Western Queensland's Channel Country has sprung to life after tragic flooding

Western Queensland’s Channel Country has been transformed by unprecedented flooding, with tourists urged to witness the spectacle before it’s too late. SEE THE VIDEO

Unprecedented flooding has transformed Western Queensland’s Channel Country with a once-in-a-decade explosion of life, locals say.

Usually barren landscapes across the interior have been transformed into a network of oasis-like veins that support millions of birds, wildflowers and lush pasture.

Quilpie Shire Council Mayor Ben Hall said this year’s explosion of life was special and he hadn’t expected to see anything similar for decades in the boom and bust landscape.

“It’s a pretty phenomenal landscape in that it can go from bare to the boards to absolutely bustling with life,” Mr Hall said.

Grasslands have regenerated, wildflowers are in bloom. Picture Sean Scott for Outback Tourism Association.

“It’s the best that you’re going to see it at the moment and one of those rare opportunities to put the Outback on your bucket list.

“You might not see it looking like this again for another 20 years.”

Greenery forms a heart shape in the Channel Country as flood waters make their wat to Lake Eyre. Picture: Birdsville Aviation

Cooper Creek and the Georgina and Diamantina rivers can run dry for years but after the extensive rains and flooding Queensland’s interior copped in March, huge amounts of water pass through the un-damned areas on its way to Lake Eyre in South Australia.

The iconic red dirt and vast brown plains of the west are now a bold carpet of green. Picture Sean Scott for Outback Tourism Association.

Murweh Shire Mayor Shaun “Zorro” Rudnedge said flooding had destroyed property and closed roads, affecting visitor numbers, but implored people to come to see the spectacle in person.

“If you want to help our communities across Western Queensland after what we’ve been through, we need to see you,” he said.

“Bring your family, bring your vans but bring an empty Esky because we have some of the best produce right here in Outback Queensland.”

Tourism leaders in Queensland’s Outback are promising a once-in-a-decade season with refreshed Channel Country offering spectacular scenery after recent flooding. Picture Sean Scott for Outback Tourism Association.

Water flows into Lake Eyre from Queensland's Channel Country. Picture: Birdsville Aviation