Lake Eyre is, on the rare occasions that it fills, the largest lake in Australia and is the lowest point in Australia (at approximately 15 m (50 ft) below sea level).
The lake is located in the deserts of central Australia, in northern South Australia. Lake Eyre (which is endorheic) is often described as a dry salt pan but has some water in it most years. During the rainy season the rivers from the northeast (Outback Queensland) flow towards the lake. The amount of water from the monsoon determines whether water will reach the lake and if it does, how deep the lake will get. The lake can also experience minor and moderate floods due to rain falling in the surrounding area. Typically a 1.5 m (5 ft) flood occurs every three years, a 4 m (13 ft) flood every decade and a fill, or near fill four times a century. The water in the lake soon evaporates with a minor and medium flood drying by the end of the following summer.
The Lake Eyre Yacht Club is a dedicated bunch of eccentrics who sail on the lake's minor floods and include trips in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
See also: Lake Eyre National Park, List of lakes
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