In a spectacle as fleeting as it is beautiful, the waters of Lake George, known traditionally as Weereewa, are once again retreating. The mysterious lake, which captivated the region when it filled to its highest levels in decades just a few years ago, is now evaporating at a rapid pace, revealing a landscape of forgotten curiosities and ghostly remnants.
The Rapid Retreat of an Ephemeral Wonder
After a period of significant filling beginning in 2020, Lake George peaked in late 2022 at its highest water mark since the early 1990s. This resurgence, fuelled by consecutive La Nina weather patterns, turned the long-dry basin into a genuine expanse of water, astonishing locals and drawing national media attention. However, the lake's fame has proven as temporary as its waters.
Over the past year, high evaporation rates and only average rainfall have reversed the trend. The water level has now fallen by well over a metre from its peak, retreating hundreds of metres from shorelines it recently inundated. For columnist and adventurer Tim the Yowie Man, witnessing this decline is as compelling as watching the lake fill.
Ghost Fences and Submerged Stories
One telling symbol of the change is a gate on the lake's western shore. During the high-water period, a local farmer, whose grazing land was submerged, famously removed the gate while wearing a snorkel to allow boat access. Today, that same gate sits forlornly on the cracked lake bed, waiting to be reattached as the paddock reclaims itself.
Nearby, a more eerie phenomenon has emerged. The barbed wire from submerged fencing has been snapped into dozens of pieces by years of wave action, creating a bizarre 'barbed wire graveyard' half-buried in the mud. "You don't want to walk around here barefoot," remarked Lake George enthusiast Bruce White, who accompanied Tim on his inspection.
Curiosities Emerging from the Depths
As the waters recede, other man-made oddities are beginning to reappear. In the middle of the lake bed lies a piano, dragged out during a dry period by a social media influencer for a failed stunt. Now, only pelicans are likely to frequent the soon-to-be-exposed instrument.
On the south-western shore, a sculpture called "The Sunken House," installed during the 2010 Weereewa Festival, finally lived up to its name when the waters rose. After five years submerged, the structure has deteriorated into little more than a pile of rubble.
There is also the lingering mystery of Bruce White's prized bucket hat, lost overboard during a sailing adventure in 2023. Despite a hopeful search near the receding shoreline, it remains lost, perhaps destined to be uncovered in a future dry cycle.
A History of Disappearing Acts
Lake George's behaviour is part of a long and documented cycle. Records since the early 1800s show the lake has completely dried up on at least four occasions. Its transformation from a vast, reflective sheet of water to a dry, grassy plain is a natural process, though one that never fails to fascinate.
Other artefacts waiting to be rediscovered include a stone labyrinth on the western shore, created by the Quaker Junior Young Friends Australia in 2016, and even a set of expensive 1960s-era dentures found in the mud in 2011, believed to have been lost by a sailor.
For now, the lake continues to shrink. The question on everyone's mind is not if, but when, the next dramatic filling will begin, restarting the captivating cycle of this beloved and mysterious Australian landmark.
