Kimba is a small Australian town famous for...Nothing at all really. Yeah I know, it's probably not the best way to promote the town so it is fortunate I don't work for a marketing company tasked with bringing tourists to this spot in the middle of nowhere. But it's in this small town I found myself not too long ago and I thought I'd share a few photos and tell you about it just a little.
Kimba, South Australia
Kimba is the mid-point between the east and west coasts of Australia hence the halfway across Australia tag line; I'm not sure where they measure that from but Sydney to Kimba is 1703 kilometres and Kimba to Perth in the west is 2231 kilometres. It's almost 500 kilometres from Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and has a population of about 600 people. It's a long way from any major city but is a thriving little place nonetheless.
The town itself is what's generally referred to as a rural service town meaning it is there to support the local industry, grain mainly; The town exists for that reason and if the industry ended the town would almost certainly fail also. Let's hope that doesn't happen.
As with many small Australian towns tourists generally drive straight through on their way to their eventual destination - There's not a lot between towns here and if one doesn't need fuel, food or a comfort break one tends to drive through rather than stopping for a look around. This means external sources of revenue are difficult to come by; That's why towns have to come up with innovative ways to get people to stop. Kimba has its own.
Wheat silo art
Artist, Cam Scale of Melbourne, was commissioned in 2017 to create the artwork on these massive grain silos I've captured. Twenty six days and two hundred litres of paint later this is how they look. The mural of 25 metres in height and 60 metres in width depicts a child in a wheat field at sunset. It's pretty impressive to see this large artwork in real life and people come from a long way off to do so - External revenue ensues.
My apology for no close-ups as I would normally show but these silos are fully operational as a receiving site for the local grain so are off-limits. There's a viewing platform which is where the second shot is taken from and the first I risked getting arrested a stern talking to by the local cop just to get a little closer.
Towns like Kimba rely on this sort of thing to draw people into the town and it works - I was there just to get these photos and had driven almost 100 kilometres out of my way to do so. I also stayed long enough to grab some food and drinks before heading on, so their cunning plan worked on me - I know it works on many others also!
Quite often those who reside in these small towns get very creative with how they entice people to stop...Nope, they don't throw road-spikes across the highway as people approach but quite often many quirky things can be found - I would say it's the same in many countries.
Kimba has the silo art and a couple of other things and there's a couple of cafes that I guess exist purely to service visitors. I've seen some very interesting things around little towns and quite often the big so and so features prominently. Kimba has it's own big thing - I don't mean the silo art either. Read on.
Halfway point
Firstly though here's a less quirky thing, the information boards at the halfway across Australia site. This is what greets people coming from the east and there's a fair amount of information for those who care to read it. Of course, there's a map for the less-scholarly amongst us; Most who visit have a photo here and I had to wait a while for people to clear to take these images...There was a line up would you believe!
Above you can see Sydney to the right [east coast] and Perth to the left [west coast.] My home city is Adelaide and you can also see Port Lincoln which is the direction I was coming from when I hit Kimba. I've written about that camping trip a couple times already. You'll also not how big the country is whish is awesome - So much to explore.
The sign is completely quirk-free - Drive on another 450 meters and...Yep, a bloody big galah.
The big bird
The galah, [or Eolophus roseicapilla, if that's easier for you to pronounce], is found right across Australia and we sometimes call it the pink and grey cockatoo - For obvious reasons. Galah's have a fairly raucous personality, are bold, brash and loud to be honest. I think that's why the word is used to also describe a human acting in the same way; Silly, ridiculous or raucous: "Ya bloody galah," is how the word would be used in reference to such a person. IT's on old term, probably not much used these days though.
Galah's are about 35 centimetres in length usually but this one is a little larger at 8 metres high and it weighs in at 2.3 tonnes. A big bloody galah!
It's situated at the Halfway Across Australia Tourist Shop where one can stop for fuel, food, souvenirs, basic supplies and a photo with the big bird himself. Unveiled in 1993 this bird almost compels people to stop just for the quirk-factor and I'd say that every first-time visitor to Kimba has done so, and a photo as proof. Whether you're heading east or west it's likely you'll pass by this bird and probably stop too.
It was built by the owner of the shop out of high tensile bird wire and gel-coated fibreglass and...Well, it's quirky but does its job. People stop and people spend money.
