HomeAustralia/OceaniaExperience the Magic of Lake MacDonald: Australia’s Best-Kept Secret
Experience the Magic of Lake MacDonald: Australia’s Best-Kept Secret
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There is an ephemeral lake called Lake Macdonald that straddles the northern and western boundaries of Western Australia. The Lake is located southwest of Kintore, Northern Territory, it lies southwest of Lake Mackay. Potash mining has been investigated in the area. An area of 26.672 square kilometers covers Lake MacDonald, located approximately 120 km from Brisbane.
Lake Macdonald is home to a variety of wildlife in a picturesque rural setting. A member of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia supported an expedition that first visited the region in 1889. This was a country inhabited for thousands of years by Indigenous Australians. Moreover, Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area is bordered by the lake on the southern side. There are 1365 residents living in Lake Macdonald, located within the Australia/Brisbane time zone.
During William Tietkens’ expedition, the first known photographs ofUluru were taken in 1889. The other expedition members were David Beetson, Fred Warman, Billy (a black tracker from the native police at Alice Springs, and a small native boy. As well as Alice Springs, it covered territory near the Western Australian border. For the first time, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (Mount Olga) were photographed during this expedition. Among the other discoveries were Lake Macdonald (Karrkurutinyja), Lake Amadeus, the Kintore Range, Mount Leisler, Mount Rennie, and the Cleland Hills.
In honor of the Victorian branch secretary of the Geographical Society at that time, the lake is named after him. Many contemporary Indigenous Australian artists were born around Karrkurutinyja, including Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungarrayi, Shorty Lungkarta Tjungurrayi, and Narputta Nangala, mother of Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri.
In addition to bird watching, canoeing, and strolling around the lake, Noosa Botanic Gardens are nearby, filled with native plants and providing a perfect picnic spot. This is where you can catch bass, saratoga, perch, and even Mary River Cod, and then return them to the water.