Many people are asking, ‘When is the best time to visit Lake Eyre?’ considering the recent Queensland floods. The answer is ‘Now.’
Major flooding across rural Queensland and NSW from March – May 2025 has fed between 600-1000 billion litres into the greater Lake Eyre Basin. The basin spans 1.2 million km2, which is almost one-sixth of Australia and is the world’s largest internal draining system. This has been flowing into Lake Eyre over the past few months, and continues to do so in copious amounts.
Lake Eyre is believed to have reached capacity on only three occasions in the past 160 years and is on track to do the same in 2025. While it is hard to predict the final volume accurately, early mapping shows that this flooding may be as big as the 1974 level. Although we can only guess the outcome, it is expected to be the most water the lake has seen in six years.
Due to the recent rains, the entire landscape around Lake Eyre has been transformed from a desolate, arid, flat landscape to an abundance of new life in fauna and flora. As birds arrive by the thousands, and wildflowers bloom, it is hard to recognise the area compared to 6 months ago, and this change will be evident well into 2026.
The lake becomes a breeding site for species that are tolerant of salty waters, such as waterbirds, fish, and shrimp. Wildflowers also blanket the floodplains with vivid colours that contrast against the deep blue skies.
Another question on people’s minds is ‘How long will this phenomenon continue?’ Again, this is hard to predict, but we do have some facts to work with. The shallow water is exposed to extreme evaporation, potentially 2.5 metres per year, meaning that the length of time the water remains depends on the final depth it reaches once all the water has flowed into the lake. It is also affected by future rain, which will now find it easier to flow to the lake due to the already soaked earth.
Our suggestion is that you will still be able to see the amazing scenery well into the middle of 2026. We say this with confidence because even as the water begins to evaporate, this is the only way the lake can lose water, as it is landlocked. With this evaporation, the landscape will change yet again. As the water evaporates, the lake turns a soft, pink-and-orange colour due to the pigments found within a specific type of salt-loving algae.
Aviation Tours specialises in all-inclusive holiday packages highlighting the greater Lake 
Eyre region. From our 3-day Lake Eyre Escape to our most popular 7-day Lake Eyre & Opals Tour – these tours are designed to give you the best views of both Lake Eyre and the surrounding greater Lake Eyre Basin. Extra tour dates have been added to allow as many people as possible to experience this ‘once in a generation’ event happening in the heart of Australia.