Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre

The plane we went on was a Cessna 208B Caravan (a.k.a. Grand Caravan), which is a high-winged 12 seater. It had a 1-1 seating configuration, so we all had a window seat. Couples sat opposite each other, thus we got photos from both sides of the plane. We flew with Arid Air on their two hour tour from Marree, the closest town to the lakes accessible by sealed road. Flights are also available with WrightAir from William Creek, which is closer, and from some more distant locations, such as Ikara – Wilpena Pound (for accordingly higher prices). We set off at 7am.

Some fun facts about Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.

• Australia’s largest salt lake
• the continent’s low­est point at 15.2 metres below sea lev­el
• In sum­mer, tem­per­a­tures in the area can soar to more than 50 degrees Celsius.
• Kati Than­da-Lake Eyre has filled to capac­i­ty only three times in the past 160 years.
• 1974 ….. was the last time Lake Eyre filled to capacity, at a record depth of 6 meters (20 feet)
• Record-breaking rainfall from south-west Queensland began making its way into Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in May 2025.
• 2025 it reached almost 80% capacity
• In late 2025, Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre’s depth reached approximately 2 metres in Belt Bay and the Madigan Gulf .
• The salinity in the lake increases as the 450 mm (18 in) salt crust dissolves over a period of six months of a major flood, resulting in a massive fish kill. When over 4 m (13 ft) deep, the lake is no saltier than the sea.
• for a video from NASA of Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre filling, check out this site NASA VIDEO

When we visited in mid October, the flow rate had started to decrease and epavoration rate had just started to exceed flow rate. Temperatures during our visit were around 40°C (104°F) each day. A dry heat with no breeze. The start of summer is still two weeks away with temperatures expected to exceed 50°C (122°F),

South Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre is much smaller than North Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre. The south lake is fed from the north lake and so gets less water than the northern lake and dries out first. This year,2025, the water level in the north lake did not quite get high enough to run into the south lake, so while we were there the south lake was dry but the salt as bright as snow.

We hope you enjoy the photos of this unique and beautiful part of Australia.

Marree Man

The Marree Man is a modern geoglyph discovered in 1998 in Outback South Australia.

• It depicts an Aboriginal man hunting with a boomerang or stick.
• It lies on a plateau at Finniss Springs, 60 km (37 mi) west of the township of Marree.
• The figure is 2.7 km (1.7 mi) tall with a perimeter of 28 km (17 mi), extending over an area of about 2.5 km² (620 acres).
• Discovered fortuitously by a charter pilot in an overflight on 26 June 1998, it is one of the largest geoglyphs in the world, arguably second to the Sajama Lines.
• Its origin remains a mystery: no one claimed responsibility for its creation and no eye-witness has been found.
• Two decades after its creation it was speculated that the work itself could not have been created without GPS technology, then in its infancy.

Theories of Whodunnit

According to our pilot, theories range from aliens to a local pub owner drumming up business, to USA defence personal. The latter being the most likely and here’s why our pilot thinks so.

• Joint Defence Facility Nurrungar approximately 15 km south of Woomera, South Australia, operated jointly by the Australian Department of Defence and the United States Air Force from 1969 through to 1999 when it was decommissioned. Marree Man appeared in 1998, the year before they left.
• Nurrungar was very close – 283 km or 3 hour drive away from Marree Man.
• The equipment and amount of diesel needed would have been more than most people could afford.
• transporting the equipment and diesel to the site would have been a major operation
• Experts who surveyed the geoglyph were reported as having concluded it was forged with an earthmoving machine and that the person responsible must have had extensive knowledge of satellite-linked global positioning systems. A technology in its infancy at the time.
• the United States Air Force had access to NASA. In fact Nurrungars official area of emphasis was space-based surveillance …. using U.S. Defense Support Program satellites in geostationary orbits. 
• The theory for not owning up to it is that the land, at the time, was part of a Federal Court lawsuit through the National Native Title Tribunal to determine the traditional owners. Entering the land would have incurred heavy penalties and prosecution: not good for US and Australian military relations.

Cheers til next time, Helen & Tim