Today we visited the Menindee Lakes which are 90+km south from Broken Hill. Like yesterday the drive was through barren countryside mostly of salt bush and hence it was a surprise to arrive at the complex of lakes that make up the Menindee Lakesand provide a home for an amazing bird population.

It is almost like the early explorer's theory of Australia's inland sea is a little bit true.

We spent the day exploring the lakes and the associated Kinchega National Park.

From a park workmen we got a short lesson in the water mnanagement process for the lakes. There are 4 main lakes Menindee, Pamamaroo, Cawndilla, and Emu. They are part of the flow of the Darling River and water can be pumped between them in a down stream drection.

We also heard that Broken Hill gets its water via a pipeline from way south at Wentworth (near Mildura) and that the mining operations in the Broken Hill area do not consume water but infact must pump water (from underground aquafers) from the mines to keep them dry.