Top five Australian lovely lakes

Of course, many are great for more active pursuits such as boating, fishing and swimming. Some are just good to look at and well worth the drive to do so. Here are five to add to your list.

The weirdly beautiful pink glow of Bumbunga Lake is caused by naturally high salinity levels together with an algae that turns bright pink due to little organisms called halobacteria. Forget the science and enjoy the colours, and best of all you’re only two hours from Adelaide and 40 minutes from the Clare Valley wineries and possibly a glass of rosé (see what we did there?). Nearby Lochiel also has the Jitter Bean café if you prefer flat white to bright pink.

The incredibly scenic Dove Lake was formed by glacier action during the last ice age and is surrounded by the towering rocky spires of Cradle Mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. A 5.7 kilometre boardwalk makes hiking the lake’s perimeter a cinch (it’s about a two hour walk), and you’ll see sites such as peaceful beaches, the scuffed-up Glacier Rock and the mossy magnificent of the myrtle and beech trees in Ballroom Forest.

Moreton Island is easily reached from Brisbane by car ferry and it’s a refreshing change to city life. Speaking of refreshing, how about swimming in a fresh water lake instead of the sandy, salty sea? Moreton can do that thanks to Blue Lagoon, a placid, shallow lake with a sandy bottom that is part rainwater, part tea-tree oil that is said to be a balm to dry skin and even delays the ageing process. Believe the hype or not, but it’s a beautiful place in its own right and not to be missed.

On top of being a fabulous destination for bushwalking and wildlife spotting, the Grampians (or Gariwerd) National Park also boasts Lake Bellfield just outside the village of Halls Gap, about three hours from Melbourne. The 800 metre long dam wall makes a nice walk at sunset when the surrounding mountains light up, and during summer it’s good for kayaking, fishing or cooling off in the deep, cold waters.

Like South Australia, Western Australia also has its pink lakes and none better than Hutt Lagoon up near Port Gregory, about a six hour drive north of Perth. Adjoining but not quite connected to the Indian Ocean, Hutt Lagoon has salinity far higher than seawater and the minerality makes it glow bright pink especially at sunset. There’s plenty more to see up that way, and you can even take a scenic flight out of Geraldton for a different view of the Coral Coast and the lake’s amazing hues.

Related: Five beach campgrounds to get around

Related: Top five Australian glamping locations to stay at

Related: Top five Tiny House weekend escapes