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Lake Eyre From The Air

 

Lake Eyre is a massive contradiction. A lake where land speed records are broken. A salt flat with a sailing club. And it is a real sight to see.

It sits in the middle of a desert and is Australia’s lowest point at 15m below sea level. More than 140km long and 77km wide, most of the time it is a glittering, eye-scorching, shimmering white salt flat. It has filled only three times in the last 150 years.

But when it fills, Kati Thanda- Lake Eyre – to give it it’s full title – is the largest lake in Australia and becomes home to a mass of bird and marine life.

The Lake is miles from anywhere and yet, when the rains come, the yachties follow and members of one of the least met sailing clubs take to the water.

But it is a fleeting thing. The harsh outback environment ensures the waters never stay long. As the lake dries the fish die off from the increased salinity and the birds take to the air again.

We were very fortunate to have the chance to witness one of Australia’s great outback events.

We posted some pictures on our Facebook page awhile ago of Lake Eyre in flood – a rare occurrence that we just had to see. Just for our blog readers – here’s more loveliness.

 

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It’s the little things…

 

that can make a big difference.  This was once a mountain, but drop by tiny drop, water has etched it into a natural and spectacular sandstone amphitheatre ….

 

The Orgues sur Tet, in the Pyrenees Orientales are a series of gigantic columns up to 14 metres high etched out a mountain over millennia.

The columns are called hoodoos, also known as chimney rocks because of the hard layer of rock that caps them off and gives some protection from the rain and erosion.

Other structures are known as the “organ pipes” for obvious reasons.

Enjoy the show!