Pinnaroo – highlights from my Australian small town experience

After having intensively traveled (Brisbane down to the Gold Coast via an inland loop to Byron Bay down to Sydney, over to Adelaide, up to Cairns and then returning to Adelaide) it was time to settle down, recharge and work.

While in Adelaide I came across a work ad for a position at a hotel in the small town of Pinnaroo, South Australia. As always, when my gut feeling starts tugging at me I can’t do anything but abide. The recruiting process was smooth and I was to start the following week.

Before arriving in Pinnaroo I had no idea what to anticipate. Besides curiosity and nerves, I also held my fair share of stereotypical presumptions about minor rural communities. I imagined small town friendliness, everyone greeting each other, alcohol playing a big part of life and gossip constantly swirling around (spoiler alert, my assumptions were confirmed!).

The landscape of Pinnaroo is quite flat, sandy and during summer time; very hot! The population is around 600 with many in the agricultural industry. The city centre consists of one main strip including a gym, post office, bank, grocery and convenience store and two hotels with attached pubs. In my estimation I’d guess it would take 3 minutes to walk from one end of the town centre to the other.

You might assume this part of my adventure in Australia would be uneventful or slow going but you’d be mistaken. It’s difficult boiling down my quick snap shot of, what I assume to be, a typical small town in Australia. But I will say, Pinnaroo is unquestionably the tiniest place I’ve temporarily lived in yet befriended the most still in contact with to date.

My time in Pinnaroo remains to be a chapter of my travels which stands out for countless reasons, too complex to summarize. For now though, I’ll settle with sharing some highlights from my experience.

Roadtrip to Rapid Bay (not exactly Pinnaroo but accessible by car)