Rating: 3.5/5
Location: Lake Indoon, Western Australia – Lat: 29 51 34 S Long: 115 09 19 E
About 12 kilometres south-west of the town of Eneabba and about an hour and a half’s drive from Ellendale Pool is Lake Indoon.
It’s a pretty spot and we were fortunate to find it with plenty of water – we’d read that the water level often drops to nothing during the dry season. As was the case at Ellendale Pool, there are signs warning against getting in the water. If we had let go of Indy’s lead for a second, he would have been in the water swimming in a flash with all those unwell amoebas trying to get up his nose!
The bird life here is incredible. Plenty of water birds of course (and ducklings galore) as well as raptors, parrots and lots of those little sparrow-like birds that dive bomb anything that comes near their nests. In fact, there is a couple of nests above one of the cubicles in the ladies loo and if you don’t want to be dive bombed (or covered in bird poop) while you contemplate life’s wonders, it is best to use one of the other cubicles. It makes a bathroom break like a nature walk!
There’s a couple of Galahs in a tree hole right in front of our campsite – similar to those at Murchison House Station and they are wonderful to watch as they gather twigs and leaves to stuff into the hole which is their nest. All we need is David Attenborough’s voice over and who needs television!
At night, there is the loud and unrelenting sound of insects. I’m not talking a few mosquitoes here. I mean, lots of insects. It’s just a little bit spooky. Think, Alice Cooper’s Halo of Flies from 1971. Now, anyone who knows me knows that my imagination can sometimes get the better of me. “Kevin, Kevin … wake up. What’s that noise? Kevin?”
The place doesn’t seem to get too crowded. In the three nights that we stayed, probably about eight or ten other caravans/campers came and went as well as a few day trippers.
This beautiful tree at the entrance to the lake is a sub species of Eucalyptus Rudis which is only found at Lake Indoon. Back in 1979, when it was just young sprout, one of the locals found that it had been ring barked (yeah, I know what you’re thinking, who does that kind of thing). The good people of Eneabba worked hard to repair the damage and saved the tree which is now big and beautiful. Undeniable proof that if we work together, we can make an environmental difference little by little, one tree at a time.
Stay happy friend and may there always be good people in your life to save you from life’s occasional ring barking.
Cost: Free (at the moment)
Dump point: No
Fishing: No
Phone/internet: Limited – can’t update my trip map
Showers: Yes, coldish
Toilets: Yes, flushing
Water: Yes, but I don’t think I’d drink it …
An adventure ... around Oz with dogs in a caravan 