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POSTED: 07 AUGUST 2010 Outback icons take centre stage By Sue Fuller* “We’ve had unseasonal rain. You’re going to see more water than you’ve ever seen Outback,” says our guide Graham Reid. “The lakes are chock-a-block.” And so they were — including the biggest one of all, Lake Eyre. When it fills, Lake Eyre is easily Australia’s biggest lake, but even at its current level of about 85 per cent it’s an unforgettable sight. Graham’s comments mark the start of a remarkable day covering 4000 kilmoetres flying from Brisbane to the heart of Australia — over Haddon Corner, where the Queensland and South Australian borders meet. One of the biggest internal drainage systems in the world, the Lake Eyre Basin lies amid one of the world’s most inhospitable environments — the deserts of central Australia. Flying over land where temperatures regularly top 50ºC and the unprepared face death, it is almost surreal to think of the struggles of our early explorers while enjoying attentive in-flight service on the Skytrans charter. Just half a century ago, the lake was regarded as being permanently dry and reports of water were thought to be the result of mirages. But after rain, the land bursts into a blaze of dense, rich colours surrounded by seas of grass-green foliage. This is what we’ve come to see — plus a close look at Lake Eyre, now in flood for the second consecutive year. Our chartered Skytrans Dash 8 service, with its full load of 35 passengers, departs Brisbane early, stopping at Charleville to pick up Travel West co-owner and our guide for the day, Graham. Graham and Debbie Reid’s company runs regular day charter flights to Lake Eyre in the rare years the lake is in flood, and it’s on these flights that Graham gets to share his remarkable knowledge and passion for Queensland’s western river systems and the Lake Eyre Basin. Graham’s running commentary provides a fascinating insight into western Queensland as we leave mulga country and the colours start to change to the soft reds and greens of vast flood plains and river systems spreading like thousands of capillaries. Graham points out vast Outback properties such as Ray Station, established by the Tully family, and the million-acre Thylungra Station, taken up by the Duracks “way back”. Soon the vivid green of the Cooper Creek flood plains fill our view and the hundreds of “fingers” of water mark the start of the Channel Country, the best natural cattle-fattening country in the world, where beasts can put on more than a kilogram a day. We start to see the change to desert, with red “baldy top” sand hills and water-filled clay pans becoming more predominant. I put my camera down when I realise I have been compulsively trying to capture the ever-changing landscape. Instead, I watch the palette of pale reds, yellows and iridescent greens, the bright red of the gibber country in the Sturt Sandy Desert and the unending sand dunes that make up the Simpson Desert, as Graham reminds us Lake Eyre is about to come in sight. The plane drops to an altitude of just over 500 feet and we skim just above the surface of the lake which is a staggering 140 kilometres long by 70 kilometres wide. The shadow of the plane is a small dot on a vast surface of water that changes from brown to the pale whites and pinks of the salt pans, then blue as more freshwater runs into a lake that is seven times saltier than the sea. Graham explains water salinity variations can be seen below as swirling current patterns and points out a couple of “islands” which will soon be a temporary home to dozens of pelicans. The flight turns back towards Queensland and a highly anticipated afternoon stop at the famous Birdsville pub. “For Queenslanders it’s a big thing to see the Birdsville Hotel,” says Graham. “Lake Eyre’s a bit of a bonus.” He shouts us a cold drink and my camera comes out again for some permanent memories of a true Queensland icon. Inside, dozens of akubras hang on the wooden walls while small planes line up in orderly rows at the airport across the road. The vivid blue Outback sky soon fades to a spectacular sunset as we drop Graham off in Charleville on the homeward stretch of the day’s tour, but the images of Australia’s blooming heart will last a lot longer. Travel West has daytrips to Lake Eyre and Birdsville available on 4 September and 2 and 9 October. Price ex-Brisbane is $1599 per person. For bookings call 1800 654 541 or visit www.travelwest.com.au. *Sue Fuller was contracted by Tourism Queensland to write this story. |
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