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Lake Kepwari is located just a few kilometres south east of the town of Collie in the south west of Western Australia.
The lake has been developed by the department of parks and wildlife as a campsite and recreation area and it has rapidly become one of the most popular places in the area.
The lake was once an open cut coal mine but when the mine closed in 1996, the large hole quickly filled with water with a combination of natural rainwater and diverted run-off.
Initially the lake had a high ph value of 7 but after an accidental release of water and the deliberate flow through of natural river water, the ph has since dropped to below 4. The lake now supports aquatic life and the water is particularly clear.
The name Kepwari comes from the local Aboriginal language and means 'playing in water' which is somewhat better than the old coal mine designation on WO5B.
Boating is allowed on the lake with a special area reserved for water skiing. There are good parking facilities for cars and boat trailers and a dual launching ramp with a jetty to make launching and retrieval of boats easy.
Un-powered watercraft such as kayaks are also allowed on the lake and there are areas for swimming. Fishing is also one of the activities here but you will need an inland fishing license.
While fees are charged for overnight camping, there is no entry fee to the lake and dogs are allowed at the lake as long as they are under proper control.
Day use facilities at the lake include seats, tables and shelters with barbeques. There are also several toilet blocks available.
Tank water is also provided but it is not meant to be used as drinking water.
Campsites must be booked in advance by visiting the DPaW website. There is a link below that will take you to the booking page.
There are no rubbish bins provided at the campsite and campers are expected to take their rubbish with them when they leave.
While overall, this is an excellent place for people to enjoy, one group who seem to have been forgotten about are those with mobility issues such as wheelchair users.
There is no easy way for someone in a wheelchair to access either the picnic and bbq shelters by the lake or the lake shore from the day use car park. It is necessary to take a gravel path from near the boat ramp to get a wheelchair to the picnic areas.
Kepwari Bookings link
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