PINK LAKE
Lake Hillier - is a pink-coloured lake on Middle
Island, the largest of the islands that make up the Recherche Archipelago off
the coast of Esperance.
From above the lake appears a solid bubble gum
pink. The lake is about 600 meters long, and is surrounded by a rim of sand and
dense woodland of paperbark and eucalyptus trees. A narrow strip of sand dunes
covered by vegetation separates it from the blue Southern Ocean.
No-one fully knows why
the lake is pink. Scientists speculate that the colour comes from a dye created
by bacteria that lives in the salt crusts.
Middle Island's pink
lake dates back to the journals of explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802. Flinders
had climbed Middle Island's highest peak (now known as Flinders Peak) to survey
the surrounding waters when he came across the remarkable lake. Middle Island
and its pink lake are located in a pristine wilderness. The only way to view
this lake is from the air. You can also explore the islands and abundant
wildlife of the Recherche Archipelago on a cruise from Esperance.
Pink Lake near Esperance is another pink lake
set against a backdrop of some of Australia's most stunning coastal scenery,
seven kilometres from the town of Esperance.
In the right weather conditions, the lake
turns a soft shade of pink due to the high concentration of algae in the water.
For the best views and excellent take a walk to Pink Lake lookout. The lake has
been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA)
because it supports significant numbers of native and migratory birds.
There's plenty to see
and do around Esperance including horse riding, walking and cycling, fishing,
scuba diving, whale-watching (May to October), windsurfing, abseiling, kayaking
and 4WD drive tours.
The Esperance Museum displays material about
the local history, including pioneer memorabilia, shipwreck items, pieces of
the US Sky Lab, which fell to earth in the Esperance region in 1980, Aboriginal
artefacts and antiques. There is an artificial reef just off the end of the
town jetty which is a good spot for fishing or a stroll.
Drive from Esperance
west along Twilight Beach Road past West Beach, Chapman's Point, Blue Haven
Beach, Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach and Twilight Beach. Walk along the soft,
white sands, granite cliffs, and watch the ocean change colour from aquamarine
near the shore to a deep blue out near the islands of the Recherche
Archipelago.
The sand dunes, pushed
to great heights by the wind called the 'Esperance Doctor', rise more than 50
metres high. Head to Rotary Lookout for panoramic views of Esperance, Esperance
Bay, Pink Lake and the islands off the coast.
Esperance is also a gateway to Cape Le Grand
National Park; Stokes National Park and Cape Arid National Park.
Esperance is approximately
720 kilometres south-east of Perth on Western
Australia's southern coastline. It is an eight hour drive or two hour flight
from Perth.
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