Mount Gambier, South Australia

Our first 24 hours in Mount Gambier has been a whirlwind of sightseeing and walking.  This area is renowned for its massive sinkholes, crater lakes, volcanoes and magnificent scenery and if you want to do it properly you probably need more time than our allotted three nights.  But we will attempt to get to most.

When we arrived yesterday and set up the van we strolled into the town centre and found Cave Garden.  It is remarkable that such a lovely place can be found in the middle of a large town (second biggest city in SA).  It is Sunday so there are many people enjoying the sunny outdoors.  There is a beautiful rose garden adjacent to the Cave Garden and the perfume as we walk past is divine.  

Cave Garden was first planted in 1890 and the formal garden was established in the early 1900's.  In 2001 the gardens were listed on the State Heritage register.  There are a few steps to descend to reach the viewing platforms at the bottom of the sinkhole and many places where people are stopping to get a photograph.  It is hard to show the depth of this garden as there are many shadows playing with the camera, but here are a couple.

After Cave Garden we walked back through the town centre that is very quiet on a Sunday afternoon.  There are some beautiful heritage buildings lining the Main Street and the town hall is a very grand building indeed!

There is a light show each evening at the Cave Garden and I would love to see it but with daylight saving it doesn't start until 8.30 and that is too late for me these days :-)

This morning we woke to a glorious day, albeit foggy.  There is a forecast of sunshine with a top of 27 degrees so we are FINALLY getting some warmer weather and no wind!  It was the perfect day to take a walk around the Blue Lake.  Wow, wow, wow.  Didn't it live up to its name today with the sun shining on it.  The lake is inside the crater of a volcano and the colour of the lake changes throughout the seasons with the most intense turquoise blue around November as the water warms.

The four kilometre walk takes us around the rim of the lake and it is a lovely walk with lots of viewing platforms along the way.  After we have completed our walk we walk up almost 200 steps to yet another viewing platform.

Back in the car and we head to Centenary Tower.  The tower is closed at present but you can walk up the 500m path to the tower to get some magnificent views.  I didn't walk this path but Philip did.  It is very steep and no shade so that's me out and even Philip said that near the top it is extraordinarily steep.  I took this photo from the carpark and it is another lake that we will be walking around tomorrow.

Our last tourist destination today was the Umpherston Sinkhole that leaves the Cave Garden for dead! As with most of these sinkholes they were originally caves.  Eventually the limestone ceiling gave way and dropped to the bottom of the cave leaving these giant caverns.  The Umpherston Sinkhole has been beautifully landscaped and as you wind you way down the staircase there are numerous places to stop.  The bees are swarming around and we can see the hives they have built high in the walls of the sinkhole.  There are so many varieties of plants and we are just a smidgen too early to see the hydrangeas in bloom.  In this part of Australia they are pink.  Lots of people here enjoying the glorious weather so we don't stay too long plus it is nearing lunchtime.

We are both feeling a little weary after our walks this morning so we will rest up this afternoon.  Tomorrow we are heading to Port MacDonnell where we have lunch reservations at Periwinkle Restaurant that is renowned for its Southern Rock Lobster! I will try to remember to get some photos.