Lake Tyrrell, Victoria: Is this Australian salt lake always pink?

Visit Lake Tyrrell in Victoria during warm, wet weather if you want to see it pink. But aim for winter if you want to see mirror-like reflections of the night sky in this Australian salt lake.

Lake Tyrrell in the Mallee region is the largest salt lake in Victoria. And, if you come in the right weather conditions, it is also one of Australia’s pink lakes.

The lake is so salty that salt has been extracted and harvested from Lake Tyrrell since 1896. But most visitors these days are more interested in taking photos than taking salt.

Where is Lake Tyrrell, Victoria’s largest salt lake?

Lake Tyrrell is about four hours north west of Melbourne, just off the Calder Highway. You’ll pass it on the Bendigo to Mildura leg of the Melbourne to Mildura drive. The main viewing platform is a short detour off the Calder Highway, about 7km north of the town of Sea Lake. The lake bed covers around 208 square kilometres.

What can I see at Lake Tyrrell?

Most of the time, if you come to Lake Tyrrell, you’ll largely see a vast plain of salt. The lake is dry for most of the year. When dry, this Australian salt lake mostly impresses with its salt formations – salt pillars climb from the lake bed.

There’s also an excellent chance of seeing wildlife, too. Seagulls nest on the lake’s islands, while kangaroos and emus are regular visitors.

Is Lake Tyrrell a pink lake all year round?

Those coming in search of a pink lake, along the lines of Lake MacDonnell and Lake Bumbunga in South Australia, will have to time it right. Lake Tyrrell is only a pink lake when the weather is warm and wet. That’s when pink micro-algae called red marine phytoplankton secrete the red pigment that turns the water pink.

At other times, it’s not the colour but the reflectiveness of the water that’s all important. The salt bed makes a thin layer of water almost mirror-like. Photographers enjoy playing with the angles to get salt formations, islands and the shoreline reflected in the lake.

Later winter afternoons tend to be the best time to visit for the reflection. Stay a bit longer on a clear evening and you can capture the twinkling night sky reflected in Lake Tyrrell. That requires booking Lake Tyrrell accommodation, which is somewhat limited. Your best bet is to stay in Sea Lake.