Tag: Sinkhole

A Day in Mount Gambier

4th March 2019

Distance :25km
Fuel: 24L

Leisurely start, no rush today everything is in town.

First stop was the Blue Lake… Yes, it really was blue and the steep walls made its volcanic past obvious to anybody. It is the town’s water supply.

Blue Lake Mt GambierBlue Lake Mt GambierBlue Lake Mt GambierBlue Lake Mt Gambier

Next door is Valley Lake, the remains of two craters that finally exploded, joined and largely filled themselves in forming a smaller shallower lake and a large area of land that has been turned into a recreation park.

Valley Lake Mt GambierValley Lake Mt GambierValley Lake Mt GambierValley Lake Mt GambierValley Lake Mt GambierValley Lake Mt GambierValley Lake Mt Gambier

Overlooking this area is Centenary Tower which is reached by a very steep walk. It is worth the effort because the views are spectacular. To be honest I thought the tower must have been a bicentennial project but I couldn’t have been more wrong – it was built to celebrate the centenary of the opening up of the region and was completed in 1904.

Centenary Tower Mt GambierCentenary Tower Mt GambierCentenary Tower Mt GambierCentenary Tower Mt GambierCentenary Tower Mt GambierCentenary Tower Mt Gambier

Next visit was to the Umpherston Sinkhole which, like Cave Gardens, has been turned into a park and gardens. Named after the person who originally owned the land and used it as his own retreat from the heat. It used to have a quite large lake but as the water table has lowered it is now largely dry. There was also a waterfall but unfortunately the mechanism that kept it going is broken.

Umpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt GambierUmpherston Sinkhole Mt Gambier

Had a sandwich lunch and coffee at the local cafe – actually very nice, a big change from that at the Giant Koala..

Next port of call was Engelbrecht Cave yet another but smaller sinkhole but this time privately owned and which leads to a complex of water filled caves and tunnels which are popular with divers. The caves run under the main streets of Mt Gambier.  Naturally we only visited the dry bits.

Engelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt Gambier

The sinkhole was originally used as a rubbish dump for a distillery and the local butchers, Some quite nasty chemicals were originally dumped down it and cleaning it was quite a task – many hundreds of tonnes of rubbish were removed by hand before the cave could be used.

Engelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt GambierEngelbrecht Cave Mt Gambier

After dinner at a local Malaysian/Chinese restaurant went to Cave Garden to see the sound and light show which I had been told started a 8.30pm by 8.45 nothing had happened so walked back to the caravan park. The only disappointment of the day.

Am staying an extra day in Mount Gambier to get better weather for the Great Ocean Road though I have to say that I really like Mount Gambier as a town.

Mount Gambier

3rd March 2019

Distance: 220km

Didn’t leave until nearly 10am because only a journey just over 200km today, not only that, South Australia is half an hour behind the eastern states.

It was a largely uneventful journey mostly using back roads to cut cross country. The only problem with these roads is that there are never any rest areas except street parking in any small town. The weather was overcast only reaching 23’C but a pleasant change from the heatwave of the previous two days. Everything looked very dry and there was no rain in these clouds.

Horsham to Mt GambierHorsham to Mt Gambier

Arrived at Mount Gambier about midday and checked into a caravan park virtually in the centre of town. The owner was very helpful with events and sight to see.

At 1pm walked to the Riddoch Art Centre to watch a film about describing how the local area was formed from volcanic activity when Australia separated from from Gondwana Land and how the weakness caused by this fault line later led to the formation of the Blue Lake and lava flows travelling for 100s of kms into Victoria.

Mount GambierMount Gambier

Nearby is Cave Gardens right in the town centre – basically a sinkhole.

Mount Gambier Cave GardenMount Gambier Cave GardenMount Gambier Cave Garden Mount GambierMount GambierMount GambierMount GambierMount Gambier

Returned to camp for a shower before wandering out for a walk ending up at about 5.30pm at the Mount Gambier Community RSL where we had a meal and a couple of drinks.