Even for veteran grey nomads, the Big Lap is constantly throwing up new surprises, and the sheer scale and variety of country means no one will ever be able to look at map of Australia and say ‘Been there, Done that!’.
Places Uluru, Cape York and even the Bungle Bungle Ranges may be becoming more accessible, but it seems there is always something else out there.
While some geography-loving grey nomads might be aware of a mythical-sounding pink lake on an island in Western Australia, few would have thought they had a realistic chance of getting out for a colourful swim. However, a recent social media frenzy has raised awareness of Lake Hillier, on Middle Island off Esperance’s coast, making day trips out there more commercially viable. While other pink lakes in the west, such as Pink Lake itself, may be enough for some, for others, the island setting and sheer vibrancy of colour make Lake Hillier worth the extra effort.
The first ever public tour to the lake took place earlier this month and it seems a lot more people are keen to take the 260-kilometre, 15-hour round trip. Up until very recently, tourism had pretty much been restricted to flyovers but a video made by Red Bull of a wingsuit pilot soaring over the 600-metre expanse changed all that.
On January 9, Esperance Island Cruises filled its 90-person capacity boat with tourists keen to dip their toes in the hot-pink water of the lake. Passengers also apparently had the opportunity to view the early settler’s ruins and the campground of Australia’s only recorded pirate, Black Jack Anderson.
“Now with social media the images are spreading a lot faster,” said manager, Jaime Hudson. “We waited until we thought we could make it successful and the response was really good.”
Another tour has already been pencilled in for April 23. Adventurers will sail aboard the 20-metre, the Southern Niche, before being transferred to the island via smaller boat. The cost per adult will be around $320.
Scientists believe Lake Hillier is such an intense pink because a high salt content allows the colour-causing micro-organism to flourish. * Would a trip to the pink lake be worth ‘busting the budget’ for, or is Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake colourful enough for you? What are your favourite ‘secret’ spots on the Big Lap? Comment below.
