Mount Gambier

 Next stop, Mount Gambier*****. This is a very beautiful town, with the famous Blue Lake which was once a big volcano crater. First thing, we grabbed some information from the Lady Nelson Visitor Centre. From there we get to stay at the cheapest caravan park, Mt Gambier Central Caravan Park. $20 for unpowered site, has good camp kitchen, laundry and toilet facilities. It is in the city centre, very convenient with Woolworths supermarket just few minutes walk away.

Back to the Blue Lake*****. It was the right time of the year to see it, SUMMER! When it actually turns blue in colour. There are a lot of blue lakes in the world, but no other lake changes colour so dramatically every year. In autumn and winter, it is grey. In spring, it turns milky colour. The colour change is due to the removal of humic substances which are yellow in colour. The humic substances come from dead algae and land vegetation. In summer, the humic substances attached with calcite and falls to the lake floor, hence the yellow colour is removed from the lake surface and the blue colour become more evident.

Blue Lake is the drinking water for the city cause of its crystal clear water that has filtered underground through the limestone, passing beneath the city.

Beside the Blue Lake are the Valley Lake*** and Leg of Mutton Lake***. We had a walk around the ‘mutton’, there were hundreds of beautiful butterflies surrounding us. Just lovely!

 

Another unique attraction here is the Umpherstone Sinkhole*****. Once a cave, formed through the dissolution of limestone, it was created when the top of chamber fell to the cave floor. In 1886, it had been transformed into a sunken garden with a lake in the bottom.

Such a beautiful garden! And the possums descend from the cave walls to feed each night. Unfortunately we could not spot any of them during sunset. They probably come out later at night.

There is another sinkhole, Cave Garden*** in the city which is smaller but also surrounded by beautiful flowers. Every night starting 9am there are light and sound show featuring aboriginal stories. Quite interesting to watch, like an outdoor cinema on the cave walls, although it lasted only 10 minutes :P

Mount Schank***** is an extinct volcano, 158 metres abve sea level. It is about 15min drive from Blue Lake. There are walking trails leading up to the crater rim as well as the crater floor. The climb up the mountain is really worth it!! It’s a big crater up here!

About 15mins further south of Mt Schank is Port MacDonnell***. Near Cape Northumberland, fairy penguin may be seen returning to their nests on the eastern side of the cliff top at dusk.

Frog rock at Port MacDonnell, the most southern point on mainland OZ!

 

Bought marinated lamb from Coles for the first time, and it tasted great!

From Mt Gambier, we drove the famous Great Ocean Road. . .