Lake Eyre

Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre is in Australia.

It sits in a dry area. The lake is often empty.

It can fill with water when it rains. When it is full, it can turn pink. This happens because of tiny plants in the water. Many birds fly to the lake to find food.

It is a very special place.

Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre is in South Australia.

It sits in the dry center of the country. The lake is part of a huge basin. This basin covers much of the land around it.

Most of the time, the lake is empty. It looks like a flat salt crust. It is the lowest point in Australia. It sits 15 meters below sea level.

When it rains far away, water flows to the lake. This can fill it up. When the lake is full, it can be very big. It has been completely full only three times since 1860.

During these floods, many birds arrive. Pelicans and seagulls fly from far away to find fish. The water can even look pink. This is because of tiny plants called algae. The lake is also a place where people tried to set speed records. In 1964, Donald Campbell set a record for a four-wheeled vehicle on the salt flats.

The Arabana and Dieri people have deep ties to this land.

Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre is a very special place in South Australia.

It sits about 700 km north of Adelaide in the dry center of the country. This lake is an endorheic lake, which means it does not flow out to the sea. Instead, it sits in a huge area called the Lake Eyre Basin. This basin is one of the largest systems like this in the whole world. It covers a huge part of the Australian landmass. The lake is the lowest natural point in Australia. It sits about 15 meters below sea level.

The lake changes a lot depending on the weather. Most of the time, the lake is actually empty. It looks like a flat, white salt crust. When it rains heavily in the Channel Country to the north-east, water flows toward the lake. These floods can fill the lake with water. When it is full, the lake can cover over 9,000 square kilometers. This makes it the largest lake in Australia. It has only been completely full three times between 1860 and 2025.

The lake has a very long history with many people. The Arabana people have deep spiritual ties to this land. They hold the native title for most of the lake. The Dieri people have ties to the eastern part. In 1840, a man named Edward John Eyre was the first European to see it. Because of him, the lake was named Lake Eyre for a long time. In December 2012, it was officially given its dual name. Now, it is called Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre to honor its Aboriginal name.

Nature finds its way to the lake during big floods. Many waterbirds fly from very far away to visit. Some birds even fly all the way from Papua New Guinea! During a big flood in 1989, about 200,000 pelicans came to the lake. They came to eat the fish that the floodwaters brought in. The water can even change color. When the water evaporates and becomes very salty, it can turn pink. This happens because of a tiny plant called algae.

People have also used the flat salt pans for fast machines. In the 1960s, people tried to set land speed records there. A man named Donald Campbell used a vehicle called the Bluebird-Proteus CN7. On July 17, 1964, he set a record for a four-wheeled vehicle. The salt flats provided a very flat place for his test.

Even though the lake is often dry, it is a place of great wonder. It shows how much the Earth can change with just a little rain.

Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre is a massive endorheic lake in South Australia.

An endorheic lake is a body of water that does not flow into an ocean. Instead, it drains into an internal basin. This lake sits about 700 km north of Adelaide. It is located in the east-central part of the Far North region. The lake is the central point of the Lake Eyre Basin. This basin is one of the largest endorheic systems on Earth. It covers about 15 percent of the Australian landmass. This system includes parts of South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales.

The geography of the lake is defined by its extreme depth and low elevation. It contains the lowest natural point in Australia. This point is approximately 15 meters below sea level. The deepest areas are found in Belt Bay and the Madigan Gulf. The lake is divided into two main sections. These sections are joined by the Goyder Channel. The first section is Lake Eyre North. It is 150 km long and 100 km wide. The second section is Lake Eyre South. It measures 100 km long and 50 km wide.

The lake's appearance changes based on the cycle of flooding and evaporation. Most of the time, the lake is empty. It consists of a vast, white salt crust.

This crust can be up to 2 meters thick in the southern sub-basins. When heavy monsoon rains occur in the Channel Country, water flows toward the lake. This water travels through rivers like the Warburton River. A flood can fill the lake to its capacity. Between 1860 and 2025, the lake has only been completely full three times. When full, it covers over 9,000 square kilometers. This makes it the largest lake in Australia during those rare times.

Salinity, or saltiness, is a major feature of the lake's water. When the lake first fills, the water is almost fresh. Native fish like bony bream and golden perch can survive in these waters. However, the water becomes saltier as it evaporates. As the water levels drop, the salinity increases until it reaches the same level as seawater. If it evaporates further, the water becomes hypersaline. This high salt content can cause massive fish kills. The water can even turn a bright pink color. This happens because of an alga called Dunaliella salina, which contains a pink beta-carotene pigment.

The history of the lake involves both Indigenous and European records. The Arabana people hold native title over most of the lake. It holds deep spiritual significance in their Dreaming stories. The Dieri people hold native title over the eastern portion. European explorer Edward John Eyre first saw the lake in 1840. It was named after him for many years. In December 2012, the name was officially changed to Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre. This followed a policy of dual naming to honor the Aboriginal language. Early explorers described the dry lake as a place of extreme sterility. Geologists later noted it was once the living heart of Australia.

Because the salt flats are so flat, they have been used for speed. In the 1960s, people attempted to set land speed records there. Donald Campbell used a vehicle called the Bluebird-Proteus CN7. On July 17, 1964, he set a record for four-wheeled vehicles. He reached a speed of 403.10 mph.

The salt flats provided a surface similar to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States.

Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre is also a vital site for wildlife. It is one of the most important locations for waterbirds in Australia. When the lake fills, birds migrate from very far away. Some birds fly all the way from Papua New Guinea. During the 1989–1990 flood, about 200,000 pelicans visited the lake. This number represented 80 percent of the total pelican population in Australia. These birds come to feast on the fish brought in by the floods. The entire ecosystem relies on the rare and powerful arrival of water.