How to take perfect Instagram photo at Lake Tyrrell, Victoria’s pink salt lake
Sea Lake became an overnight tourism hot spot after a jaw-dropping photo of its salt lake went viral — and now visitors can see it like never before.
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Sea Lake became a surprise magnet for Chinese tourists after a photo of the 120,000-year-old salt lake went viral on social media in 2014.
International visitors began arriving in droves, with the town reinventing itself.
A group of locals banded together to revamp the Royal Hotel, others turned their houses into Airbnbs, and restaurants and a photo gallery opened.
In 2019, Drapl and The Zookeeper painted the Sea Lake silos, which feature a young girl on a swing looking over Lake Tyrrell and reflecting on her Indigenous heritage.
While the town is hurting from the pause in international tourists, Julie says it has been the ideal opportunity for domestic visitors to discover their own backyard.
And now there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Sea Lake as never before — from a luxury pop-up hotel perched on the edge of Lake Tyrrell.
The Silo Art Hotel, which features three eco-pods decorated by renowned street artists The Zookeeper, Drapl, and Kaff-eine, is popping up in the heart of the Mallee region from June 11 to July 12.
The art hotel will be the first luxury pop-up accommodation on the shores of Lake Tyrrell.
“It will be gorgeous; it will just be a magical location to be in. You can’t beat the Mallee skies,” says Julie Pringle, who runs Sea Lake Tyrrell Tours.
She says the raincloud-filled months of May and June bring out the colours, while the Milky Way is at its brightest in July and August.
“The stars are like they’re actually sitting in your hands — it is so, so beautiful,” Julie says.
The Silo Art Hotel is the area’s latest attraction after a multimillion-dollar viewing platform opened in December.
It comprises two boutique rooms; guests can choose to stay in The Drapl & The Zookeeper Suite or The Matt Adnate Suite, named for the street artist who painted the Sheep Hills silos in the Wimmera.
A third pod contains an open-air swimming pool adorned with a mural by Kaff-eine.
The former lawyer’s photorealistic portraiture can also be seen on the Rosebery silos.
HOW TO SNAP THE PERFECT PHOTO OF LAKE TYRRELL
Professional photographer James Smart (find him on Instagram at @jamessmartphotography) shares his top five tips to capturing the ultimate snapshot of Lake Tyrrell.
TIME OF DAY
Sunrise is James’s pick, but he says sunset from the new viewing platform also provides a spectacular show.
It’s all about the constantly changing colours.
“It can be purple, it can be blue, it can be pink,” James says. “It’s really good at any time … you can’t really fail.”
BEST SEASON
He finds early winter the best; there is more water to capture the reflections, and less wind. But rug up: “It gets pretty cold. Especially when sitting out there for hours at 2am,” he advises.
BEST CONDITIONS
A still, reasonably clear day with few clouds is perfect and “having a little bit of cloud is good, just so you get a little bit of colour in the sky and in the sunrises”, he says.
WHICH PHOTOGRAPHY APPS HELP?
For star-lit photos, James recommends apps such as PhotoPills and Stellarium.
They will help you figure out where the Milky Way will be at any given time, so you can plan accordingly.
USE A POLARISER
It can be bright out there. A polariser, screwed on to the front of your camera’s lens, will help reduce glare, James says.
Get more Victorian travel inspo and ideas in Space magazine, in your Sunday Herald Sun on May 23.
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