Here's a real one although this is not my image and is used just so you know I'm not making all of this up! You'll see these almost anywhere in Australia and when in the outback camping, trust me, you'll hear them. Bloody loud buggers they are! Still, it's sort of cool to hear them as the sun sets and the camp fire crackles away. It's very Australian. Galah image source
Here's the bakery and shop; The Halfway Across Australia Tourist Shop. In here you'll find all manner of souvenirs, trinkets, knickknacks, food, drinks, books, maps, t-shirts, sun glasses and...Well, lots of stuff. I found a Cornish pasty with tomato sauce and a soda and sat under the veranda watching people take selfies with the galah.
Supporting the towns that support the country
I'll be honest, there's little reason to stay in Kimba itself, it's more somewhere a person passes through however there's a few things around about that are pretty cool like murals throughout the town, local bushwalking, birdlife/birdwatching and the Gawler Ranges.
The Gawler Ranges begin about 107 kilometres away with one of the highlights being the Organ Pipes. These basalt columns, formed over 1500 million years ago due to volcanic eruptions, are impressive to see and draw many people. A google image search of organ pipes, Gawler Ranges will reveal what they look like. I've not been there yet, although it's on the list for this year.
Other than those things...Well Kimba is all about fuelling the vehicle and occupants, stretching one's legs then getting back on the road. It's a little sad really, although at least they have the big galah and the silo art give people a reason to stop.
Australia is built on the back of towns like this and the farms or industries they support. You may never get there yourself but if you do make sure you spend some money and send me a selfie of you with the galah - You just have to!
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Discord: galenkp#9209
Beautiful artwork, loved it❤️🌼
Pretty cool right? Thanks for taking a look.
Wow even though it is a small town but the art is fascinating 👌
It's pretty cool artwork indeed.
Amazing art!
I know how these small rural service towns struggle.
Aussies cling to the coast and most have never ventured to the enormous, beautiful and uniquely empty hinterland.
In the US there are many large inland cities and towns large and small but in Australia its mostly empty.
I think something like 95% of the population live on only 5% of the land. Something like that anyway. Yeah, good art and impressive to see in real life.
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That round trip looks like something I need to do before, it's over.
Is that about the average size of a grain terminal thingamajig around there? Looks awesome all painted up like that but around here that thing would be ten times bigger.
The round-Australia-journey is something special, it's a long way, but worth it. Takes a while though.
Some receiving points are far larger but in the small towns they tend to be of about this size, or possibly double depending on the surrounding areas output. They truck the grain here, Viterra pay a pittance to the farmer, then they truck it to ports for shipping to processing plants and charge a fortune for what they paid the farmer chump-change. [Viterra monopolise, choke the farmers and basically do what big corporations do.]
Below is a larger collection point with many silos. I'd say that four to eight silos is about the average in the smaller towns though. [This is in Port Lincoln.]
Our inland terminals can be larger than that. I see that straight section of roadway there and I'm familiar with that, but just change the scenery to all grain. No trees, no hills, nothing. Just wheat. Then way off in the distance, a skyscraper, but it's for grain.. LOL
I've seen images from up your way and someday my eyes will see it in person; That's the plan anyway. I have the need to see everything! Greedy I guess, but someday I'll die so it seems prudent to live the life I wish to have. I'm working on it day by day.
We only have 26m people in the country so I guess everything is a litte smaller, less. That is, except for awesome. Loads of that to go around. Lol.
Canada isn't much bigger than Australia and we probably only have 10 more million living here. Most is uninhabited. A lot to see though. Most of the cool places are hidden gems. And you're right about these strange little towns and their odd landmarks being everywhere. I know of a place where there's a massive set of antlers the size of a house, and it doesn't make any sense.
Yep Canada is big too - Loads of wilderness which appeals to me. I'll get there.
Those quirky things in small towns are hilarious sometimes but they donthe job despite often making no sense. What's life without a little quirkiness. 🤪
Exactly. Man I was out exploring back roads on the dirtbike and came across a farm yard, and there was like a kilometer worth of hubcaps and license plates hanging from the trees. As I got closer to the house there were all kinds of psychotic sculptures made out of random metal items.
That sio art is so amazing. I wonder how many days they spent on that
It's pretty cool. Take a read of the post, I say how long it took to do in the text.
Oh man stop it, I´m almost crying if I see photos from Australia. I regret it so hard that I haven´t spent more time in SA. Seen many of these Silos on our road trip but this one is very impressive.
Haha, well don't cry, just get ye back here! Lol.
