Australian Outback Travel Guide

Lake Eyre
South Australia

Lake Eyre is an extensive salt sink stretching 144 kms long and 77 kms wide and covering an area of almost 1.35 million hectares. At the lowest point it is 15 metres below sea level, and on the rare occasions it does fill it is the largest lake in Australia. Although Lake Eyre has had water in it a number of times over the last century, it has only been filled to capacity 3 times in the last 150 years, with 1974 being the most recent time when both the North and South Lakes filled to capacity after exceptional rains in inland Australia.

The Lake Eyre basin itself covers an area of around 1.2 million square kilometres, about one sixth of Australia, and it includes large parts of South Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland, along with a small section in western New South Wales. The major river systems which drain into the lake are the Georgina, Diamantine and Cooper, all flowing in from Outback Queensland through the channel country, with the size of the monsoons during the wet season determine if and how much water reaches Lake Eyre. There can also be substantial flows that occur out of the Northern Territory, as well as other rivers that do drain within the basin, but they either rarely contribute to the Lake or get lost in places such as the sands of the Simpson Desert.

When Lake Eyre floods, the water that flows into the Lake is fresh and the waters come alive with native fresh water fish such as bony bream and golden perch. Lake Eyre also becomes a breeding site for enormous numbers of waterbirds such as Pelicans, Silver Gulls, Banded Stilts etc. However Lake Eyre does sit on a 450mm salt crust, and as the salt crust dissolves the salinity increases and after around 6 months there is a massive fish kill.

The best time to visit Lake Eyre is between April and October, and the best way to see it is from the air. Tour operators offer flights out of Marree, William Creek and Birdsville, or you can do a day trip out of the Flinders Ranges.

If you wanted to drive up to the lake then this is only possible with a 4WD vehicle and you must be well prepared, carrying extra fuel, food, water and suitable communications equipment. Day visitor access to Lake Eyre north is available via a Public Access Route through Muloorina Station to Level Post Bay (eastern side of lake). There is a private campground on Muloorina approximately 40 kilometres from Lake Eyre. Camping and day visiting is also available at Halligan Bay (western side) via a Public Access Route, which runs from the Oodnadatta Track for a distance of 67 kilometres. Entry and camping fees apply. Good views of Lake Eyre south are available from the Oodnadatta Track, five kilometres south of Curdimurka (approximately 90 kilometres from Marree).

Click here to read more about the Lake Eyre National Park

Watch this amazing footage from the
Channel 7 Sunday Program of Lake Eyre filling.

Marree Weather - Average Temperatures and Rainfall