Climate
Average temperatures: January max 25C (77F) - min 11C (52F); July max 13C
(55F) - min 5C (41F). Average annual rainfall: 708mm (28 ins).
Characteristics
Mount Gambier has two famous attractions, the Blue Lake and the Cave in
the centre of the city. As a consequence the town is known as 'Blue Lake
City' or the 'City Around A Cave'. The lake is famous for its change
of colour from winter grey to intense blue in November each year. It
remains blue until late March, and aside from its beauty, is the City's
source of domestic water. The open cave is set in attractive gardens,
well renowned for their roses, and was the original source of the water
supply.
How to Get There By Bus
Bonds Adelaide - Mount Gambier Coach departs daily via Coorong (Highway
1) and via Naracoorte (inland route).
By Rail
There is a regular service between Adelaide and Mt Gambier via Warrnambool
or Ballarat.
By Road
From Melbourne, via the Princes Highway 438km (272 miles), and from Adelaide,
via the Princes Highway 451km (280 miles).
Tourist Information
The Lady Nelson Visitor & Discovery Centre, Jubilee Highway East, (08)
8724 9750 or toll-free 1800 087 187 is open seven days, 9am-5pm, with extended
hours over school holiday periods. You can contact them by email thelady
nelson@mountgambier tourism. com.au or check out the comprehensive website
at www.mount gambiertourism.
com.au
Alternatively, Limestone Coast Tourism is in the Old Town Hall Building, Commercial
Street East , (08) 8723 1644, with email at tourism@thelimestone coast.com
and a website at www.thelimestonecoast.com
Accommodation
Mount Gambier has motels, hotel/motels, hotels and caravan/camping parks.
Here is a selection, with prices for a double room per night, which should
be used as a guide only. The telephone area code is 08.
Mount Gambier International Motel, Millicent Road, 8725 9699. 69 units,
licensed restaurant, swimming pool, spa, sauna, bbq, tennis $100-115.
Quality Inn Presidential, Jubilee Highway West, 8724 9966. 53 units, licensed
restaurant, indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna - $107.
Arkana Motor Inn, 201 Commercial Street East, 8725 5823. 20 units, swimming
pool, spa, bbq $77-105.
Le Cavalier Court Motel, 37 Bay Road, 8725 9077. 10 units, licensed restaurant
(closed Monday) $55.
Mount Gambier Motel, 115 Penola Road, 8725 5800. 32 units, licensed restaurant,
swimming pool, bbq $60-90.
Blue Lake Motel, Kennedy Avenue, 8725 5211. 24 units, licensed restaurant
(closed Saturday and Sunday) $50-65.
Lakes Resort Motel Mt Gambier, 17 Lake Terrace West, 8725 5755. 32 units,
licensed restaurant, swimming pool, spa $85-140.
Tower Motor Inn, 140 Jubilee Highway West, 8724 9411. 19 units, swimming
pool, bbq $65.
Caravan Parks
Mt Gambier Central Caravan Park, 6 Krummel Street, 8725 4427. (No pets
allowed) - powered sites $15 for two, on-site vans $31 for two.
Jubilee Holiday Park, Jubilee Highway East, 8723 2469. (Pets allowed on
leash) - powered sites with en-suite $11 for two, cabins $39-49 for two.
Blue Lake City Caravan Park, Bay Road, 8725 9856. (Pets allowed on leash)
- powered sites $20 for two, on-site vans $32-47 for two.
Pine Country Caravan Park, Port MacDonnell Road, 1300 720 115. (Pets allowed
on leash) - powered sites $16 for two, cabins $33-49 for two.
Eating Out
As will be seen in the accommodation listed in this section, many of the
motels have restaurants, and there are the usual number of takeaway outlets.
Following are some restaurants you might like to try:
The Mt Gambier Hotel, 2 Commercial Street West, 8725 0611, has a reasonably
priced smorgasbord, and also a la carte in the atrium.
The Barn Steakhouse, Nelson Road (8km out of town), 8726 8250, have very
reasonable prices, and an extensive wine cellar. Children catered for.
Mandarin Restaurant, 68 Commercial Street West, 8723 2100, are hopen Wed-Mon
and serve Chinese a la carte.
Le Cavalier Restaurant, 37 Bay Road , 8725 9077, have an a la carte menu
for lunch on Tue, Fri & Sun and are hopen for dinner every night except
Monday.
Golden Chopsticks Chinese Restaurant, 95 Commercial St East, 8725 3935,
is hopen for dinner Tues-Sun and lunch Thu-Fri.
