Three ways to see the pink Lake Hillier on Middle Island off the coast of Esperance

The fascination with Esperance’s pink Lake Hillier has captivated people around the world for years, and now there are three ways you can see this amazing natural wonder for yourself, including a new helicopter tour.

1. By Helicopter

HeliSpirit has launched new tours that includes scenic helicopter flights over Esperance’s Recherche Archipelago, Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks, including Woody Lake, Frenchman Peak, Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay, Blue Haven, Twilight Bay and Lake Hillier, Middle Island. Besides showcasing Esperance’s natural wonders via unparalleled aerial views, HeliSpirit offers the opportunity to land on Middle Island for a guided walk around the bubble-gum pink lake. HeliSpirit has partnered with a local tourism operator to provide helicopter transfers to Woody Island so that guests can join the Woody Island Eco Tours offered or self-explore the island.

2. Cruise to Middle Island

There’s a rare chance for visitors to get closer to the pink lake Instagram sensation and that’s with a cruise to Middle Island set to sail on limited dates in January with Esperance Island Cruises where they’ll be able to marvel at the phenomenon from the lake’s viewing platform. The cruise to Middle Island on limited dates in January and very few people have the opportunity to get up close to Lake Hillier because it’s extremely isolated – it’s about 100 kilometres east of Esperance. The added benefits of taking the cruise on the 60-foot vessel are the wildlife encounters along the way, such as dolphins playing at the bow of the boat, a stop at the campground ruins of Australia’s only recorded pirate, Black Jack Anderson and the beautiful scenery.

3. By Scenic Flight

Another way to see Lake Hillier is by taking a scenic flight with Goldfields Air Services where every seat is a window seat. Visitors have an option to add a half day tour with Esperance Island Cruises around the Recherche Archipelago. The scenic flight path follows Esperance Bay past Frenchman’s Peak and over the Cape Le Grand National Park where guests will see Australia’s white beaches as certified by Geoscience Australia as well as the stunning turquoise waters of Lucky Bay, before continuing through the Recherche Archipelago to Middle Island and the world-renowned pink lake. The total flight time is about one hour and 40 minutes. The only other way visitors can see Lake Hillier is by chartering a plane, helicopter or boat.

About Lake Hillier

Entirely natural, research shows that Lake Hillier’s vibrant pink colour comes from 10 species of salt-loving bacteria, archaea and several species of Dunaliella algae that are almost all pink, red or salmon-coloured. Esperance is a domestic tourism hotspot, renowned for its white-sand coastline, unique national parks, abundant marine life and the famed pink lakes that each year attracts more than 190,000 visitors.