A salt lake (dry lake) in the middle of an Australian desert might not sound like a nature-lover’s ideal travel destination. With so many people making their way to Lake Eyre right now, what is the attraction? It’s because it is currently teeming with water, plant and wildlife where usually there is only a lifeless area that is 15m below sea level (the lowest point of continental Australia.
When there is significant rainfall further north in Queensland the river systems of Cooper Creek, Diamantina and Georgina flow through to transform Lake Eyre – this happens on average only once every 10-12 years. Pelicans in particular but many other water birds breed in large numbers when Lake Eyre is in flood. The explanation of the migration of birds to the area during the floods has many theories but none that are definitive. Where previously there was only salt, sand and dust, the floods see frogs, microscopic crustaceans and a wealth of plants and algae spring up in addition to the birds.
If you have a 4WD there are 3 public access points: Lake Eyre South – Oodnadatta; Lake Eyre North – Level Post Bay; and Lake Eyre North – Halligan Bay. The best views of Lake Eyre however are from the air where you can really appreciate the beauty, the contrasts and the vastness of the area. The towns of Williams Creek, Marree, Cooper Pedy and Wilpena Pound (Flinders Ranges) all offer flights. Whist you are catching your flight, check out the unique outback experiences on offer at these towns, whether you are looking for a pub lunch, a chat with the locals or a longer stay.
If you are driving and looking to do more outback exploration on your Lake Eyre trip, the Oodnadatta, Birdsville and Strzelecki tracks make it easy. The Oodnadatta track is a 620km unsealed track that runs between Marree and Marla in outback South Australia; the Birdsville track runs the 517km from Marree (South Australia) to Birdsville (Queensland); and the Strzelecki track takes you out along the Cooper Creek to Innamincka near the borders of South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. Whichever way you travel there a trip to Lake Eyre particularly while it is in flood, is a truly spectacular Australian outback experience and one not to be missed.
If you would like to read more on Lake Eyre, please follow this link: Lake Eyre
Some other useful links are:
Lake Eyre Photos
Lake Eyre Photos
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