Pink Lake — Attraction in Ashville

Pink Lake (historically known as Lake Lochiel) is a small, circular, salty pink lake on the Western Highway just north of Dimboola in Australia. Granville Stapylton, part of the explorer Thomas Mitchell's 1836 expedition into western Victoria, reconnoitered Pink Lake on 20 July 1836.

Location in Victoria

Location Dimboola, Victoria Coordinates 36°25′05″S 141°57′40″E Type Salt lake Basin countries Australia Max. length 2 km (1 mi) Max. width 2 km (1 mi) Surface area 45 ha (111 acres) Surface elevation 250 m (820 ft)

The lake received its name from its distinctive pink colour. The brightness of the hue varies according to the level of rainfall. Until recently it was assumed that red algae created the pink hue; however, recent research reported by Australian Geographic describes the colour as result of a pigment produced by the Salinibacter ruber bacteria. A rest-stop overlooks the lake's basin.

Salt has been harvested from the lake since the 1860s and on average 20 tonnes a year are harvested by the Mount Zero Olive company working in conjunction with the Barengi Gadjin Land Council. Commercial harvesting stopped in the 1970s but was resumed after negotiations between the Victorian State government, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council and the Mount Zero Olive...

Well, it wasn’t pink. Guess we were too late into the summer when we visited. A month earlier would’ve seen some water, which I guess gives the lake its bright pink colour. The water had evaporated when we visited on Jan 20th.

We walked about 200 meters from the road onto the dry lake bed to try to get a good picture, but the soil was pretty damp, so our shoes got really messy. 🙂

There’s very little side-of-the-road parking. Probably for 4-5 cars only. Be careful while getting back on the road since cars are going really fast there and you’ll need to pick up speed really quickly to keep the flow of traffic going.

The drive’s pleasant if the...

I visited Pink Lake in Meningie during the holidays, but the water had dried up, so the lake wasn’t pink as shown in the pictures. Even so, the trip was still worth it. The view along the road was amazing – wide open spaces that made me feel small under the big sky.

Both sides of the road were full of different plants, with changing colors and shapes. It made the drive interesting and enjoyable, turning the whole journey into a special experience.

If you’re nearby, I’d recommend visiting. The lake might not always be pink, but the scenery and peaceful atmosphere make it...