What – Lake Ratzcastle Reserve, lake, camping with toilets and shower.
Where – Goroke Harrow Road, 10km South of Goroke.
How long – There are several tracks, we did a 2.2 km walk around the main lake.
10 words – A sandy castle where everyone can walk, sup and lodge.
We did not see Ratzcastle in all her glory but she was still worth seeing.
It was cold, the lake half empty and the grey, breezy day only inspired a short 2.2km walk.
In spite of this, Ratzcastle Lake Reserve is an unexpected and noble treasure, perched in sandy scrub 10km south of Goroke.
The intriguing name apparently dates from 19th Century London. Spelt Ratscatle by the English it was “the night-house where all kind of low people meet to sup and lodge,” and a refuge for run aways.
(Find out more about that here )
Makes we wonder who scarpered here to lodge in the past. Bushrangers perhaps, or criminals who took advantage of the nearby no-man’s land that stretched along the disputed SA-Victorian border for decades from the mid 1850s?
Today as we visit, after another lockdown for regional people ends, there are likely some modern day COVID-runaways, happy to legally escape to this haven more than 5km from home.
The cars that surround the undercover area, and the laughter spilling from its open walls, suggests I might be right!
Ratzcastle has no turrets or obvious rodents or criminals, but there is a toilet and a shower, the undercover meeting area and plenty of free picnic and camping areas. Mostly this is thanks to the local Lions Club and I believe and you can make donations to its upkeep at the supermarket in nearby Goroke.
Heading for a walk around the lake and I am struck by the sand. It is everywhere which is not surprising as we are not too far from the Little Desert. This sand – and the water that sits here in wet years – probably saved the island of bush from being cleared for farming unlike many adjoining paddocks.
But rather than messy scrub, Ratzcastle provides a natural parkland with plenty of camping spots under the large shady trees that line the water’s edge.
We follow the track around the lake and come to dry section – probably the shallow end.
Walking across the sandy bed and you can see just how deep it sometimes gets. Dark areas nearly a metre up trunks suggest some pretty good water in the right year.
Some trees also have big scars and I wonder who else used supped and lodged here before white fellas arrive and what name they gave this place.
Skeletons of dead trees in the middle also suggests some victims of environmental drownings when extra water arrived after land clearing.
From the dry lake and we return to the partially-filled one which hosts to a massive flock of ducks – maybe we should call it Duxcastle today?
They don’t like visitors and take to the sky in a noisy mass as we approach. After a COVID-interrupted duck season these birds have definitely found some princely accommodation in Ratzcastle and are doing well. And by the number of ducklings in toe, have produced some heirs as well.
There are some grand old trees around the shore and plenty of bush beyond to explore which is likely to home to plenty of kangaroos.
Before we know it, we are back at the main camp site. The sky once again fills with a swaying swarm of anxious ducks keen to get back to their floating and feasting up the other end.
They are the kings of this castle today.
We take the 2km track back to the Goroke Harrow Road and head 10km north to Goroke – which some sources say is an Aboriginal word for Magpie – to see some more birds on the local silos.
The aptly chosen magpie, plus a kookaburra and galah – are impressive and we stop for a look.
We might not have seen Ratzcastle at its fullest today but someone who did has made a beautiful video of their camping there at a full lake.
Watch the video here
Hopefully it will encourage you to one day runaway to West Wimmera and sup and lodge at this right royal camp in the sand.
52 weeks 52 walks 