Flooding rains and devastating drought are the norm here in the heart of 'boom and bust' country. Rain nourishes the plains and transforms parched channels into wetlands teeming with life.

Lochern has 20km of Thomson River frontage. The park protects 24,300ha of important habitat, with many lagoons and waterholes providing refuge for birds and other wildlife.

The people of Lochern also adapted to the cycles of wet and dry. First Nations people enjoyed the bounties on offer from seasonal transformations of the land. Pastoralists built dams with long wings and stone-pitched ends to catch extra rainwater, and set the hen-house and motor room high and dry.