Most of the time, Lake Eyre is an arid salt lake
Most times, Lake Eyre in South Australia is a vast, dry salt pan 15 metres below sea level. It epitomises what early white explorers thought of as Australia’s dead heart – it’s inhospitable, unforgiving, and apparently lifeless.
But this month floodwaters from Queensland have made their way down through the Outback to Lake Eyre. The lake has only filled to the brim three times in the past 160 years, and when it happens, this desert wilderness is transformed into a desert paradise.
Dormant plant and animal life spring to life and yellow-bellied fingerlings provide massive flocks of visiting birds with a feast. It looks, tastes and sounds like a natural miracle, and is said to be visible on Google Earth.
The filling of Lake Eyre is good news for local operators, too, as nature lovers scramble onboard chartered flights and 4WD safaris to witness this amazing event. Nearby resorts and accommodation providers such as Wilpena Pound Resort, Rawnsley Park Station and The Prairie Hotel are similarly well-placed to meet global interest in this phenomenon.
Another operator is Gawler Ranges Wilderness Safaris, run by a passionate team of South Australians who have lived in the Outback most of their lives.
Specialising in customised wildlife and natural history tours for over two decades, they are based 600 kms north west of Adelaide on the Eyre Peninsula, itself the size of Tasmania, and focus predominantly on the Gawler Ranges and the immediate coastline.
The diverse terrain of the Ranges comprises arid, semi-desert and volcanic landscapes complete with spectacular gorges and rocky outcrops, gibber plains, vast salt lakes, dunes and Aboriginal rock art. It is transformed into a blanket of wild flowers in the spring and boasts over 100 species of birds, plus an abundance of kangaroo (three species), emu and wombat populations.
Their base camp, located at Kangaluna near Wudinna, is set in a beautiful bush location on the edge of Gawler Ranges National Park and is itself the ideal spot for wildlife spotting and nature viewing during evening or morning walks.
Accommodation is provided in large 7×5-metre luxury tents, each with two rooms, a queen and two single beds, private shower and toilet facilities. The curved roof collects rainwater and circulates a cooling breeze. Dinner is taken as a group in the open dining room and, for those who wish to enjoy a real Outback experience, sleeping under the stars in swags can also be arranged.
Each tour has numerous highlights – in the Ranges it is possible to see southern hairy nosed wombats between March and October, whilst at Baird Bay sea lion pups are happy to play freely and spontaneously with swimming visitors. Dolphins are also known to spend up to an hour frolicking with humans in the balmy waters.
Other highlights include vast Lake Gairdner with its glistening white salt pan set in the red landscape; the chance to watch endangered southern right whales from the top of spectacular Bunda Cliffs at the Head of the Great Australian Bight; going in search of wedge tailed eagles or rare yellow foot rock wallabies; and visiting unusual volcanic rock formations dating back 1,500 million years.
A telescope located at Kangaluna base camp also provides visitors with the opportunity to marvel at the night sky – as the air is free of pollution and the skies predominantly cloudless, the star gazing opportunities are impressive, memorable and uninterrupted.
Geoff Scholz, founder, owner, chief guide and head chef, is himself an accomplished photographer and as such is particularly experienced at helping photographers and film makers get the best shots, whether it be a wildlife portrait or a stunning sunrise or sunset landscape shot.
Find out more about the regions tour operators here.
Other related articles:
- Australia Ranked Second for Quality of Life - Australia ranked second in a UN report on quality of...
- Australia Discovers Extinct Frog Alive and Well - A previously assumed extinct species of frog has been discovered...
Love Australia? Let us keep you informed...
- Join the Embrace Australia community today. Have your questions answered by our experts, start your own blog, get vital migration information and gain valuable insight from those who have already made the journey.
- Subscribe to our RSS Feed and have all our daily news and features delivered straight to your news reader.
- Join our mailing list -
