Nandi · AU

Lake Broadwater Resources Reserve

Lake Broadwater Resources Reserve protects the bed of Lake Broadwater — the only large, naturally-occurring freshwater lake on the Darling Downs in southern inland Queensland. Just 30 km south-west of Dalby, this 575-hectare reserve is the centrepiece of a popular recreation area where visitors swim, boat, camp, walk, and watch waterbirds against a backdrop of wide open sky. The lake is ephemeral, swelling after good rains and retreating in dry spells, which gives each visit a different character. When full, it becomes a bustling hub of watersports; when low, the exposed lakebed and surrounding reeds attract enormous gatherings of birds. Either way, the reserve and the adjoining Lake Broadwater Conservation Park offer well-equipped camping, picnicking, and a genuine sense of outback tranquillity.