The pelican is a bird of character and charisma.  Elegant in flight, yet comic in appearance, it is a ubiquitous part of seaside holidays for many Australians. Yet like them, the pelican is just a visitor to the coast. Its real home is thousands of kilometres away from the glare of the public in a place untouched by humans. Its home is the "ghost" lakes of Central Australia.

Lake Eyre has filled only four times in the European history of Australia.  It has filled again. Shrimp eggs that have lived in suspended animation for decades come back to life.  Fish that have survived in billabongs in dry rivers are washed downstream in the floods, spill into the lake and breed in their billions. 

Over a thousand kilometres away on South Australia's coastal estuaries, pelicans instinctively know what is happening. They set off for Lake Eyre to make the most of this rare natural phenomenon.

Following in their path is renowned wildlife cameraman, Lindsay Cupper, who is on a quest to uncover the pelican's secret inland life. Little is known about what the birds get up to, and for good reason. Even when the lake is full, it is still one of the most remote and hostile areas of Australia. The only access to the area is by hovercraft or helicopter and he will be completely cut off from the world while he is there.

Once the pelicans arrive, they breed fast as soakage and evaporation give the lake only limited life.  As the water disappears, fish and shrimp perish and the pelican's food supply disappears as quickly as it came.

For the newly born chicks, it becomes a race against time. Those that have fledged can follow their parents but younger, flightless ones are left to their fate. 

Some chicks will become encrusted in the lake's salty tomb, however upstream there is a much greater danger that could threaten the lives of many of Australia's pelicans. Plans to dam the lake's tributaries could keep Lake Eyre dry for much longer and reduce the pelican's breeding opportunities. Scientists from National Parks and Wildlife enlist Lindsay's help to prove that the lakes are a critical breeding ground for waterbirds.

 Pelicans of the Ghost Lakes captures the stunning natural history of one of the most surreal and enigmatic environments on earth, and celebrates the majestic pelican that has made this ghost land its home.

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