Tourism operators in South Australia's far north hope the outback has been given a new lease of life after recent floods.
It follows a tumultuous month for outback communities where food supplies were cut off from multiple towns as major highways were closed due to floods.
However, William Creek-based charter pilot, Trevor Wright, said the rain has helped vegetation flourish in the traditionally dry area.
He anticipates it could entice an influx of tourists to the outback as Lake Eyre was last filled in 2019.
"What we are seeing is environments coming alive again — it's been given a breath of fresh air," Mr Wright said.
"We are starting to see an increase in bird and animal life out there and we're starting to see a real interest in the state from tourism."
"It'll occur from March onwards but I think it'll actually bring the tourism season on early."
Noble Tours Australia owner Aaron Noble said his company has geared up for a busy tourism season.
"We are probably going to kick off in March. We're going to start running back with the tours.
"There's been a lot of interest at the moment which is good, we are getting a lot of bookings for the tours."
Future flood concerns
While Mr Wright has welcomed the rejuvenation of vegetation, he said locals are concerned for a future flood crisis.
"I think it has brought to us [the flooding] how it will break down the chain of command — the emergency infrastructure situation," he said.
"I think we're in for more rain in March and given the huge number of people coming through here, I think it needs to be prioritised how they'll administer and outcomes on these roads."
Coober Pedy Council administrator Tim Jackson has called on the state government to fix the damaged roads immediately.
"The bigger issue is about how we upgrade the infrastructure to ensure we don't have a major road cut for two weeks," Mr Jackson said.
He said while it was a stressful time for the community, but locals feel more united.
"The way the town pulled together was tremendous."
"I think we have recovered, and that's a credit to the state government for declaring it an emergency."
The Department for Transport and Infrastructure has been contacted for comment.
