Rare flooding transforms SA's dry Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre into an outback oasis
The salty flats of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre are flooding for just the fourth time in the past 160 years.
When water fills the tourism hotspot in the northeast corner of South Australia, the dry lake bed turns into a temporary outback oasis with wildlife and vegetation all springing to life.
'Brine shrimp hatch from eggs in the soil, millions of waterbirds and breeding birds from as far as China and Japan migrate to the lake, and fish that are in the floodwaters will spawn and eat the shrimp,' the SA Department for Environment and Water said.
The Department advised the best way to view the phenomenon is with a scenic flight tour, but added at least one camping spot on the shore offered irresistible access to the 'spectacle'.
'The best way to see the lake and the hundreds of species of birdlife that it attracts is from the air,' DEW said.
'Many visitors will be keen to make the most of this rare event by camping at the Halligan Bay Point Campground.'
Halligan Bay Point is an exposed, flat campground with limited facilities, including toilets and picnic shelters.
Alternative camping is also available at Muloorina Bore, north of Marree.
Campers will need to stick to 'dedicated viewing points within the park'.
Recreational water activities — such as swimming, driving off designated tracks, boating and landing aircraft on the lake — are also off limits under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
Some people have expressed frustration with the restrictions, including boaties keen to take their vessels onto the lake's rarely seen waters.
But the lake management plan is designed both for public safety and to protect the sacred site, and keep people safe in the remote region.
Visitor numbers of about 5000 in a dry year can surge to about 25,000 in a flood year, DEW said.
The lake covers about 9500sqkm and is co-managed with the Arabana people, the native title holders of the lake which is considered in lore to be sacred and dangerous to visit without the guidance of cultural authority.
Arabana Aboriginal Corporation chairwoman Bronwyn Dodd called Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre a 'a very special place' and said that its preservation also 'preserves our way of life'.
'We are proud to share this part of our Country, and the Ularaka (story) that belongs here,' she said.
Nature-lovers have several months to check out a brimming Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.
'Water started to find its way into the north lake in early May and there will be varying water levels for up to six months,' DEW said.
'The best times to visit would be between May and October.'
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The Advertiser
7 days ago
- The Advertiser
Lake flood spectacle a magnet for wildlife, tourists
Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012. Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012. Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012. Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012.
West Australian
7 days ago
- West Australian
Lake flood spectacle a magnet for wildlife, tourists
Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012.
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Perth Now
Lake flood spectacle a magnet for wildlife, tourists
Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012.
