Mount Gambier Craters, Sinkholes and Lakes - Day 9

Woot! It was 31st December that means New Years eve. After celebrating last couple of New Years in Sydney, this would be a good change.

Mt Gambier is a very well planned and laid out city. Its also a favourite tourist spot for people from Adelaide and Melbourne. Apart from being a normal big city running at its own pace there is a different dimension to Mt Gambier, it's actually a volcano but extinct. The city is surrounded with sinkholes, caves, craters and lakes.

So we started our day with a big brekki at a local café called whistling cats on commercial street. Quirky big space with couches and assorted furniture.

The information center was our first stop for the day. Do tune into HIT FM for some good tunes. Opening times may vary so do check online before going. The staff is fantastic and helpful. Visit the Lady Nelson discovery center at the Information Center. . Interesting one!! Get to know about the volcanoes at Mt Gambier and local history.

There are two must see caves in Mt Gambier - one of them is free and is found in the city called Cave Garden. Beautiful roses are a stunning feature of the Cave Garden.

Second one is a tour into the Engelbrecht cave , a must see. Gorgeous limestone cave with a lot of history and used by cave divers till date. This was actually used as a rubbish dump. In 1979, the Lions Club of Mount Gambier decided to start a new project to restore and maintain this cave whilst beautifying the cave to make it as a tourist attraction. Check out the paid, guided tours.

Then we drove to the Umpherston sinkhole which is one of the most spectacular sinkholes we ever saw. Beautifully landscaped with pretty flowers and small trees. Umpherston sinkhole was once a typical limestone cave that formed by the corrosion of limestone rocks by seawater waves and the sinkhole was naturally created when the chamber’s roof collapsed. Good place for taking your next profile picture!

It was lunch time and we reached Blue lake. One of the most visited places in South Australia during the months of Nov till March. The reason being change of color of the water from dull grey to bright blue, hence the name. It's an awestruck moment for a second when you see the lake, hard to believe the colour. Its just so blue!!!!!.

Strolling around the blue lake we heard some kind of music. There it was a cute little old school styled ice cream truck. Who wants a cherry ripe cone!!!!!!! Yum

Next stop Valley lake - a picturesque gem with ducks and swans. Perfect for a stroll around the lake and a picnic.

It was time for a short drive towards one of the dormant volcanos in the area, Mount Schank. The drive is just great with lovely cattle farms on the way.

If you want to take a dip, then go off the road towards the little blue lake.

You can make out Mount Schank from a distance, it is 100 meters high and stands out in the flat coastal landscape. This is a dormant volcanic crater.

Upon arrival we opted the rim climb walk which is roughly 1 hour return but may take longer depending on the time you spent on the top exploring. The walk is steep so be dressed accordingly and keep yourself hydrated. On reaching the top its like you have climbed the Everest of Mt Gambier. The view is just brilliant, the crater is deep and you can make a sense of how a volcano may function. Enjoy the time on the top taking pictures, walking along the rim and spotting other craters or lakes. On the other hand you could do the trail that takes you down into the crater and back up ( could be tedious ).

The same road takes you towards on of the southern most ports in south Australia. Just 20 mins from mount schank lies the pretty town of port Mcdonnald. Nice drive along the timber forest, we even took a little detour into forest which was fun.

The port is small, but they serve lovely fish n chips if you reach there before 4 pm. Walk around or relax.

You could drive up to the Ewes ponds if keen on swimming or scuba diving. Lovely spot for that.

New years Eve was decided over a lovely white wine from Barossa. And the decision was made.

We took a stroll towards Vansittart park. It was busy -everyone from Mt Gambier was there. There was an enterance fee which was 100 times cheaper than any place in Sydney. What a start!!. There were various food stalls, kids area, alcohol booth ( love the sound of booth ), a wrestling arena and a stage with local bands playing. We grabbed a drink and some hot chips strolling around - thinking community has a strong role in such events. Everyone was chilling having a great time. There was so much space, good vibes so different from any major cities new year eves affair. It was different and we were loving it. Soon the wrestling competition was announced and out of curiosity we found ourselves seated and watching the match. What a show!!

Fireworks commenced and were so spectacular. We had a great time. Rather than drinking and partying, we thought of calling it a night as we had another drive the next day.

Photo or video of event.