Valley Lake

Piccaninnie Ponds, underwater caves beneath the city of Mt. Gambier

Umpherston Sinkhole

Mount Gambier is a thriving city set in the unique and ancient landscape of volcanic craters, lakes, limestone and mysterious underground waterways. Situated between Adelaide and Melbourne, Mount Gambier has become a popular stopover for travellers on their way to and from The Great Ocean Road and the Grampians. But there is far more to Mount Gambier than an overnight stopover can do justice to. An extended stay is a must to fully appreciate the natural and beauty of the surrounding region that includes caves and picturesque sinkholes, coastline, rivers, lakes and wineries.

Where is it?: South Australia: South East

Things to see and do:

Mount Gambier's famous Blue Lake, Little Blue Lake, Leg of Mutton Lake (now dry), Valley Lake, Ewens Ponds and Piccininnie Ponds are just a few of the locations which provide a "window" into a giant underground water system that keeps the region green and so attractive. It is this system that created the many limestone caverns and underwater caverns under and around the town, like the magnificent Piccanninnie Pods, a system of underwater caverns beneath the city, and the spectacular Umpherston sinkhole.

Lookouts: The Mount Gambier Crater Lakes area is serviced by a maze of roads and walking tracks, all of which lead to lookouts, providing spectacular views of the Blue Lake, the city of Mount Gambier, the surrounding forests and farmland and the Southern coastline. Potters Point Lookout and Blue Lake lookout offer the best views.

Surrounding area:

29 km south of Mt Gambier is the picturesque Cape Northumberland and the village of Port MacDonnell on the shores of Discovery Bay. The rugged coastal scenery and good fishing attract holidaymakers who like to get off the beaten track. On the way to Port MacDonnell you will pass Mt Schank, a perfectly shaped extinct volcano crater.

51 km north of Mt Gambier is the historic town of Penola and the Coonawarra Wine region. Synonymous with classy Cabernet Sauvignon wines, The Coonawarra owes its wine-making success to its Terra Rossa soil, a red-brown topsoil laid over a thin layer of calcrete (calcium carbonate) sitting on a white limestone base.

Trivia:

About Mount Gamber

Proclaimed as a City on 9th December 1954, Mount Gambier is the regional centre of the Limestone Coast in the South East of South Australia and is one of the most progressive communities in the State. A quality lifestyle is Mount Gambier's inheritance and continued vision. The City of Mount Gambier is entrusted with guiding the preservation and enhancement of the lifestyle of this rich and diverse City.
Above ground there is evidence of recent (in geological terms) volcanic activity, the last eruption was about 5000 years ago, making it the youngest group of volcanoes on the continent of Australia This activity is recorded as an important part of local Aboriginal culture. The outbursts, which would have been spectacular, took place during two different eruptive phases, along the edge of a main zone of activity centred on southern and western Victoria. Mount Gambier and Mount Schank, the more recent eruptions, are two of the better preserved examples of their type in Australia and are well known scenic attractions.
The famous Blue Lake of Mt. Gambier in South Australian was formed out of a volcanic crater. The Blue Lake mysteriously turns from a winter grey colour to a brilliant azure blue in the month of November, lasting till April. This has been a mystery for many, many years ... until it was finally scientifically explained to be attributed to a special algae that grows in the lake. The lake is one of four similar lakes near the town of Mt. Gambier which supply the town with its water as well as attracting tourists to the productive farming communities in South Australia's south-east corner.
The lushness of the Mount Gambier area is not only due to its volcanic soil and annual rainfall. Its life blood, is the abundance of underground water which lies in the wedge shaped block of limestone beneath the earth's surface. Moving slowly southwards towards the ocean through the limestone and its arterial system of caves and crevices the water is plentiful and contributes to the beauty of the city's parks and gardens and to the rural sector.

Creeks from both Ewens Ponds and Piccininnie Ponds carry millions of litres of water an hour to the ocean. Just down the beach from Piccaninnie Ponds, water can be seen bubbling up through the sandy beach. The abundance of water in the Mount Gambier area provides a wonderful array of food, wine and natural experiences. Rural industries draw underground water from bores sunk at various depths into the limestone creating not only a richness of colour but also significant monetary value to the region.
The limestone, formed millions of years ago in a totally marine environment and made up of fossils and corals, extends from the Bordertown area down to the coast at Port MacDonnell where it is more than 300 metres thick. Rainfall soaks down through the surface into the limestone which acts like a huge sponge. Called the unconfined aquifer, the ground water gradually moves southwards underground finally discharging to the ocean at various points along the coast between Port MacDonnell and the Victorian border.

Umpherston Sinkhole

Caves and sinkholes

Umpherston Sinkhole is to experience one of the most stunningly beautiful marriages of man and nature. It is no ordinary hole in the ground, but a natural wonder in its own right, forged from millennia of acidic groundwater eroding the porous Gambier Limestone. An Australian icon of the most bazaar type, the Sinkhole was established as a recreational garden for the people of Mount Gambier and visitors to the region to enjoy.
Once a cave, the Umpherston Sinkhole was created when the top of the chamber fell to the floor of the cave, creating the perfect environment for its enchanting "sunken garden". Originally beautified by James Umpherston around 1886, it is open at all times, from dusk each evening the area comes alive with possums as they venture into the floodlit gardens to feed.
Nearby Engelbrecht Cave is one of many caves beneath the streets of Mount Gambier, but is the only one that is accessible by divers. Tours operate daily to take you down to see where the divers enter the water to explore the water filled caverns.   Watch a video on how divers safely explore this huge complex of caves.

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