 According to anthropologist Norman Tindale, the name Bumbunga derives from the Parnpangka (local indigenous) term for "rain water lake".Easily visible from Highway 1 for a distance of 10 km (6 mi), the 15 square km (5.8 square mi) Lake Bumbunga is a dramatic departure from the surrounding landscape due to its seasonal pink colouration and wide expanse.The lake is the largest of a system of Quaternary Holocene saline lakes extending about 30 km (19 mi) north of Lochiel, draining an area to the east of the Barunga Range where it merges with the Hummock Range.