Lake Eyre - Australia's Outback Wonder

A stunning documentary capturing a once-in-a-generation event - the flooding of Lake Eyre, and the dramatic transformation of the dead heart of Australia. ABC News mounted two filming expeditions by helicopter to follow the floodwaters from north Queensland down the great outback rivers to Lake Eyre and to record the amazing cycle of life, as the deserts bloomed and birds descended from far and wide to capitalise on the short-lived boom. Seldom has there been such an extensive coverage of one of nature’s greatest displays, with water running between the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert; huge bird breeding events; an astonishing show of wildflowers and the surreal images of Lake Eyre as water streams to the lowest point in the continent.It’s a story told through the eyes of one of Australia’s leading environmental scientists, Professor Richard Kingsford and the people who’ve made their lives in the arid Lake Eyre Basin.When the lake floods, spirits lift and the celebrations begin: the cattle are rounded up for a rodeo; Brophy’s legendary boxing troupe comes to town; and it’s all capped off by a huge attendance at the most famous bush race meeting of all, the Birdsville Cup.All too quickly, the water begins to evaporate in Lake Eyre and the harsh desert climate starts to reassert itself. Reporter Paul Lockyer, producer Ben Hawke and camera operator, Erik Havnen, agreed that it was one of the most rewarding assignments they had ever undertaken.