In the southwest of Australia, on the island of Middle Island, there is Lake Hillier, surrounded by sand and eucalyptus forest and separated from the ocean by a narrow strip of land. Why it is filled with rose water and what legends go about this place, read in the material “DIP”.
The main feature of Lake Hillier is that it is pink. The reason for such an unusual color of water has not yet been solved. At one time, experts assumed that the point was salinity and specific algae, but tests conducted in 1950 did not confirm these assumptions. However, there is a beautiful legend that explains the color of the water in the reservoir, as if a wounded, but surviving shipwrecked sailor ended up on a desert island. He was tormented by pain and hunger and asked heaven for deliverance until a stranger came out of the forest with jugs of milk and blood. He poured them into the lake and it turned pink. The man said, “The blood will help you forget what pain is. Milk will relieve you of hunger. You just have to take a dip in these waters.” The sailor dived into the rose water and got rid of pain and hunger. Forever and ever…
The island and the lake were seen during the expedition of the British navigator Matthew Flinders in 1802. Captain Flinders is said to have spotted Hillier as he climbed to the top of the island. By the way, later this height of 185 meters was called Flinders Peak.
At the beginning of the 20th century, salt mining began in Lake Hillier, but it was stopped six years later. The color of the lake water is constant and does not change when water is taken into a separate container. You can swim in the pond, but with the observance of elementary safety rules. It is undesirable to stay in its water for a long time, as salt can harm the skin and mucous membranes.
Lake Hillier has a significant disadvantage: it is difficult to get there and to see the reservoir from a height and in all its glory, you will need to rent a helicopter or a small plane. Travel agencies provide such a service, but it is not cheap.