Lake Bonney

Broad freshwater Riverland lake used for swimming, sailing, paddling, fishing, and sunsets.

Lake Bonney is Barmera's reason for being a visitor stop. The lake is wide, open, and easy to reach from town, with foreshore lawns, swimming areas, and enough space for sailing, water-skiing, canoeing, and fishing.

It is also a fine low-effort place to do very little. Come late in the day if you are not getting on the water; the sunsets can turn the whole lake copper, and the Riverland heat softens quickly once the sun drops.

things to do sight lake swimming
A story
The lake carries the dual names Lake Bonney Riverland and Barmera, acknowledging both colonial naming and Aboriginal connection to the place. It was named for Charles Bonney by overlanders in 1838, but the Barmerara Meru people were here long before the Riverland became an irrigation landscape.

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