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10 Mind-Blowing Best Pink Lakes In Australia 2024 Guide

Did you know there are more than 10 pink lakes in Australia? Australia is home to so many incredible natural wonders, and the beautiful pink lakes happens to be a natural phenomenon you must see!

It’s funny to think that we nearly went to visit a pink lake in another country, and unbeknown to us Australia is home to loads! Australia’s pink lakes are such a phenomenon, we’ve found 10 places with pink water in Australia.

In this pink lakes guide I’m going to talk about the many pink lakes in Western Australia such as; Lake Hillier (take a scenic flight to see it from above!) and Hutt Lagoon. There’s even four pink lake in Murray Sunset National Park in Victoria, one in Canberra and the famous pink lakes in South Australia like Lake Macdonnell.

You’ll be surprised to see your Australia bucket list will be growing after you’ve read this post. So, let’s find out why you need to put these vibrant pink lakes on list to visit.

A hidden gem full of natural attractions
Interested to learn more about fascinating places in Australia? Check out some of the best blue lakes in my guide for the Best Things To Do In Mount Gambier. This South Australia gem has so many mind blowing natural attractions to visit, you’re going to love it!

How We Discovered The Pink Lakes In Australia

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Image via Luke Shadbolt.

Then we remembered when Gary Pepper Girl did that Lancôme campaign right in the middle of one of Australia’s pink lakes on the Coral Coast. 

So, we did a bit of research into the pink lake phenomenon and it turns out there are over 10 pink lakes in Australia worth visiting. There aren’t that many pink lakes in the world, but it turns out most of them are right here in Australia!

Find out why the pink lakes in Australia are a must visit!


Why Are There Pink Lakes In Australia?

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Lake Eyre in South Australia

Just a quick one if you’re wondering how a pink lake bed is formed to make the pink water:

  • It has to be a salt lake
  • During the hot weather, the algae in the water mixes with the salts to turn into pink water – it’s as simple as that.
  • Most pink lakes don’t stay pink permanently, they change colour all the time mostly from a lilac to a bright bubblegum pink colour throughout the day and in certain times of the year.
  • If you’re wondering whether you can swim in a pink lake, there’s no reason why you can’t, but most pink lakes in Australia are off limits as the locals are trying to protect them. If you find a pink lake you are allowed to swim in, make sure you don’t have any open wounds as they’ll be seeing a lot of salt in them once you take a dip. I would wear reef shoes to avoid cutting your feet on the salt crystals as well.

Must visit scenic flight tour: Pink and Rainbow Lakes

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Did you know Esperance is home to over 200 pink lakes? Some of these includes The Pink and Rainbow Lakes in Cape Le Grand National Park, which are a group of 24 multi-coloured and pink lakes all located next door to each other.

Located on private property, they are best seen between January – April when they are at their most vibrant colours on this Scenic Flight. The tour also flies over some of the best beaches in Australia, including the famous Lucky Bay.

Check availability for Scenic Flight >

1. Lake Hillier In WA

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Starting with the most famous pink lake is Lake Hillier in Australia, located on Middle Island in WA. Unlike other pink lakes, shallow pink lake of Lake Hillier stays the same vibrant bubblegum pink all year round in the Indian Ocean.

It’s not that easy to get to the 6km Middle Island, you can only view the pink Lake Hillier by a scenic flight or by boat. If you’re going via a boat tour, you’ll be dropped off on Middle Island to explore the camp ruins of Australia’s only ever pirate called Jack Anderson from the 1830’s. Pretty cool hey?

Although it’s totally safe to swim in, swimming is actually off bounds to protect this very natural beauty phenomenon. We’d imagine you’d be floating as much as you would in the Dead Sea due to this amount of salt in this water.

How to get to Lake Hillier: 

Lake Hillier is located just off Cape Arid National Park in Middle Island, near Esperance in Western Australia.

Boat tours start from with Esperance Cruises and start from 7am – 4pm. They don’t run often and the next available cruise will take place in April 2019. It costs around $290 per person and includes lunch.


2. Hutt Lagoon, Western Australia

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5.5hrs north of Perth lies Hutt Lagoon in Port Gregory, a pink lake which stretches over a massive 70KM. Hutt Lagoon is also a favourite set location for fashion brands like Lancôme and Myer.

You can book this 1 hour buggy tour around Hutt Lagoon and learn all about the local history around it, which would be super cool!

As mentioned, Gary Pepper Girl made headlines with the beautiful read dress she wore on this pink lake in Port Gregory as well as Aussie model Jennifer Hawkins shot a fashion shoot for a Myer campaign here as well.

Depending on the weather, Hutt Lagoon’s colour can vary from lilac to bright pink and can even turn silver, it just depends on the cloud cover and the time of the day.

The pink lake changes colour all year round depending on the sun and the clouds.

In summer the lake dries out to form a big salt lake – the colour is still pink but it is very pale. You are able to walk on the lake when it is dry and take some epic photos! Then, in winter (or after big rains) the lake fills up again.