Points of Interest
The 197m (646 ft) deep Blue Lake is the premier tourist attraction. In
the area, an obelisk marks the spot where the poet Adam Lindsay Gordon
made a famous leap on horseback over a fence on to a narrow ledge overlooking
the lake.
The Cave in the centre of town is probably next in importance, and its
sunken gardens are worth a visit.
Facing the Cave Gardens is the modern Civic Centre, which houses the offices
of the City of Mount Gambier, Council Chambers, City Library and the Sir
Robert Helpmann Theatre - a modern 528 seat theatre which is host to local
and visiting artists.
The Lady Nelson Visitor & Discovery Centre on Jubilee Highway East,
is a major historical and social interest Jubilee 150 Project, which commemorates
the sighting and naming of Mount Gambier on December 3, 1800 by Lt James
Grant, from the deck of The Lady Nelson, a small survey brig. The major
feature of the complex is the full scale replica of the brig, which is
cut in half through the longitudinal cross-section, and forms part of the
structure of the building. The complex provides displays and information
on the area encompassing the south-east of South Australia and the south
west of Victoria.
Adjacent to the Blue Lake is another volcanic crater with the Valley and
Browne's Lakes and the former Leg of Mutton Lake, which no longer contains
water but is a pleasant wooded area. The Valley Lake is used for aquatic
sports and is dominated by the Centenary Tower on the summit of the mount.
Umpherston Sinkhole, with its terraced gardens and barbecue areas, is an
ideal spot for a picnic, and the cave is floodlit at night.
Many historic buildings line the streets of Mt Gambier. Of particular note
is Jens Hotel which was the original site of the town's first hotel, the
Town Hall built in 1862, and the Post Office built in 1865. To guide visitors
to the more interesting historic sites, a heritage walk has been devised,
and the pamphlet is free from the Visitor Centre.
Visitors can walk through one of the huge timber mills, or a cheese factory,
or tour the Blue Lake Pumping Station and view the Lake from the pontoons
on the surface. There are also museums and galleries including the
Port MacDonnell & District Maritime Museum and several parks
and gardens. The Visitor Centre will be able to advise on these.
Festivals
The Blue Lake Festival is held in November each year and incorporates the
Christmas Pageant and Generations in Jazz.
The Mt Gambier Gold Cup Racing Carnival is held in June.
Facilities
Tennis, flying, racing, trotting, cycling, go-kart racing, ten-pin bowling,
squash, rifle range, gun club, stock car racing, pistol shooting speedboating,
lawn bowls, golf and health studios.
Outlying Attractions Port MacDonnell
Situated 28km (17 miles) south of Mt Gambier, Port MacDonnell is Australia's
most southerly port. Originally it was busy with freight from the early
settlers being sent to Adelaide and Melbourne, but now it is a base for
a large fleet which fishes the Southern Ocean for lobster between the months
of October and May.
The township has retained the atmosphere of a small fishing village, and
is a peaceful place to visit.
2km from Port MacDonnell is the former home of well-known poet and horseman
Adam Lindsay Gordon. The cottage dates back to the 1860s and has been restored.
It contains some of Gordon's belongings.
The lighthouse at Cape Northumberland sits above one of the most rugged
sections of the coast, and the scenic drive to the lighthouse passes a
petrified forest. Near Cape Northumberland are the Frog, Dinosaur and Camel
rocks and the Map of Australia reef.
Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park is 27km south-east of Mt Gambier off
the Nelson Road, and its main feature is a large reed swamp. The area is
well known as a popular cave diving spot.
North of Port MacDonnell is Mt Schank volcano, which was sighted and named
by Lt Grant as he sailed by in the Lady Nelson in 1800. From the top of
the mount there are spectacular views of the countryside, and walking tracks
have been built on the outside and inside of the crater for the energetic.
Little Blue Lake, 3km on the opposite side of the road from Mt Schank,
is a popular spot for experienced swimmers, and changes colour like its
large cousin in Mt Gambier.
For local informaiton, stop in at the Port MacDonnell and District Council
Office in Charles Street, (08) 8721 0444. They are open Tue-Thu 9am-4pm.
Penola
Centrally located, 51km (32 miles) from Mt Gambier, Penola is the South-East's
oldest town, and a joy for anyone interested in history. The many remaining
slab and hewn cottages erected in the 1850s depict the lifestyle of the
early settlers, and Yallum Park, built in 1880 shows life on a grander
scale. Many famous names are associated with Penola - poets Adam Lindsay
Gordon, John Shaw Neilson and Will Ogilvie spent time here, and it was
here, in 1866, that Mother Mary MacKillop established the first school
in Australia which catered for all children regardless of income or social
status. The Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre, Portland Street, tells
the story of the history of the district and Mary's life, and has an
audio-visual show. It is hopen seven days 10am-4pm and costs $3.50 adult.
