Fascinating Mount Gambier Sinkholes To Visit

Fancy a swim in a dazzling cobalt waterway, or a stroll around a lush, emerald wonderland? The famous Mount Gambier sinkholes can set the mood for every kind of adventure.

Reykjavik, Naples, Cartago; when you’re yearning to explore a dramatic volcanic landscape, there’s only one destination where the sinkholes – a depression caused by the collapse of the surface layer – are a celebration (particularly in the warmer months): Mount Gambier on South Australia’s spectacular Limestone Coast.

Proving that good things are worth the wait, geologists believe that Mount Gambier’s (justifiably) famous sinkholes are the result of rain on the region’s three fault lines breaking up the huge expanse of limestone, more than 25 million years old, spanning South Australia’s south-east. Water flowing through the limestone has formed 50 sinkholes, with at least 15 of them filled with water.

So, when is the best time to take advantage of Mount Gambier’s sinkholes? While Mount Gambier itself is a treat to visit year-round, aqua babies are best to plan a trip in the warmer months, between November and March, when the water is less biting and the colour morphs from a hue which can fall anywhere from steel grey or garden variety blue to vibrant cobalt. The good news? Whether you hire a car and drive to each spot (easily done since most of the major holes are located within a 20-minute drive of one another) or book a tour, there’s the perfect sinkhole experience for every kind of traveller, including these tourism-heavy hitters.

Kilsby Sinkhole

Will it be snorkelling, scuba diving, free diving or a sinkhole tour of the training site for the South Australian Police? At Kilsby Sinkhole , located on a sheep farm among the rolling grasslands of Moorak just 14 kilometres south of Mount Gambier, you can choose all of the above.

Out here, where it’s not unusual for people to show up in mermaid outfits for the ultimate photoshoot, water clarity has drawn people to the site for decades, the giant chasm descending 65 metres and allowing up to 50 metres (most days) visibility for scuba drivers and freedivers, and pristine water clarity for those who prefer to frolic towards the surface. 50-minute guided tours cover the sinkhole’s fascinating history and geology – a real hit with the kids.

a diver facing the light as it passes through the water under Kilsby Sinkhole — It’s a stunning sight when the sun rises over Kilsby Sinkhole. (Image: Adam Stern)

Snorkelling tours run for two hours, complete with a safety briefing and under the supervision of a snorkel supervisor, while those interested in diving and freediving can book a licensed operator to help their dream come true.

Kilsby Sinkhole is a privately owned site, thus, all visits must be pre-booked online. The good news? They now offer a range of two-bedroom luxury villas at a surprisingly affordable price point, so you can take advantage of the sinkhole (and its surrounds) day after day.

Umpherston Sinkhole

In the middle of Mount Gambier’s city streets, a lush, subterranean oasis blooms some 20 metres deep in a natural well providing cool respite for those who want to escape those blazing days, but don’t much fancy getting wet.

Named after its designer James Umpherston who designed this urban botanic garden in the late 1800s, Umpherston Sinkhole/Balumbul (one of the most photographed locations on the Limestone Coast) was once a cave formed through the dissolution of the limestone, becoming a sinkhole only after the top of its chamber collapsed and its topsoil provided the perfect environment on which flora to grow.

lush greenery at Umpherston Sinkhole — Stroll through the enchanting vines. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission/Adam Bruzzone)

Now it’s best described as a gateway to a secret world filled with hanging vines and terraces, the depth and scale of which is best enjoyed from the viewing platforms before taking a walk down to the bottom to view the hydrangeas (but only after grabbing an ice cream or coffee from the onsite kiosk). Yep, at Umpherston Sinkhole, it’s all about walking and observing.

Beautiful any time of day, locals swear by a visit at dusk when the friendly locals, the Umpherston possums, come out to greet their visitors. Why not stick around and make use of the free barbecue area?

Little Blue Lake

Disregard its name; Little Blue Lake is actually a sinkhole with a difference: the ability to change colour like a mood ring so that the steel grey it rocks throughout the winter months transforms into a vibrant cobalt blue come the summertime (November to March). It’s all thanks to a phenomenon caused by the formation of calcite crystals warmed by the rays of the sun.

Located in the Kanawinka volcanic area, wedged between the two (mercifully) dormant volcanoes of Mount Gambier and Mount Schank, follow the campervans making a line to Little Blue Lake, which is conveniently situated in a paddock by the highway.

a diving platform above the milky turquoise waters of Little Blue Lake, Mount Gambier — Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake transforms into milky turquoise between November and March. (Image: Lucy Adamopoulos)

With a 47-metre depth, plus a diameter of 40 metres, the lake is what you might call bracing – a fact locals love and visitors quickly get used to as they enter the sinkhole via the stairs or ramp. Your best bet? Warm up beforehand or afterwards by lying out in the sun, or by enjoying a picnic (you’ll have to bring your own provisions). Just beware that there are no public amenities, so best to use the bathroom before you depart from your accommodation.

Got plenty of time in and around Mount Gambier up your sleeve and are keen to experience further sinkholes? Be sure to also put Ewens Ponds, Hell’s Hole and Caroline Sinkhole on your list.

Wanting to explore the rest of Mount Gambier? Follow our guide for awe-inspiring things to do in Mount Gambier.

Slow down and find your rhythm on a Murray River journey through time and place.

Trust is a funny thing. It seems not that long ago that my mother was insisting on pouring the milk into my cereal bowl, because she didn’t trust me not to slosh it over the table, and yet here I am on the Murray River at Mildura in far north-west Victoria, being handed the keys to a very new and very expensive luxury houseboat.

