Weather has improved somewhat and is lovely and sunny so we spent the day sightseeing. Our first stop was Little Blue Lake about a 10 minute drive from town. Little Blue Lake is a sinkhole and is the local swimming hole. The facilities around it are maintained but unfortunately the lake does have some blue green algae but not enough to really stop you getting in (if it was warmer). The water temperature varies from 10-15 degrees and we were told by some locals that is more than 35m deep. It would be fantastic to have a dip on a hot day. Our next stop was Mt Schank, about 15 minutes drive from town. Mt Schank is a dormant volcano and one of the youngest. It is a 158m steep climb to the crater rim but well worth the effort. I ventured into the bottom of the crater (unique thing to do) and it was great. So quiet. The trek down was via an overgrown track and there were lots of lizards but no snakes thank goodness. It was very hot down there and no shade but I’m glad I did it as is it not something you can do often. After the walk up to the top John opted to stay put. I read on the display down in the carpark that there is no guarantee that even a dormant volcano won’t erupt again but would follow an earthquake. Sobering to know I would have had a warning whilst down there! Our next stop was the seaside town of Port MacDonnell, 27km south of Mount Gambier and the closest beach. Amazing the drop in temperature here and similar to the Eyre Peninsula in that the ocean is very tidal and it was out. We found a bay called Camel Rock and it had lots of white rocks on the beach which we hadn’t come across before. The Southern Ocean sure is cold though, wonder how often anyone gets in the water. Next we stopped at Ewen Ponds which is reported to be a good snorkelling and diving site. The only place in Mount Gambier where you can swim in caves without a certified divers licence. There are three ponds that link and the maximum depth is 11m. The water is so clear and it was a magic place and we were tempted to get in but again in water that is somewhere between 10-15 degrees would have been very short lived. Dry suits are recommended. Apparently there are lots of plant and fish life in the ponds and it is very interesting. Next time. One thing we did see were heaps and heaps of cows and some of the farms we drove by supplied Devondale Dairy. It seems that farmers just open the paddock gates and the cows walk themselves from one to the other across the roads – quiet farm roads so little chance of any accidents.
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| Mt Schank from crater rim | Mt Schank from crater bottom |
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