Tourists mainly come to Sea Lake to visit the picturesque Lake Tyrrell located just outside of town. (Photo : kevalloyd.com.au)
Sea Lake, a tiny Australian town located in the state of Victoria, is barely breathing, but Chinese tourists are helping it get back on its feet, according to an article by China Daily.
Chinese tourists started pouring in the Australian town after it was featured as a little-known tourist attraction by several Chinese travel blogs.
"I wanted to go to some of the places without too many tourists," said Joseph Lee, one of 10 stargazers who came to Sea Lake from Sydney. "We'll go to the not-so-popular places to give my friends some new idea of what Australia looks like."
Tourists mainly come to Sea Lake to visit the picturesque Lake Tyrrell located just outside of town. Shallow and often dry, this salt-crusted lake serves as a great backdrop for aspiring and professional photographers who want to capture the Milky Way.
The lake also reflects the stars shining above, creating an eerie and otherworldly nightscape. It's like walking among the stars, according to Rachel Pearce, a local teacher.
"The night skies here are reputably some of the best in the southern hemisphere, anywhere in the world really," Pearce shared in an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Sea Lake, home to about 600 people, is so isolated that no light pollution ruins its dark night skies. Its location in Australia's barren region also proves to be an advantage, as there are rarely any clouds to spoil its spectacular views.
"I see the beauty of the scenes and the different changes in the skies, the clouds and over the sun," said Alice Lee, a tourist from Hong Kong. "That's why we want to go."
Due to its increasing popularity, most--if not all--of Sea Lake's motels are frequently fully booked every night. Tourism has provided an alternative way to generate income, as local farmers are experiencing a two-year drought.
Some locals are still quite confused as to why tourists are coming to town.
