Out and About Sunraysia

Pink Lakes Day Trip

This is a proper Mallee weird-and-wonderful loop — salt pans, silo art, wide-open country and the other-worldly landscape around the Pink Lakes.

It is a bigger day out, so take your time and make the stops part of the trip rather than rushing straight through. There is plenty along the way to break up the drive, from Nowingi and Ouyen through to Walpeup and the Pink Lakes section of Murray–Sunset National Park.

Best time and what to take

The warmer months work well because the longer days give you more time for stops, photos and slow drives. Pack plenty of water, snacks, a hat and sunnies, and fuel up before you go because services can be spread out. Allow extra time — this is the sort of run where you will keep stopping for one more look.

Trip route

Open the route map before you head off and keep it handy for the run through Nowingi, Ouyen, Walpeup and into the Pink Lakes.

View Route Map

The run

Six stops taking you from Mallee salt country through to the Pink Lakes.

Salt country

Stop 1: Nowingi Salt Pan

Your first hit of Mallee magic — wide-open salt country and a proper photo stop.

It is a good place to stretch the legs and set the tone for the day before continuing further into the Mallee.

Quick detour

Stop 2: Nowingi Ironclad Catchment H.A

A short detour with a bit of that old Mallee waterworks feel. It is an interesting look at how this dry landscape captures and holds water when the rain does arrive.

It is worth a quick stop for a look and a couple of photos before getting back on the road.

Lunch stop

Stop 3: Ouyen Lake

Ouyen Lake makes a good mid-trip break. Pull in, have a wander and enjoy the lake before tackling the next part of the drive.

There are free BBQs if you have packed supplies, or you can head into town and grab a feed from the local bakery before heading back out into the Mallee.

It is also a handy place to reset and work out how much time you want to spend on the next few stops.

Silo art

Stop 4: Walpeup Silo Art

This is one of those stops that is hard to drive past. The large-scale artwork stands out against the flat Mallee horizon and makes for an easy photo stop on the way through.

It also adds a good bit of local culture before the landscape starts changing again as you get closer to the lakes.

Get your bearings

Stop 5: Pink Lakes Information Board

Stop at the information board near the Pink Lakes Road entry before heading further in.

It is a useful place to read up on the area, check directions and decide which sections you want to spend the most time exploring.

Pink Lakes

Stop 6: Pink Lakes / Murray–Sunset National Park

This is where the landscape starts to feel properly different. Once you enter via Pink Lakes Road, the main lakes are all fairly close to one another, so you can move between them without huge drives in between.

Take it slowly. Roads can be corrugated and there are plenty of spots where you will want to pull over for photos and a closer look at the salt crusts and changing colours.

The appearance of the lakes can vary with the season and conditions, so every visit can look a little different.