQ and toilets, no camping.

Polda Rock

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive 7 km (4.3 mi) east on Standley Road

Free council reserve with a walk around the base, birdlife, BBQ and toilets; no camping.

Pildappa Rock

go

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Drive via Pildappa Road from Minnipa, about 15 km (9.3 mi)

Granite plug with wave walls; most of the road is dirt, half good and half rough.

Tcharkulda Rock

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Drive to Minnipa then Bockelberg Road, about 4 km (2.5 mi)

Boulders and walking trails; picnic shelters, BBQ and toilets.

Gawler Ranges National Park

caution

Door to door: Half to full day

Drive about 40 km (25 mi) north from Wudinna or Minnipa, then unsealed park roads

Permit required; high-clearance vehicle recommended; best Apr–Oct.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Eyre Highway frontage

Motels and the caravan park sit on the highway; easiest for a one-night stop with a car.

Ballantyne Street (main street)

One block off the highway; walkable to the bakery, café and shops.

Minnipa

About 20 km (12 mi) west; hotel-motel plus free highway camping at the Apex Park.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
A$80–130 (≈ US$55–90) excl. bed
Mid
A$130–200 (≈ US$90–140) excl. bed
High
A$200 (≈ US$140)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or hotel-motel room1 × 1 night × A$150A$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × A$150A$300
Gawler Ranges National Park day entry2 × A$10 · checkA$20
Gawler Ranges camping, per night2 × A$11 · checkA$22
Fuel, Wudinna to Port Augusta and back1 × A$120 · checkA$120
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$61
Trip total≈ A$337 per person per day, bed includedA$673≈ US$450

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; fuel and park permits excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeA$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
Bakery pie or pastryA$5–9 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub counter mealA$20–35 (≈ US$14–25)
Café sandwich or lunch specialA$10–18 (≈ US$7–12)
Motel room, doubleA$110–220 (≈ US$75–150)
Caravan park powered siteA$35–60 (≈ US$25–40)
Fuel, per litreA$1.80–2.10 (≈ US$2) (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A quiet country town and safe for visitors. The real risks are the drive: unsealed roads after rain, wildlife on the highway at dawn and dusk, summer heat and bushfire, and long distances with patchy phone signal.
  • Dirt access roads to Pildappa Rock and the Gawler Ranges: slow down, and avoid them after heavy rain.
  • Gawler Ranges National Park needs a day-entry permit and a vehicle permit; buy at self-service park entry points or the Wudinna Telecentre.
  • Long gaps between fuel and food west of here: top up in Wudinna or Minnipa.
  • Summer heat and bushfire risk: check the CFS fire danger rating before any drive.
  • Mobile coverage is patchy outside town.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From a mobile
112
Gawler Ranges National Park office
+61 8 8680 2969

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

WudinnaWudinna

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From a mobile112
  • Gawler Ranges National Park office+61 8 8680 2969

Embassy

No embassies here; the nearest consulates are in Adelaide. US, UK, Canadian and other nationals should register with their embassy in Canberra or consulate in Adelaide (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Gawler Ranges day entry: A$10 (≈ US$7) adult, A$8 (≈ US$6) concession (check)
  • Gawler Ranges camping: A$11 (≈ US$8) per night (check)
  • Drive from Port Augusta: about 3 h via the Eyre Highway

Say or show

  • How far is it? — How far is it?
  • Where is the nearest fuel? — Where is the nearest fuel?
  • Is the road sealed? — Is the road sealed?
  • Can I camp here? — Can I camp here?
  • Do I need a permit? — Do I need a permit?
  • Thanks, mate — Thanks, mate

Fuel up and buy food in Wudinna or Minnipa before heading north; services thin out fast.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Wudinna. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Oct (wildflowers Aug–Sep) · avoid Dec–Feb (hot, 35 °C+ days) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for ADL and PLO: drive times field-checked, fuel and last-food cutoffs, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Ballantyne Street, the highway frontage, Mount Wudinna and Polda Rock.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Mount Wudinna, Polda Rock, Pildappa Rock, Gawler Ranges entry) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Heat and fire-danger fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources