the 6 wonders of Australia, from pink lakes to non-uluru monoliths

LAKE HILLIER

In most lakes, the closest thing to pink will be a stray flamingo. In our own nation, we have some pastel pools that are staggering from the air and from the ground. No one quite knows why Lake Hillier is a perfect cough medicine pink, but it joins a handful found the world over. The lake is situated in Middle Island on the Recherche Archipelago, a castaway island hotspot if there ever was one.

The hue is no illusion – if you were to fill a bottle with the liquid it would remain pink. You can reach nature’s lipstick lake by flying over it and you can see the archipelago by taking a cruise out of Esperance.

MOUNT AUGUSTUS

You read right. Uluru is not, in fact, the largest rock in Australia. Mount Augustus holds the honour and it is actually mostly beneath the surface. Just one third of the monocline rock is visible and yet it rises up more than 700 metres.

Australia’s other big red rock, Mount Augustus, was formed 900 million years ago. One of the differentiators between this monocline and the monolith of Uluru is that hiking is permitted. The Summit Trail is a manageable half-day, 12 kilometre hike. And while we’re comparing the two, Mount Augustus is more than double the size of Uluru. The spine of this desert stalwart is eight kilometres in length and dusty plains where wildflowers unexpectedly blossom surround the formation.

WAVE ROCK

Found in Western Australia, this marvel is geology’s version of a massive wave that only the most hardcore of surfers would pursue. This granite drop-off is 15 metres high and 110 metres in length. To add to the wave doppelganger effect, the top of the rock has a curled lip, poised to crash.

But when you come to this region a four-hour drive from Perth, you get more than just one rock. There’s also Hippo’s Yawn, with a name that gives the game away. The gaping oval entry evokes a hungry hippo. This region has special importance to the indigenous community and there is rock art to be found in The Humps and Mulka’s Cave. 

SHARK BAY

On the tourist front, Shark Bay is most often associated with dolphin mecca Monkey Mia. But there are many marvels in the World Heritage listed region, including marine reserves replete with 10,000 dugongs, bright blue lagoons and ochre dunes. There are stunning lagoons found in the Francois Peron National Park.

The contrast between the red sand and the luminous blue lagoon is staggering. The lagoon looks like aqua watercolour paint seeping through the desert, and that’s because it was formerly land-locked. Time has allowed it to be a shallow bay, open to the tides. The best way to see it is on it or over it – by kayaking or flying. There is a Big Lagoon, so of course there is also a Little Lagoon, which is a crucial maritime crèche.

WILPENA POUND

This is one of those gems of the Australian outback that would be famous in any other country – but since we’re so spoiled by natural wonders, it remains largely overlooked.

A massive crater of rock found in Flinders National Park, the basin is only accessible through one entrance, forged by a creek. 

The basin is a microcosm of its own, with gorges, valleys, rock art and flora and fauna to marvel at. The highest point and the best vantage other than from the air is found at St Mary’s Peak.

Situated north of Adelaide, the Pound is hard to fathom in terms of scale. It covers 8000 hectares in total and Wilpena translates to bent fingers or cupped hand, which demonstrates the crucible like hold of the mountains that ring the Pound.

LORD HOWE ISLAND

This volcanic nook off the east coast of Australia feels far removed from the mainland. For a start, the wildlife here is not found elsewhere. Everything on Lord Howe Island is abundant, from the fish to the birds to the coral. What’s not abundant is the population, which makes it feel like a getaway from the moment you step onto the small 36-seat Dash-8 plane that is the only way to get there.

A resident population of little more than 300, and tourist arrivals capped at several hundred, allows nature to flourish here. The shortage of people has possibly contributed to the characteristic of local wildlife that is not shy in coming forward – most notably the fish. Snorkelling is just as good close to the beach as it is on the outer reefs.