Hutt Lagoon isn’t just a fashion set, it’s actually farmed to make cosmetics and supplements as well as used as a natural food dye. If you’re wondering how, Hutt Lagoon’s pink colour lake is formed due to the algae in the water that produces beta-carotene. You might know beta-carotene is also found in vegetables like carrots and is used to farm these products.

Although the water might dry out during Summer in Port Gregory and will lose it’s intense pink colour, don’t try and drive or walk over it as it’s very salty and soft meaning it can be quite slimy as essentially it is still a salt bed.

How to get to Hutt Lagoon: 

Hutt Lagoon is a 5h30m drive from Perth located near to the main hub of Geraldton nearly half way up the WA coast. Spending time in WA? Check out our 10 Best Beaches in Western Australia By A Perth Local guide.


2. Pink Lake (Lake Spencer) & Lake Warden, Western Australia

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Lake Hillier’s neighbour is the infamous Pink Lake. Apparently many people get completely confused with the two lakes because of the names.

Unfortunately the Pink Lake has lost its colour over the years due to many contributing factors such as; the salt mining ceased in 2007, a new construction of a railway and highway nearby caused the loss of the colour. Although it disappoints many tourists, there’s another lake worth visiting next door.

The good news is, just five minutes away from Pink Lake is Lake Warden. Expect a bright pink lake to visit! Are you travelling up the WA Coastline? Check out our 10 Places To Visit On A Perth To Exmouth Road Trip.

How to get to Pink Lake and Lake Warden: 

The Pink Lake is just an 8 minute drive west of Esperance in Western Australia. Lake Warden is literally next door to the Pink Lake.


4. Quairading Pink Lake, Western Australia

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Quairading Pink Lake is just a two hour drive out of Perth and what makes it unique is the fact that there’s a road that runs right in the middle of it. This road actually determines that there’s two different shades of pink throughout the year.

How to get to Quairading Pink Lake:

It’s just over a 2 hour drive west of Perth to get to Quairading Pink Lake!


5. Westgate Lake Melbourne

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A few year back Westgate Lake near the Westgate Bridge made global headlines as it changed  colour overnight to a bright bubblegum shade of pink.

There were many theories about why Westgate Park Lake changed colour but it’s actually due to the warmer weather. The mixture of high salt levels and high temperatures caused the salt lake to turn pink. During the winter months it returns to its normal cooler colour.

And there was us thinking you had to travel far to see the pink phenomenon and you can see it right in the middle of Melbourne! Spending time in Melbourne? Check out our 10 Best Melbourne Restaurants You Need To Check Out guide!

How to get there: 

Westgate Lake is located in Port Melbourne, just an 18 minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD.


6. Pink Lakes, Victoria

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Located in far North West Victoria, 50km south of Mildura, lies four pink lakes in the Murray-Sunset National Park called; Lake Crosbie, Lake Becking, Lake Kenyon and Lake Hardy.

Although they aren’t as well known as some of famous pink lakes located in Western Australia and South Australia, Victoria still has some extraordinary pink lakes worth mentioning with salt loving algae to make them pink.

The colours range from mauve to the classic bubblegum pink after rainfall and get whiter throughout the day. There are walking tracks between the four lakes and you can camp at either Lake Crosbie or Lake Becking.

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How to get to pink lakes Victoria:

Murray-Sunset National Park is a six hour drive North West of Melbourne and is actually closer to Adelaide by a whole 1h45m!

If you’re looking to camp at Murray-Sunset National Park, check out Parks Victoria for more information.


7. Lake Eyre, South Australia

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It might not be as easy to visit the other lakes as Lake Eyre actually only sees water every 3-10 years. When the lake fills up, the beautiful wildlife bring the lake alive and it’s a sight to be seen.

How to get to Lake Eyre: 

Lake Eyre is a good 8h drive north from Adelaide. If you’re going to be travelling around Adelaide, check out our Ultimate South Australia Road Trip Guide For 1/2/3 Weeks.


8. Lake Bumbunga, Clare Valley, South Australia

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Easy to get to, Lake Bumbunga is only a 1h40m drive north west of Adelaide near the famous wine region of Clare Valley. The lake is actually really shallow so it’s a popular spot for instagrammers and photographers.

How to get to Lake Bumbunga:

Located near the town of Lochiel, Lake Bumbunga is a 1 hour and 40 minute drive north west from Adelaide.


9. Lake Albert, Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia

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Lake Albert is just a 1h40m drive south east of Adelaide and is named after Prince Albert. The lake sits as the gateway to the Coorong National park which has salt pans, sand dunes, wild beaches and wetlands which stretches over 150km.

How to get to Lake Albert: 

Lake Albert is a 1 hour and 40 minute drive south east from Adelaide.


10. Lake MacDonnell, South Australia

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One of the most popular pink lakes in Australia is Lake MacDonnell. Although it’s becoming a popular Instagram spot, it actually takes a good nine hour drive west of Adelaide to get there.

Previously a salt mine, Lake MacDonnell is the largest gypsum mine in the southern hemisphere and can produce more than one million tonnes of gypsum a year.

How to get there: 

It’s a 9 hour drive west of Adelaide to reach this insta-famous pink lake!


Best Pink Lakes In Australia

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