When will be a good time to visit Lake Eyre
Submitted: Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 13:01
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Member - Alex (SA)
Hi All,
I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on when will be a good time to visit Lake Eyre this year given the recent rains?
I would like to visit Halligan and Level Post Bays and was wondering if/when it will start filling again and what we can expect to see. i.e. 100m walk to the shore or 1km walk to the shore, no water visible at all?
I will be travelling from
Adelaide with friends and am planning on driving up in a day to
Coober Pedy then spend about 4-5 days going SE along the
Oodnadatta Track, camping at the following
places:
-
William Creek (or Halligans Bay)
-
Coward Springs
-
Muloorina Station
- Maree
Somewhere along the line we will organise a flight over the lake too.
Here are a couple of links I have found so far:
http://www.lakeeyreyc.com/Status/latest.htmlhttp://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/pdfs/PARKS_PDFS_DES_PARKS_BULLETIN.PDF
Cheers
Alex
Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 19:07
Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 19:07
Alex,
At the moment, Lake Eyre will be evaporating away quicker than the limited water going into it via the
Warburton and Cooper creeks (I think I heard recently that water from
Cooper Creek hasn't reached the Lake).
To see water at either Halligans or Level Post bays, you need a decent flood. The last half-decent flood was 2000 - and it was nothing like 1974 or 1989. A decent flood needs water coming in from all sides, and thats not happening at present.
The rain events of the past couple of years have been good, but the water at best has been barely visible from Halligan's Bay and not visible from
Level Post Bay. So the advice from the past couple of years is the same - if you want to see water in lake Eyre, take a flight.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: rumpig - Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 23:47
Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 23:47
i was out at Halligans Bay this year just gone just before i crossed The
Simpson Desert, and i can assure you the water was pretty visible from there. the water was only a few hundred metres from the shore line atmost, it was almost like being beside the ocean with water as far as you could see.
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Reply By: RobAck - Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 19:49
Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 19:49
You have not given any planned time so a recommendation is to avoid the place until at least May as it is extremely hot out there. Also try not to travel during the major holiday periods as the tracks become full of people on a deadline rather than a holiday. Consequently the chances of vehicle damage from rocks thrown up by passing traffic are an ever increasing frustration for remote area travel
Flights. The best pilot is Trevor Wright who owns Wright Air and operates out of
William Creek. As a local he has fantastic knowledge that makes the flights even more enjoyable. But book in advance
So in summary the best time in our book is from around late May to September at the latest
Keep an eye on the outback roads report and desert parks bulletins for the most up to date information and don't forget to give Mt Dare a call or email as
well
Regards
RobA
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Reply By: Member - Alex (SA) - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2011 at 10:39
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2011 at 10:39
Thanks for the
feedback.
It sounds like making some initial plans and then taking a wait and see approach will be best. There aer plenty of other
places we can go for a week if the rains don't fall in the lake eyre catchment.
We were planning on not going before May and will take the advice to avoid the heat and the holiday periods.
Cheers
Alex
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Owen M (NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 12, 2011 at 16:19
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2011 at 16:19
We were at
Halligan Bay in early June and there was definitely water - have photos of us paddling in it! As for flights, we took one from
Marree and were very happy with it
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Follow Up By: Teraa - Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 00:37
Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 00:37
As the Lake is dry at present but rain predicited for April - March seeing your on ground I would go for June 2011 and that's from a local, watch for Lake Eyre National parks updates as they just flew over today, Large rains predicited for today for here have not happened but maybe tommorow and cyclone ISAC maybe get us going but we are 4 inches already below last years season.
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Follow Up By: Teraa - Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 00:38
Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 00:38
OOPS, cyclone Vince but he is a little weepy
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Reply By: Neil B (Vic) - Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 13:46
Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 13:46
We did a flight out from
William Creek about a week ago and I can second the recommendation for Trevor Wright who flys out from there. The lake was perhaps a quarter or less full but evaporating quickly. There was definately water coming in from
Coopers Creek and the sheer numbers of pelicans was amazing.
Trevor said that he thought with all this rain in Queensland there is a good chance the lake may fill again. Can't remeber exactly but I think he suggested it might take a couple of months.
Didn't go out to Halligans but if I remember rightly from the air there didn't seem to be water close to there at all.
Cheers,
Neil
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Reply By: Crackles - Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 20:02
Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 at 20:02
To start with Alex this years rain so far will not fill Lake Eyre. It takes major falls at different times of the year in several catchments to arrive simultaniously to fill the Lake. The Queensland floods may take 3 to 4 months to arrive (if at all)& possibly give some visable water at
Level Post Bay. Plan for a trip from
Easter onward but have a backup in case the water doesn't make it like heading up to
Innamincka & the
Coongie Lakes where water & huge numbers of birdlife will be guarentee'd.
Cheers Craig.............
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