Tourism floods Tyrrell

CHINESE websites naming Lake Tyrrell as a major Australian tourist destination have caused the tiny Mallee town of Sea Lake to record a major tourism boom. 

Over the past two years a record number of visitors from China have come to stargaze at Lake Tyrrell, Victoria’s largest salt lake. 

Jane Stacey, head of the Advance Sea Lake committee for tourism, told The Guardian that while the influx of tourists was a major boon for Sea Lake, environmental safeguards to protect Lake Tyrrell must be put in place. 

“Three or four tour operators bring busses to Sea Lake, as well as the private operators,” she said. 

“At the moment the two local hotels and one motel — 99 per cent of every weekend is booked out. 

“For the month of September the bottom pub (Sea Lake Hotel) had in excess of 1000 people through. 

“It’s mind boggling how big it is and where it can go.” 

However the tourists, mostly university students from Melbourne and their families, were frequently getting bogged by driving onto the lake bed.

And with no bins by the lake, rubbish left behind by the stargazing visitors was also becoming a problem.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (January 13).