Inland Lakes and Wetlands on Queensland’s Dry Country Edge

Overview

Lake Bindegolly National Park protects an important wetland system in far south-western Queensland, between Cunnamulla and Thargomindah. The park covers about 14,000ha and is centred on a chain of lakes including Bindegolly, Toomaroo and Hutchinson, with broad wetland country set within a much drier inland landscape.

What makes this place stand out is the contrast. Salt and freshwater wetlands sit alongside samphire flats, claypans, sand dunes, mulga country, gidgee woodland and eremophila shrubland, giving the park a very different feel from the forested national parks found elsewhere in Queensland.

Highlights

The defining feature here is the string of inland lakes. Although they sit as separate basins, heavy rain can link them into a long ribbon of water across the landscape. That shifting pattern of water and dry country gives the park much of its character, from open lake edges and wide flats to low dunes and red earth rising behind them.

The scenery is subtle rather than dramatic, but it is memorable. Gnarled wattles, pale samphire country and shimmering lake surfaces create a strong sense of space, especially when the wetlands are holding water and reflecting the big south-west sky.

Best Time to Visit

This park is at its most striking when the lakes and wetlands are holding water after good rain, because that is when the wetland system feels most alive and the birdlife can be especially active. In drier periods, the appeal shifts to the stark beauty of the inland landscape itself, with its claypans, shrublands and open lake basins.

For many walkers, the cooler months are generally the most comfortable time to spend time in inland south-west Queensland.

Plants and Animals

Lake Bindegolly is known as a major wildlife refuge in the arid zone. More than 195 bird species have been recorded here, and when conditions are right the wetlands draw large numbers of waterbirds to feed and breed.

The plant life is just as distinctive, with around 300 plant species recorded across the park. Communities range from samphire and wetland plants around the lakes to mulga, gidgee and shrubland on drier ground. One of the notable species is Acacia ammophila, a gnarled wattle that is threatened with extinction.

Culture and Heritage

Lake Bindegolly National Park is part of the traditional country of the Budjiti people. The wetland country was an important drought refuge, with hunting and gathering places and meeting areas linked to the dependable supplies of food, water and stone tool material found around the lakes.

The park also contains Aboriginal cultural material including tools and hearths, reflecting a long connection between people and this inland water landscape.