lake george

a sight on the right when on the Federal Highway from Canberra to Sydney - it emerges as a minimalist shrine - it was late July, early morning, everything crisp - we pulled over and explored the area - photographically, scenically majestic - it tends to minimize its size becoming an open flat plain - an event aesthetically - Dry but not completely - area-wise 25 x 10 km with variable depthdo not miss it

Same as others, I remember when it was a wonderful lake. A victim of the drought. there is nothing to remind you of past glories or the lake shown on GPS systems.

In times of drought, Lake George shrinks and all but disappears. But when there's been lots of rain, the dry ground is replaced by a beautiful lake. Unfortunately, we're currently in a dry spell.

Driving along the Federal Highway between Sydney & Canberra for what seems like hours, suddenly from out of nowhere a massive lake appears on the GPS satellite map on one side of the road. Completely dry, Lake George is nowadays a massive open plain of grass, it stretches as far away as the distant mountains along the horizon, still a beautiful sight. The last time there was any significant amount of water was in 2002 & only 50 years ago paddle steamers, leisure cruises & yachts used to sail on the lake. As hard as it is to believe, Lake George was once a major lake being up to 7 metres deep at parts. Amazingly, Lake George is in the middle of a cycle that will eventually see it fill up again. You could easily say that the long drought around 2003-the worst in Australian history, could be to blame but the deterioration of the natural ecosystem of Australia’s southern states has been long ongoing. However underneath the dry lake bed a few metres below the surface is a massive reservoir of water, there are recent theories which suggest Lake George may be connected to the nearby Yass River by subterranean aquifers. The local Ngunnawal Aboriginals called Lake George ‘Werriwa’ meaning ‘bad water’, this is probably due to the high salinity of the lake which has been recorded as being as salty as sea water. Lake George is nowadays a dry flat plain, free of any trees, shrubs or even bushes. For most of its 25km x 10km size it is incredibly flat & grassy. On the odd occasion when water returns for a few weeks via heavy rainfall, swarms of birds flock back to the lake to feed & mate, a return to better times for both creatures & residents. Lake George is located about 40kms outside of Canberra along the Federal Highway. All along the lake are a series of rest stops which feature picnic benches & toilet facilities for motorists. Each of the places are named in honour of an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross from World War 2 & the Vietnam War. The Victoria Cross is the British Commonwealth’s highest military award. There is usually an information sign detailing the heroic deeds of the medal winner which earned him the bravery award & sometimes details of his heroic death. These Victoria Cross memorials form part of the wider Remembrance Driveway memorial which are a series of tree plantations & memorials for Australian war heroes that stretches from Sydney to Canberra. The rest stops along Lake George in particular are spectacular for their views, even if the lake is empty, the landscape is beautiful with the wide open plain & the mountains in the distance. The Capital Wind Farm can be clearly seen from these rest stops across the lake on the other side which generate 140 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 70,000 homes.

Der See, der keiner (mehr) ist, wo Schafe grasen in einer großartigen Landschaft. Und nachts ist der Himmel übersät mit Sternen. Großartig!