Mikkira Station; Camping with the Koalas
After a heap of rain in the Lincoln National Park, we made a phone call to a small property nearby that is home to a heap of wild koalas. We’d ruled Mikkira station stay out originally due to it normally closing in early November, which meant we’d have missed the deadline.
However, with all the rain the owners decided to keep the property open for a bit longer, and after an amazing 3 days at Memory Cove, we headed back into Port Lincoln to drop the key off, grab some shopping and fuel and empty the toilet, before heading back in the same direction to Mikkira Station to spend a good 24 hours amongst the Koalas.
Where is Mikkira?
You’ll find this place about 22 minutes drive from Port Lincoln, out just beyond Sleaford. The vast majority of the drive is on a bitumen road, with a small section of gravel, and then the driveway in is a small, reasonable entry with a lot of holes that you can weave around.
You’d get a 2WD in here with no issues, unless it had very limited clearance.
You need a key
Access to the property is by permit and key, and you need to book and collect the key prior to arriving, or you won’t be able to get in. The key is collected from a property place in Port Lincoln, and opens the main gate on your way in.
What amenities are there?
Mikkira has a flushing toilet (one for males, and one for females) and shower, and lots of space for you to set up basically anywhere you want to. There’s also a camp kitchen and you can hire out camper trailer tents with beds if you’d like to visit without your own camping gear.
How much does it cost to camp?
It’s $30 per vehicle, per night to camp at Mikkira. For us as a family of 4 this is reasonable value regardless of the Koalas, but given what you have access to in terms of its uniqueness, its not bad value even for a couple.
Check it out on YouTube
Mikkira Station was magic, and nothing shows this better than the vlog that we recorded:
Are there any Koalas?
We had read of heaps of koalas everywhere, and it didn’t disappoint. We saw a couple on the way in, and after rolling up to the camp that my folks had chosen, we found 4 all within 10 metres of our Aussie made hybrid camper.
A short walk saw us count another 10 without any trouble at all, and they seem to sit in trees that are not very tall, which gives you fantastic views.
We saw little babies, big males (we assume) and medium size females time and time again, and plenty were at head height, or not far above. Interestingly not all of the Koalas sit in the gum trees; we saw a couple in the Sheeok trees, and they all had various and interesting positions.
When is Mikkira Station closed?
I mentioned above that Mikkira Station normally closes for camping in on November 1, and this is due to the fire risk.
You can still do guided tours, but camping is unavailable until March 1. That said, its worth giving them a call, as they might be open if the weather has remained suitable!
Is it worth a night?
We seriously enjoyed our stay at Mikkira. The Koalas were nothing short of amazing, and for someone who’s never seen them in the wild it was pretty special to get so close to so many for our stay.
Our kids absolutely loved sitting and watching the Koalas, and we spent a long time walking around the property finding different Koalas in various positions.
If you’ve seen a heap of Koalas (and maybe even are sick of them) then maybe its not worth your time, but it’s a fantastic place, that is well set up, very well cared for and stunning.
This was certainly a different highlight for us, and we are hugely grateful that the property was still open and we got to see it!
Have you been to Mikkira? What did you think of it?
