Purnie Bore - SA

Information

Purnie Bore was sunk by teams during the oil exploration years of the Simpson Desert. As the years went by, leaks in the bore caused a substantial amount of hot water to surface and develop into a sizeable lake.

Conservationists determined that salty water from an ever increasing water body has the potential to change the native habitat. Since then, most of the old bores have been closed off and the overall flow has been reduced to a trickle.

Heading on past this point, the first 40 kms from Purnie Bore to Wonga Junction is clay capped.

Purnie Bore is not a natural watering hole, however a borehead here allows some water to be released from the artesian basin to sustain the wildlife that have come to rely on this area being an "unnatural watercourse" for many years whilst the borehead was allowed to overflow, creating a large lake. Friends of the Simpson Desert have created a bird hide from which to observe wildlife here and it's a popular camp site with good facilities.