Professional Development Workshop May 21

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Lake Eyre Comes To Life

Edited from an article in The Australian - Feb 25, 2009

It began as a monsoonal deluge in distant Queensland, flooding the channel country, isolating towns, and filling rivers and creeks that have not run for years.  Now it's here at Lake Eyre.

This is the moment of magic when the flood empties into Australia's dead centre, bringing life to a parched and pearly expanse of saltpan that is most devoid of it, and hope to communities that have endured more than their share of drought.

The vast, salt-encrusted basin is the end of the line for the floods that have spread devastation across north and central Queensland, and now northern NSW, providing a poignant counterpoint to the misery unleashed on Victoria by the deadly Black Saturday bushfires.

The flood's headwaters have taken nearly a month to wend their way south from Queensland, along the swollen Diamantina and Georgina rivers, through the veined tracts of channel country straddling the state border, before reaching this corner of desert in South Australia, 700km north of Adelaide.

Last week, the waters filled Goyders Lagoon, about an hour's flying time from Lake Eyre.  Then, they reached bone-dry Warburton Creek, pushing forward at a rate of up to 40km a day.

Finally, yesterday, the flood spilled into Lake Eyre, a finger of greenish water shimmering in the heat haze against the vanilla shell of the dry lake bottom.

Pelicans, gulls and terns have followed in prodigious numbers.  Camels, drawn by the scent of open water, have come down from the Simpson Desert.  Soon, Lake Eyre will live up to its name, spawning yellow-bellied fish and fingerlings for the birds to feast on.  The 9690 sq km basin, which at 15m below sea level is the lowest point in Australia, has filled to brimming only three times since it was first sighted by Europeans 160 years ago, and it has been a long time between drinks for locals waiting for this drought to break. 

Already there is talk among the locals of reviving the dormant Lake Eyre Yacht Club, as well as a rowing competition.  At Mungerranie, a stopping point on the Birdsville Track, north of the lake, publican Pam Farrington said the good news about it filling was spreading and she was fielding calls from people wanting to book in once the flood had passed and the road links opened up.

After the lean years of drought, which had hit the local cattle stations particularly hard, it was a relief to have the district jumping again.