If you want to visit a country that offers a unique combination of natural wonders and sprawling cities, then Australia should be on top of your bucket list.
Even though a huge part of the country is made up of an arid and semi-arid region referred to as the “Outback,” Australia is home to several astounding lakes.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most famous lakes in Australia, one of the most diverse lists of lakes on Listerious which in turn is a reflection of the abundance of tourist attractions in the country.
1. Lake Hillier
Lake Hillier is one of the most amazing pink lakes in the world. These types of lakes get their distinctive reddish to bubblegum pink hue because of a particular bacteria that lives in saline lakes. The color of Lake Hillier is one of the most distinctive bubblegum pink of any pink lake in the world.
The relatively small lake is located on Middle Island, the largest of the Recherche Archipelago in the Goldfields-Esperance region in the southwest of Australia. It covers an area of just 15 hectares (37 acres) and is only separated from the Southern Ocean by a thin strip of shoreline.
Read more on Listerious: 8 facts about Lake Hillier
2. Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre is also known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre is an endorheic lake, a type of lake that doesn’t have an outlet. It’s located about 700 kilometers (435 miles) north of Adelaide in the Far North Region of South Australia. It’s pretty big as it covers an area of 9,500 square kilometers (3,668 square miles).
The lake is the main feature of the huge Lake Eyre basin which features the lowest point in all of Australia at 15 meters (49 feet) below sea level. It’s the largest lake in Australia and is defined by its extremely high levels of salinity whenever the lake dries up. This also means it becomes pink during dry periods if there’s any remaining water in it.
3. Blue Lake
Blue Lake is situated inside the crater of a dormant volcano and is located just near Mount Gambier. This is a complex of volcanic maars located in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. It has a surface area of 70 hectares (170 acres) and reaches a maximum depth of 77 meters (253 feet).
It’s unclear when the lake was formed exactly with estimates ranging from anywhere between 4,300 and 28,000 years. The most fascinating feature of the lake is that it changes in color, ranging from magnificent blue cobalt between December and March and steel grey between April and November.
4. Dove Lake
Dove Lake is located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania and the vicinity of Cradle Mountain. This fascinating mountain is the 6th-highest mountain peak on the island at an elevation of 1,545 meters (5,069 feet) and forms a magnificent background to the lake.
The lake has a surface area of 86 hectares (210 acres) and reaches a maximum depth of 157 meters (515 feet). It’s one of the most famous lakes in Australia and a popular tourist attraction in Tasmania, mainly for hikers who want to explore the region via the multiple trails that encircle the lake.
5. Lake McKenzie
Lake McKenzie is another incredible lake in Australia and is located on Fraser Island in Queensland, not too far north of Brisbane. The island, which is also known as K’gari, is listed on the world heritage list and is an important natural attraction in this part of Australia.
Lake McKenzie is also known as Boorangoora and is one of the main attractions of the Great Sandy National Park. What makes the lake so special is both the pure white that surrounds it and the mesmerizing blue color of the water. It has a surface area of 150 hectares (370 acres) and is relatively shallow with an average depth of just 6.6 meters (22 feet).
6. Lake Torrens
Lake Torrens is another Endoeric salt lake located in the desolate landscape of the Outback in central South Australia. It’s also very bog, covering an area of 5,745 square kilometers (2,218 square miles), and even features multiple islands.
2 of the largest islands are known as Andamooka Island and Murdie Island near its western shoreline. The lake is located within the boundaries of the Lake Torrens National Park which is situated about 345 kilometers (214 miles) north of Adelaide. Its salt flats look especially amazing from space.
7. Lake Amadeus
Lake Amadeus is a large salt lake situated in the southwestern part of the Northern Territory of Australia. The lake is located just 50 kilometers (31 miles) from one of Australia’s most famous attractions, a famous rock formation that is known as Uluru.
This is one of the most famous lakes in Australia which creates a remarkable spectacle when viewed from the air. The extreme aridity in the area turns the surface of the lake into a salt crust which looks pretty surreal when viewed from a distance. The lake is big as well and covers an area of 1,032 square kilometers (398 square miles).
8. Lake Albina
Lake Albina is a glacial lake located just 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) north of the highest mountain in mainland Australia, Mount Kosciuszko. It’s located at an elevation of 1,920 meters (6,300 feet) above sea level which is still significantly lower than Mount Kosciuszko which reaches an elevation of 2,228 meters (7,310 feet) above sea level.
The lake is situated within both the Kosciuszko National Park and the Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves which are some of the main attractions of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales. It’s a relatively small lake as it covers an area of just 6,600 square meters (71,000 square feet), but the landscape in which it’s located is breathtaking.
9. Lake Eacham
Lake Eacham is a lake situated on a plateau in Queensland known as the Atherton Tableland.” This is in the northeastern part of Australia. It’s part of the so-called Wet Tropics of Queensland of which the Daintree Rainforest and the Barron Gorge National Park are a part.
This lake of volcanic origin is encircled by dense rainforests and there aren’t any outflows. This makes it all the more remarkable that fish such as the Lake Eacham rainbowfish live in this lake, even though it remains a mystery how they got there. The lake covers an area of 4.89 square kilometers (1.89 square miles) and is one of the main features of the Crater Lakes National Park.
10. Lake Saint Clair
Lake Saint Clair is another famous lake in Australia that isn’t found on the mainland of the country but in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania. It’s situated in the utmost southern part of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in which Dove Lake is also located.
The lake covers an area of 45 square kilometers (17 square miles) and is pretty deep as well, reaching a maximum depth of 215 meters (705 feet). One of the best ways to explore the lake and its mesmerizing surroundings is by following the Overland Track, a trail that was established in 1911 and which traverses the entire national park.
