Lake Bolac, Victoria
Lake Bolac is exactly half way between Mount Gambier and Melbourne, 200km from both. For that reason it’s a good stopping place for a toilet break and to stretch the legs.
On the way to visit Mum last week I detoured off the highway to look at the lake.
Sadly it’s nearly dry. The distance from the foreshore to the water looked over 500 metres.
The town has a permanent population of 250 people, but this traditionally increased in summer as people enjoyed the lake.
Like many other lakes in Victoria, climate change has had a negative impact on water levels and tourism has declined.
Lake Bolac has an annual eel festival. Eel numbers have also fallen away, with more than 100,000 estimated to have died at the peak of the drought last year.
I don’t know the science of climate change and I avoid the politics of it, but there’s no doubt it’s happening.
When it’s full, Lake Bolac sounds like a wonderful place:
Lake Bolac is a 1460-ha freshwater, tree-lined lake with a 20-km shoreline, sandy beaches and numerous campsites. It is well stocked with trout, yellowbelly, eels, redfin and perch. Boating, sailing, windsurfing and duck-shooting are other attractions. There are picnic areas with electric barbecues, a caravan park, a sporting and recreation complex near the lake shore, boat ramps, safe swimming beaches and camping facilities.
Tags: climate, travel, Victoria
I wonder when that description was written. you’d be hard pressed to publish anything like that today without a lot of qualifications.
Over the Australia day Weekend we also stopped off to have a picnic at the lake to find it totally dry. It was devastating to see and hope for the survival of the town it returns to normal soon
Good luck x
I live near, and work in, Lake Bolac. Recently we had several inches of rain, and now the Lake has good water cover, being up to nearly 3 feet in places. The campers are returning and also the eels! At the moment it looks a picture.Please call in and see our Lake with water in it!
That’s great Rose. I hope we get to see it when we drive through in December.
Hi down there at Lake Bolac. I loved going to Lake Bolac when I was a kid, Bolac holds a special spot in my heart. I hope it fills up soon.
Lake Bolac Eel Festival Saturday March 27 2010, please come and join us for a fantastic weekend, of great music & entertainment,this includes a great art show and for those of you who would like to come and join us we would love to have you as a volunteer, meet the spirited people & friends that make this town, check out our website.