DAY 122 - MOUNT GAMBIER SA

MOUNT GAMBIER SA

DAY 122


This should be my final day in South Australia for now, although I’d best not sound as if I’m glad about it.

3 months and 4000 kilometres is an effort I’m proud of – second only to what how the overall statistics will look in around 2 weeks.

Today was a day of 2 halves, 4 quarters or even 3 thirds as well.

2 halves was how it eventuated for my liking, taking care of business this morning and allowing the afternoon for sightseeing.

Business was mostly about fixing the tyre blow out from yesterday.

Bad news is that 7000+ kilometres has taken its toll and worn the tyre completely through, hence the tube explosion yesterday.

Good news is I bought a new tyre – one with knobbly bits, which should see me through.

The sightseeing part of the day then, was quite a unique one.

Mount Gambier is located in a formerly volcanically active limestone basin.

Most of the volcanic activity took place around 4500 years ago, meaning the landforms it created are merely babes in arms by Australian standards.

What remains are several good sized craters, lakes and a most interesting formation called a sinkhole.

Easily the most renowned feature is the Blue Lake and the surrounding Crater Lakes.

The Umpherston Sinkhole is located a little east of town, but I was still able to get around and see the lot.

The Blue Lake is so named for good reason.

Unfortunately it is not so blue at the very moment but I was hardly about to tumble into a sinkhole of disappointment over it.

It is the wrong time of year apparently, as the lake really comes into its own blueness between November and March.

The rest of the time it supposedly looks “grey”, although its inherent blueness was still on show today, despite the winter and despite the cloudy gloom about.

I actually had a slightly better time around at the adjacent Crater Lake, which also enabled a steep walk up to the 1904 Centenary Tower and panoramic views of said lake and the city of Mount Gambier as its backdrop.

Dropping back down to town around 3 pm, I took a late afternoon stroll out to the Sinkhole.

The Sinkhole was named after a former wealthy local named Umpherston who owned the land between 1868 and 1900 and created a place for people to visit and enjoy.

Mr U passed on in 1900 and for 70 odd years, various owners and others allowed the Sinkhole to degenerate and it was only repossessed and taken responsibility for during the 1970’s.

Since then, various community projects have tiered some spectacular gardens within the sunken limestone pit that is now filled with native and imported flora, vines, mosses, walkways and lookouts.

So this has been my Mount Gambier experience.

I am scheduled to cross back into Victoria early tomorrow morning, as I make for the coastal settlement of Portland, probably for a pair of evenings.