May 18, 2026 – 5.00amThere’s something exceptional going on at Kati-Thanda Lake Eyre, in the remote north of South Australia.It has taken us two hours flying time to get here from Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges, and it took five hours to drive there from Adelaide. We know we are way inland. And yet here it is, an expanse of shimmering water extending beyond the horizon. The inland sea that early European explorers sought in vain does exist – at least for now.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Emma ConnorsSenior editor and writerEmma Connors was South-east Asia correspondent from October 2019 until mid-2023, based in Jakarta and Singapore. She has previously edited Perspective and Opinion and has written extensively across the AFR and related titles.Fetching latest articles
A rare opportunity to see the desert become the sea
For the next few months, you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Kati-Thanda Lake Eyre in record flood.
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