After a crash course in how not to crash, I’m at the wheel of the good ship Elevate – pride of the All Seasons fleet – guiding her upstream past red-ochre cliffs as pelicans glide above the rippled river and kookaburras call from reedy banks. There’s a brief moment of breath-holding while I negotiate a hairpin turn around a jagged reef of skeletal, submerged gum trees, before a cheer rings out and calm descends as the timeless river unfurls in front of us.

The Murray River winding through Yarrawonga. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

Setting sail from Mildura

Murray River birds — Home to a large number of bird species, including pelicans. (Image: The Precint Studios)

A journey along the Murray River is never less than magical, and launching from Mildura makes perfect sense. Up here the river is wide and largely empty, giving novice skippers like myself the confidence to nudge the 60-tonne houseboat up to the riverbank where we tie up for the night, without fear of shattering the glass elevator (the boat is fully wheelchair accessible) or spilling our Champagne.

My friends and I spend three days on the water, swimming and fishing, sitting around campfires onshore at night, and basking in air so warm you’d swear you were in the tropics. The simplicity of river life reveals an interesting dichotomy: we feel disconnected from the world but at the same time connected to Country, privileged to be part of something so ancient and special.

Stop one: Echuca

19th-century paddlesteamers — A historic 19th-century paddlesteamer cruises along the Murray River. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The six-hour drive from Melbourne to Mildura (or four hours and 20 minutes from Adelaide) is more than worth it, but you don’t have to travel that far to find fun on the river. Once Australia’s largest inland port, Echuca is the closest point on the Murray to Melbourne (two hours 45 minutes), and you’ll still find a plethora of paddlesteamers tethered to the historic timber wharf, a throwback to the thriving river trade days of the 19th century. The PS Adelaide, built in 1866 and the oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer operating in the world, departs daily for one-hour cruises, while a brand-new paddlesteamer, the PS Australian Star , is launching luxury seven-night voyages in December through APT Touring.

The town is also a hot food and wine destination. St Anne’s Winery at the historic Port of Echuca precinct has an incredibly photogenic cellar door, set inside an old carriage builders’ workshop on the wharf and filled with huge, 3000-litre port barrels. The Mill, meanwhile, is a cosy winter spot to sample regional produce as an open fire warms the red-brick walls of this former flour mill.

Stop two: Barmah National Park

Just half-an-hour upstream, Barmah National Park is flourishing, its river red gum landscape (the largest in the world) rebounding magnificently after the recent removal of more than 700 feral horses. The internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland sits in the heart of Yorta Yorta Country, with Traditional Owners managing the environment in close partnership with Parks Victoria. Walkways weave through the forest, crossing creeks lined with rare or threatened plants, passing remnants of Yorta Yorta oven mounds and numerous scar trees, where the bark was removed to build canoes, containers or shields.

The Dharnya Centre (open weekdays until 3pm) is the cultural hub for the Yorta Yorta. Visitors can learn about the ecological significance of the Barmah Lakes on a 90-minute river cruise, led by a First Nations guide, or take a one-hour, guided cultural walking tour along the Yamyabuc Trail.

Stop three: Cobram

Continue east to Cobram to find the southern hemisphere’s largest inland beach. Swarming with sun-seekers in summer, the white sand of Thompson’s Beach is shaded by majestic river red gums and dotted with hundreds of beach umbrellas, as beachgoers launch all manner of water craft and set up stumps for beach cricket. But the beach is at its most captivating at sunset, when the crowds thin out, the glassy river mirrors the purple sky, and the canopies of the gum trees glow fiery orange.

The region is also home to some fine resorts and indulgent retreats. Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort has two riverside championship golf courses, luxury apartments and self-contained villas. While not strictly on the Murray, the historic wine town of Rutherglen is rife with boutique (and unique) accommodation, including an exquisitely renovated red-brick tower in a French provincial-style castle at Mount Ophir Estate. Fans of fortified wines can unravel the mystery of Rutherglen’s ‘Muscat Mile’, meeting the vignerons and master-blenders whose artistry has put the town on the global map for this rich and complex wine style.

Stop four: Albury-Wodonga

First Nations YindyamarraSculpture Walk — First Nations Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk is part of the Wagirra Trail. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Follow the river far enough upstream and you’ll arrive at the twin border cities of Albury-Wodonga. The Hume Highway thunders through, but serenity can be found along the five-kilometre Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk – part of the Wagirra Trail that meanders through river wetlands just west of Albury in Wiradjuri country. Fifteen sculptures by local First Nations artists line the trail, conveying stories of reconciliation, enduring connection to culture, local Milawa lore and traditional practices. It feels a long way from Mildura, and it is, but the pelicans and kookaburras remind us that it’s the same river, the great conduit that connects our country.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

New Mildura motel Kar-rama. (Image: Iain Bond Photo)

Kar-Rama is a brand-new boutique, retro-styled motel in Mildura, with a butterfly-shaped pool and a tropical, Palm Springs vibe. Echuca Holiday Homes has a range of high-end accommodation options, both on the riverfront and in town.

Playing there

BruceMunro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura — Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura. (Image: Imogen Eveson)

Artist Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights installation, comprising more than 12,000 illuminated ‘fireflies’, is currently lighting up Mildura’s Lock Island in the middle of the Murray. Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) is a hub for contemporary art, with a rotating roster of exhibitions, and is a major outlet for young and First Nations artists.

Eating there

Mildura’s diverse demographic means it’s a fantastic place to eat. Andy’s Kitchen is a local favourite, serving up delicious pan-Asian dishes and creative cocktails in a Balinese-style garden setting. Call in to Spoons Riverside in Swan Hill to enjoy locally sourced, seasonal produce in a tranquil setting overlooking the river.

The fascinating sinkholes in Mount Gambier to visit