Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda)

Australia's Largest Salt Lake

sunny Best in April to October

location_on Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park

schedule 1 min read / Updated Apr 2026

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is the lowest natural point in Australia, 15 metres below sea level. It only fully floods a few times a century. When it does, it becomes the continent's largest lake and draws millions of waterbirds across the desert.

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is the lowest natural point in Australia at 15 metres below sea level. It is also the largest lake in the country when full, covering 9,500 square kilometres at its theoretical maximum. The catch is that it almost never fills completely. A full flood requires a substantial wet season in central and northern Queensland feeding the Diamantina, Cooper Creek, and Warburton river systems thousands of kilometres upstream.

The lake last filled completely in 1974. Partial fillings happen every few years and trigger an extraordinary biological response. Within days of water reaching the salt flats, brine shrimp and other crustaceans hatch from dormant eggs that can survive decades of drying out. Within weeks, millions of waterbirds (pelicans, banded stilts, silver gulls and others) arrive from across the continent to feed and breed.

The lake sits within Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, jointly managed with the Arabana people. The most popular access point is the William Creek airstrip, where scenic flights leave for the lake and nearby Anna Creek painted hills.

location_on Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda), SA

Plan your visit

Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda), SA.

Area when full: 9,500 km2
Below sea: 15m
Last full: 1974

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Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda)

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