The Tourist Information Centre in 27 Arthur Street, (08) 8737 2855, has
details of all attractions.
Coonawarra
The Coonawarra grape growing and wine producing area now occupies a significant
position in the Australian Wine Industry. It came into being when John Riddoch
of Yallum Park, established a fruit colony on 2000 acres of his property.
Grapes figured prominently among the fruit grown, and thrived in the rich
soil, so in 1893 Riddoch built the first winery in Coonawarra.
Coonawarra is 10km (6 miles) north of Penola, and now has 22 wineries open
seven days a week, with tastings and cellar door sales. Information on the
various wineries can be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre in Penola,
(08) 8737 2855.
Naracoorte
Situated 39km (24 miles) north of Coonawarra, Naracoorte is one of the
region's larger commercial centres. Its history dates back to the 1840s
when the first hotel and store were built by William MacIntosh. The name
Naracoorte, by the way, means 'running water'.
The town's main claim to fame now, though, is the Naracoorte Caves Conservation
Park, 8762 3412. The park is 12km (7 miles) south-east of the town on the
way to Penola. There are approximately 60 known caves along a 25km (15
miles) range, and many are within the park itself. Visitors can take guided
tours to a range of underground caves, including the Alexandra, Blanche
and the Victoria Fossil Cave. If you intend to take one of the Special
Adventure Cave tours on offer, make sure you wear sneakers and take a change
of clothes, as they involve crawling and climbing. The Park has a camping
ground, picnic areas, interpretive centre and kiosk facilities.
Millicent
Millicent is 40km (25 miles) west of Mount Gambier, in the centre of the
South-East. The town was named after Millicent Glen, wife of one of the
early pioneers and daughter of the first Anglican Bishop of Adelaide.
Millicent was a rural centre at the beginning of this century, but the
development of a pine plantation and the establishment of a sawmill and
two paper mills saw a change of identity, and a large increase in population.
The Tantanoola Caves are 19km (12 miles) east of Millicent, in the Tantanoola
Caves Conservation Park, 8734 4153. They are unique in that there are no
stairs in the caves, and a pathway allows wheelchair access. When you visit
the caves stop off at the Tantanoola Hotel in the township, and ask about
the legend of the Tantanoola Tiger, who apparently prowled the area in
the late 1800s. Millicent Tourist Information Centre is in 1 Mount Gambier
Road, Millicent, (08) 8733 3205.
Beachport
35km (22 miles) west of Millicent is Beachport, which was first settled
as a whaling station by the Henty Brothers in the 1830s. It is now a
quiet seaside town involved in the lobster and fishing industries.
Robe
Robe is 50km (31 miles) from Beachport, and the road there passes Lakes
George, St Clair and Eliza. The Port of Robe was proclaimed in 1847 and
gradually grew, exporting wool and horses. An unusual import at the time
was over 16,000 Chinese, heading for the Victorian goldfields, who landed
in South Australia to avoid the ten pounds poll tax imposed by the Victorian
Government.
By 1864 Robe had become South Australia's third most important port, then
the shipping trade declined and only the fishing fleet remained. The Visitor
Information Centre is located in the Library on Mundy Terrace, 8768 2465,
and they will point out the museums and historic buildings. They will also
have information on the tours available in nearby Little Dip Conservation
Park, 4km to the south. Opening hours are Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat-Sun 10am-1pm.
Kingston
The entrance to the town of Kingston is guarded by a 17m (56 ft) lobster
named Larry, letting everyone know that this is lobster country. Situated
44km (27 miles) north of Robe, Kingston was named in 1858 after being
established in 1856 by the Cooke Brothers who took up Government Land
Grants near Maria Creek. There are many fine old buildings in Kingston,
including the Post Office, the Colonial Tea Rooms and Gallery, the Court
House and the original Gaol and Police Station, which now houses an antique
shop.
The National Trust Museum, built in 1872 as a timber mill, contains general
folk items including gowns and nautical items. Cape Jaffa Lighthouse was
originally erected on Margaret Brock Reef in the 1860s, but was moved to
its present position as part of the town's heritage, in the 1970s when
the erection of an automatic light left it redundant.
Tourist information is found in the Big Lobster Complex on the Princes
Highway, (08) 8767 2555.
