Australia is full of Salt Lakes but none can compare to Lake MacDonnell. It is thanks to this lake we owe our Instagram success. When we uploaded this photo of Lake MacDonnell in 2018 it had only been snapped a few times and our photos were one of the first times it had been seen on Instagram. If you don’t believe us, let’s look below, shall we…
Yup, Google official photo.
This led to a lot of likes on Instagram and a lot of attempts to steal or buy it (don’t worry, we are hunting them down one by one)👮🏻 That is a story for another time, for now, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about this amazing lake!
Our Guide covers everything you will need to know before you go and visit this iconic lake.
This lake is often called the pink & blue lake or the Watermelon Avenue Cactus Beach Australia. Its official name is Lake MacDonnell, has recently become one of the top tourist spots in South Australia, we would like to think it has something to do with that 😏
Firstly we would like to clarify, our photo has not been photoshopped. We slightly enhanced the shade of BLUE to match those of our other images on Instagram at the time. The pink is 100% natural baby.
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Where Is Lake Macdonnell 📍
The simple answer to this is, in the middle of but-f🤬🤬k know where. But for those of you who are actually planning to visit here, keep reading to get an in-depth look at the exact location and how to get to Lake MacDonnell.
Lake MacDonnell is located in the state of South Australia and along the western tip of the Eyre Peninsula,📍This area is also known as the Nullabor. When people refer to the Nullabor they generally mean the huge area of deserted land that sits between Perth and Adelaide, with the highway connecting the two cities. The Nullabor is an incredible 1365km long.
To reach the lake you will need to drive along a dirt track from the town of Penong. The track is 15km’s and leads to Port Sinclair and the beautiful Cactus Beach.
How To Get To Lake MacDonnell 🗺️
To reach this pink and blue lake in South Australia, you need to reach the dirt track in the town of Penong. Head West along the main Highway out of Ceduna until you reach the town of Penong.
Ceduna to Penong is 75km.
Follow the signs for Point Sinclair and you can’t miss in. Once there is a small bend to the left of the road, you will reach the famous strip which runs straight through the middle of Lake Macdonnell.
Here are the distances from many of the major towns of cities.
- Lake MacDonnell to Ceduna ↠ 89KM, 1 hour
- Port Lincon to Lake MacDonnell ↠ 490 KM, 5 hours
- Adelaide to Lake Macdonnell ↠ 865 KM, 9 hours
- Lake Macdonnell from Melbourne ↠ A huge 1800 KM, 20 hours
Why Is Lake MacDonnell Pink?
So many people have asked us “why is Lake Macdonell pink?” This was also one of the first questions we asked each other when we arrived here as we couldn’t believe how pink it was. After a quick google search, we soon found out that it has something to do with Lake Macdonnell in South Australia being part of an old mine.
For whatever reason, the algae levels within the water were increased. The algae feed off the salt in the water. So as we understand it, more salt in the water means more algae, which equals bright pink water.
🧂+ 🌊+🌱=💕
Is Lake MacDonnell SA Always Pink? 🌸
The simple answer to this is no. Firstly you have to take into consideration the time of the year you are visiting. If there isn’t much water in the lake, you will end up with a dried-out white salt plain instead of a bright pink lagoon.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Lake MacDonnell⁉️
The best time to visit lake Macdonnell on the Eyre Peninsula depends on your plans before and after your visit. Usually, the only people who visit Lake Macdonnell are those crossing the Nullabor, due to its remote location, or locals who know that Cactus Beach is a great surfing spot.
As we crossed the Nullarbor during the springtime, we decided to make a stop off at this beautiful lake. We would recommend this time of year as it wasn’t unbearably hot, and the lake was still bright pink!
If you are camping or living in a camper van, you would obviously like nice warm weather. Visiting the lake and crossing the Nullabor in the peak of summer is perfectly fine, just remember it’s going to be HOT!!
Can You Swim In Lake MacDonnell? 🏊🏻
We can safely say we have never tried to swim in the lake and to be honest, we wouldn’t want to. Yes, it is water and might look tempting, but it is incredibly salty and there are no showers near this lake. The one time we did walk through a pink lake in Australia, we needed up getting stuck in the mud beneath and cutting our feat which HURT!
Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Somewhere you can defiantly swim nearby is ↠ Greenly Beach Rockpools.
Other Things To Do Around Lake Macdonell
There is plenty to do nearby, the Eyre Peninsula was one of our favourite areas in South Australia and certainly shouldn’t be missed.
↠Point Sinclair
On the edge of the Eyre Peninsula is Point Sinclair. You will find some amazing beaches and even better surf spots. Explore the 3 national surging reserves, Cactus, Castles and Caves.
If you are planning to visit this legendary surf spot then we recommend the following.
In the town of Penong, there is a fuel station, a pub, and a shop, there isn’t drinking water in Point Sinclair. Stock up on all the essentials before heading along the dirt road. Although it is only a 20-minute drive back to town, you don’t want to be wasting precious surf time.
Point Sinclair Camp Ground is located on private property which costs a small fee but it is a great place to spend a night or two. Here you will find they have great facilities.
↠ Cactus Beach
If you are more of a beach bum then Cactus beach is the place for you. Miles of beautiful coastline to sit back and relax.
A word of warning the rips and the currents can be super strong here and mixed in with a prime Great White Shark location take care in the water if you choose to enter.
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Other Things To Do Nearby Lake MacDonnell
Nearby in Australia can mean anything between 1 hour to 5 hours.
If you are heading towards Western Australia then sit back and enjoy the drive, because it is going to be a long one. The next stop in your road trip should be The Great Australian Bight. It is beautiful to see the bottom of Australia and there are plenty of places to stop and camp along the cliff edge.
If you are heading East then you are in for a treat. Two hours away you can find Streaky, Smoky Bay, and Greenly Beach with Coffin Bay or Port Lincon only being 4-5 hours away. There is so much to see and do along the Eyre Peninsula.
Coffin Bay – Eyre Peninsula↠South Australia Travel Guide
In fact, we thought the Eyre Peninsula and South Australia were so good, we wrote a whole blog post highlighting our favourite spots. You can check it out below now.
↠The Best Instagram Spots In South Australia 📲
More Pink Lakes in South Australia ☠️
Just like Pokemon and wanting to find them all, there are a few other pink lakes in South Australia you might want to visit. Another of our favourites was Lake Bumbunga in Clare Valley. This lake is under a 2-hour drive from Adelaide and is well worth a visit, especially if you are already exploring the Fleurieu Peninsula.
When we visited Lake Bumbunga there was a brilliant photoshoot taking place. The local university students were in the middle of salt lake with some amazing props.
One thing in common between Lake Macdonell and Lake Bumbunga is the FLIES!! They were everywhere so we recommend coming prepared.
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There are two other Pink lakes in South Australia which are Lake Eyre and Lake Heart 💕 These three lakes are deep into the outback, which is why unfortunately didn’t get to visit them. But here are the locations of each lake in case you want to take on the South Australia Pink Lake Challenge!
Pink Lake South Australia Locations 💕
↠📍Lake Erye
↠📍Lake Heart
If you are reading our amazing guide and actually end visiting Lake Macdonnell, or any of the other lakes we would love to hear from you. Be sure to tag us @unexploredfootsteps on any pictures you upload to Instagram 📲 Even better send us a quick message and let us know if you managed to complete the Pink Lake Challenge.
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What Camera Gear Do We Use
- Main Camera: Panasonic G80
- Go To Lens: Panasonic 12-60mm
- Tripod: Manfrotto Adventure Tripod
- Camera Bag: Manfrotto Backpack
- Underwater Camera: GoPro Hero 8
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
- Power Bank: Anker Power Bank
- Hardrive: WD 1TB hard drive
This place looks stunning! it’s now on my bucket list 🙂 Although Hutt Lagoon, Western Australia looks equally amazing too!
It is very far from where i live but it is really beautiful place. You are lucky.
Wow this place looks gorgeous and relaxing! Australia is on mine and my husband’s must-visit list, so we’ll have to check this place out!
-V