As someone who has been to Australia you understand the attraction, the vastness and the often quirky nature of it. For me it's the out of the way places that hold the best value - A city is a city [basically] no matter where in the world, but get out to the less-travelled places and one gets to see what a country is really like - Australia is no different. It's my country of birth and I've lived my whole life here but it never fails to impress.
Better said than done, but hope to be able to come back in 2022.
That´s so true and until today I´ve got the feeling that I´m actually an aussie. I was meant to be born over there but I somehow ended up in Germany. Crazy! 🤣
We´re in the process of starting to travel again, but can´t decide where to go, because actually the only place where we would really love to be is Australia.
If you can prove that you can say g'day like an Australian then I'll be happy to call you an honourary Aussie. Lol.
You don't want to be in Aus just not though, Melbourne is locked down again with covid fear mongering. All good in South Australia though.
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I was reading about a mice plague that was infesting the grain silos this year, did you hear about that in kimba?
I heard the same but not in Kimba and saw no signs of it. Apparently it's happening though. Seen it before though, when I was a kid out in the country...Bloody mice everywhere. Lol.
That bloody loud bugger Galah. I wasn't too impressed with the sculpture, looks kinda amateur Papier-mâché kinda and then I saw the real one...
Nailed it!
Lol...Well, the bloke who owns the establishment built that big bastard of a bird in his workshop...It ain't no statue of David but gets the attention it's designed to do. I've seen worse. There's a big koala at Horsham, Victoria...Looks retarded. Google will reveal all.
Nice post, thumbs up 👍
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The statue of the bird is great- it looks so similar to the real one and i really like the colours!:)
Lucky they're not that big in real life though...Might be a bit terrifying! 🤪
Like like a place of so trip take a photo and easy a meat pie just so I can say if their pies are worthy.
I reckon their meat pies would be good...They looked good anyway, so that's a good indicator.
Must be serendipity, accidentally clicked on a link while reading your response. Landed on a meat pie recipe.
Think I might have a gander at this on the weekend lol
Meat pies are good any day of the week. 😀
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Oh wow, this brings back a few memories. Last time I stopped at Kimba was on my way to an Oyster Festival in Ceduna around 2012.
I nearly bought a small pewter sculpture of a crayfish, but decided I didn't need it that badly. Is that gem shop still there?
The siloes weren't painted then, they look good. Great talent to be able to paint a big mural like that
They've done the same thing to the siloes in Wirrabara and also Coonalpyn I think...
My hometown has a tiny receiving station that operated up to about the year 2000
It'd be good to see them get the same treatment one day
Hey there,so cool you've been there! Look good huh? Way better than the plain ones in your image which I'm trying to work out where they are. Seen those silos before I think.
I've been to the Coonalpyn ones and the Wirrabara ones also, and posted about both. Also, a couple weeks ago posted about the Cowell silos which I visited also. Tumby Bay has some too. It's all pretty cool.
Thanks for commenting. And I'm not sure about that gem shop.
Hello!
Oh yeah Tumby Bay! I forgot about that one. Didn't know Cowell has them painted now too. Makes me miss the Eyre Peninsula... Been way too long since I've been over that way.
It's definitely an upgrade from plain concrete cylinders and it seems to positively effect the local communities, at least a little bit. And the local economies, even just a little.
And, as for those siloes in my photo...
Well,
I won't give it away!
That'd be no fun
But I can tell you two things:
The town is often mentioned at the end of TV News Weather Reports for being The Coldest Place In South Australia
and
There is a sunken ship in the seas off tropical Queensland named after the town. The wreck is a world-renowned SCUBA Diving spot
If you've travelled around SA a bit, there's a good chance you've been through there. It's roughly in the middle. Of the north. The Mid-North, you might say
A blink and you'll miss it kind of place though 😂
Here's the Cowell silo post I did.
https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@galenkp/getting-arty-in-cowell
Re: Your town. Starts with a Y. 😉
Been there...Blinked, but didn't miss it.
Ay! Too good! 🤣
Yeah, I'm pretty fond of the place. Others might not see much, but they're just not looking
Nice talking to you. Safe travels!
Nice photographs, especially that bird looks cool.
I could see them in real if I haven't stuck for covid.
ThanK you, it's certainly something to see - Maybe one day the pandemic will end and you'll be able to travel there to see for yourself.
I'm eagerly waiting for that day, thank you.