Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is about to flood for the first time in years

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is rising – and so is demand to see it.

It’s the kind of natural phenomenon that has Australians dropping everything and booking a seat on the next flight to the outback. After years of shimmering silence, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is coming back to life – in a spectacular, once-in-a-decade kind of way. Fed by floodwaters caused by heavy rain across outback Queensland last month from Diamantina River and Cooper Creek, the usually bone-dry salt lake in outback South Australia is transforming into a vast inland sea, and travellers are racing to see the magic unfold.

Don’t miss this rare flooding event. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

The rare flooding event is already being called one of the most significant in recent memory. Water is making its slow and steady journey across thousands of kilometres of arid inland, eventually pooling in the basin of Australia’s largest lake – a place so vast and flat you can see the curve of the Earth. But when the rains do come, the desert doesn’t just bloom – it explodes with life.

Birds flock in from thousands of kilometres away, wildflowers erupt in bursts of colour and locals brace for an influx of visitors all eager to see one of Australia’s most remote and remarkable landscapes at its absolute peak.

Heavy rain and floods across outback Queensland last month are expected to fill the lake. (Image: Outback Spirit)

“This is nature at its most awe-inspiring,” says Cher Lontok, head of product and operations – Australia at APT, which has just expanded its 2025 Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre touring program in response to soaring demand.

“We’ve launched a brand-new tour and added departures to make sure more Australians have the chance to see it before it’s gone.”

APT’s new eight-day Lake Eyre and Painted Hills tour (from $7395) includes scenic flights over the lake and the surreal outback landscapes of the Painted Desert – a region that’s usually off-limits to the public. Also on offer is the seven-day Lake Eyre and Flinders Ranges tour, which visits ochre-hued escarpments, ancient gorges and outback towns, with expert guides and luxury stays along the way.

Seeing Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is a surreal experience. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Another operator, Outback Spirit, is also taking expressions of interest for small-group expeditions to coincide with this year’s event.

The Ghan is in on the action as well, offering a scenic flight that sweeps over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, the Painted Hills and Coober Pedy as an optional upgrade on its iconic Darwin to Adelaide rail journey.

For many, it’s a pilgrimage. For others, a chance to witness what scientists call a “hydrological miracle”. For everyone lucky enough to see it – it’s an unforgettable glimpse at Australia’s wildest beauty.

Outback Spirit is taking expressions of interest for tours. (Image: Outback Spirit)

But there’s a ticking clock. Flood events like this don’t last forever. And while Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre hasn’t filled just yet, experts say the incoming waters could make this one of the most impressive inundations in at least six years since the 2019 mark of 8.15 metres. But based on rainfall in south-west Queensland, it’s looking like levels will surpass 2019 and should be similar to 2010 when it almost filled completely.

So, if you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the desert flood, flocks of pelicans soaring over mirrored salt pans and a landscape reborn, this is your sign. Seats are selling fast, and once the lake dries up, it could be years before the show returns.

This is Australia’s ultimate ephemeral experience – and the curtains are just about to rise. As the old saying goes, when it rains, it tours.

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is Australia’s largest lake. (Image: Grant Hunt Photography)