Pink Lake, Ashville / Meningie South Australia

There are plenty of salt lakes in South Australia, and this is one of the easiest to access being just off the main Princes highway, south of Adelaide. When I visited in summer, it had completely dried out and it was no longer pink (the pink colour is caused by a species of algae). It’s unfortunate that it wasn’t pink in summer, but I thought the white salty landscape was still stunning. These lakes come and go, depending on the level of drought in South Australia. Another place with a beautiful pink lake is Lake Bumbunga. Check out my blogpost about the Pink Salt Lake of Lake Bumbunga in South Australia.

Walking on a Pink Lake

It’s possible to walk anywhere on this pink lake, granted you will need to remember a few things before you go. Don’t take nice shoes – it’s not only salty but also quite muddy. Underneath the top layers of salt is a marsh-like substance made out of salty mud. It’s hard to get off shoes. You can also avoid getting muddy by treading lightly as the upper crust is decently thick. If there’s water in the lake, then that’s a different story altogether. You’d likely be fine with thongs in that case!

Tips for Photographing a Pink Salt Lake in Australia

You will need your usual camera equipment and landscape photography equipment such as a wide angle lens. However there’s one tool that I think is necessary here – a polariser. This will help you get more contrast in the image, because there’s a lot of light that could make the image washed out. The polariser in the image below has helped bring the brightness of the blue sky down, to give it a bit more definition. At the same time, the white of the lake hasn’t been affected by the polariser so you don’t lose the bright details.

Parking at the Pink Lake, Princes Highway, Ashville

The pink lake is directly east of the Princes Highway. If you’re travelling to Mt Gambier from Adelaide you will pass by the pink lake, and it’s a must visit. There is parking space along either side of the highway and a small information sign.

Other Places to Visit Nearby

One of the best places to visit a pink lake in Australia is Lake Bumbunga. It had more of a pink hue than this spot, however this all varies due to rainfall and different times of the year.

Here’s a blogpost about the giant lobster in the town of Kingston SE, South Australia.

The pink lake is VERY close to Coorong and the Murray River Mouth. Check out my blogpost about Coorong National Park.

Location of Pink Lake, South Australia

Make sure you use this location to find the lake, otherwise you might end up in Western Australia if you use google maps. There’s a few salt lakes in the area which are quite similar too.