Adventure awaits in the state’s largest regional city
With a population of 27,000, Mount Gambier is South Australia’s ‘big small town’. It’s known for its crystal clear waterways, lush greenery and countless natural wonders, from caves to crater lakes.
Set on the scenic Limestone Coast, Mount Gambier is a five-hour drive from Adelaide and Melbourne – with plane flights directly from both. It offers the best of city living, including local public transport services, in a tranquil country setting.
The perfect balance
Picturesque and prosperous
Mount Gambier is green and lush, with crisp fresh air and pine trees as far as the eye can see. Home to the clearest water on the planet, its many lakes and waterways are perfect for picnics, swimming and hiking. Watch the iconic Blue Lake’s deep winter blues turn turquoise in the summertime.
Heritage buildings and limestone houses line the city streets. Discover a New Orleans-style jazz bar, art galleries and loads of affordable eateries. Mount Gambier also marks the start of the Southern Ocean Drive, its rocky coastline rich with lobsters and giant tuna. The nearby Coonawarra wine region is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz varieties.
Adventure at every turn
There is so much to do in Mount Gambier. Venture into subterranean cave worlds. Water ski on Valley Lake. Pet donkeys, llamas and native wildlife at Echo farm. Visit a life-size replica of the Lady Nelson, a 60-ton tall ship built in 1799. At Umpherston Sinkhole, flowers and plants cascade into an underground garden of Eden for you to explore.
For a crisp dip in a natural water-filled sinkhole, descend the stairs of the Little Blue Lake and swim out to a floating pontoon in its centre. Dive into the most beautiful freshwater cave on the planet, the world-famous Kilsby Sinkhole, or snorkel the cool channels of Ewens and Piccaninnie Ponds, with clear waters to 100 metres.
A living science laboratory
Mount Gambier is a geological wonderland, with extinct volcanoes and the infamous Naracoorte Caves on its outskirts. Journey into their depths to admire stalagmites, stalactites, bats and fossils. At the Wonambi Fossil Centre, learn about prehistoric creatures, including supersized wombats, koalas and snakes. At the Visitor and Discovery Centre, see extinct kangaroo skulls, illuminated fossil rocks, neon volcanic explosions and wetland exhibits. In winter, admire bioluminescent ghost mushrooms in Glencoe Forest.
Image: Little Blue Lake, courtesy South Australian Tourism Commission.