Mount Gambier

We all found the environment of Mount Gambier to be very interesting. There are many interesting spectacles to see and we only just skimmed the surface of the area. I think the main thing Mt Gambier is famous for is the blue lake, which is in an extinct volcano and supplies the town with water. When we were there it was more of a steely blue, rather that the really turquoise blue it can be in the warmer months of the year. Rory and Tilda were both fascinated that it is a volcano. 

The whole area is built on limestone and apparently there are limestone caves running underneath the town. There are two sinkholes that you can visit for free, both of which are pretty amazing. You can also tour one of the underground caves (for a price), but we didn't want to do that. We didn't really need to, as we had plenty to see and do in the two days we were there.

One of the sinkholes is located in the town centre. It is a nicely sculpted garden that provides a serene and peaceful place. There are viewing platforms along the path, so you can get a good look at the hanging garden, the waterfall and the water that flows who knows where underground. The waterfall only flows after rain, so that is one of the up sides of all of the rain that we have been " enjoying". I was quite disgusted at the amount of rubbish that is at the bottom of this sinkhole. Given that there are bins located close to the paths to the sinkhole, there is no excuse and I can't believe people could be such filthy pigs and so incredibly selfish, that they would rather spoil such a beautiful garden than walk a couple of steps to a bin. Humanity seriously has a lot to answer for that people would think that is appropriate and OK. At night they run a movie that you can view from the gardens. We didn't get to see it as it starts around 8:30pm which is just too late for Rory. 

The other sinkhole we visited in the Umpherston Garden, so named after the man who bought the land that the sinkhole is on and built a garden there. In the early days (can't remember if it was 1800s or early 1900s) there was still water in the sinkhole and they would row a boat about on it. The idea was to create an oasis of greenery and cool in the midst of the land. You can go all the way to the bottom of this sinkhole and enjoy the hydrangeas and other plantings. It is truly amazing to stand in the bottom of a sinkhole.

We went back to the Unpherston Garden at night, as I had read on WikiCamps that possums live in the holes in the rock during the day and come out at night. I had fruit to feed them, but we forgot to take it with us. It is a very surreal experience at night. As we approached the steps down into the garden, 4 possums and a couple of rats came hurrying up the steps towards us. We all paused, feeling almost threatened by them all, especially as we had forgotten the food. We were wondering whether to continue or not, leaning heavily towards not because... rats, ewwww!... but another family arrived. They had bread and offered to share with us. While I know bread isn't great to feed the possums, it was almost like we needed to pay them in order to get down the stairs. The sinkhole is beautiful at night. It is lit up softly, which just adds to the feel and lots of possums come out of the holes in the rocks and walk along the ledges. They're not scared of people at all, instead they are so used to being fed they almost demand it. There were adults and babies and it was magical. (The rats weren't magical though, although I did see a couple that didn't look like your typical suburban rat. There was a cute little black one, whose shape was all wrong for a rat, but I don't know what it was.) Tilda and Rory were both scared at first, and I must admit, being mobbed by a group of possums is pretty intimidating, but they soon overcame their fears and happily fed the possums. There were three other families there while we were and the possums received a wide assortment of fruits and bread. 

 As a town, Mount Gambier was OK. There was an interesting mix of old and new buildings, and most of the old buildings are made of limestone because it is so readily available. I still love the old buildings and houses, and I love seeing all of the variations on them in different towns. I would have liked to have a bit more time, as there was still lots to see and do, including a drive or two to some other craters and further exploration of the region.