11 Awe-Inspiring Things To Do In Mount Gambier

Lakes, caves, volcanoes, and sinkholes – Mount Gambier is a little city with a lot to offer.

Despite being the second-most populous city in South Australia, this Limestone Coast destination tends to slip under the radar – a great shame given the natural wonders and cultural attractions it has to offer, many of which are free to visit. Here are some of the top things to do in Mount Gambier.

1. Blue Lake

Prepare to be floored by Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake. This sizable body of water, situated within a dormant volcanic crater, transforms from an otherwise pedestrian navy blue into a startling milky turquoise between November and March.

Blue Lake in Mount Gambier South Australia — Visit Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake between November and March to see its transformation. (Image: Jaxon Foale/South Australia Tourism Commission)

While you can’t swim in it, you can walk (or drive) around the lake’s rim, which measures some 3.6 kilometres, taking around 45 minutes to complete on foot. Or visit with Aquifer Tours, which takes visitors in a glass-panelled lift down the original dolomite well shaft, through a tunnel to see the Blue Lake in close proximity. You’ll also hear yarns about local folklore and Aboriginal legend, as well as the lake’s history and European settlement.

2. Little Blue Lake

A volcanic sinkhole located in the middle of a paddock, about a 17-kilometre drive south of Mount Gambier, off an otherwise nondescript country road, Little Blue Lake has that wonderful air of chancing upon a secret local spot.

Woman swimming in Little Blue Lake Mount Gambier — The Little Blue Lake is a volcanic sinkhole located in the middle of a paddock. (Image: Lucy Adamopoulos/South Australia Tourism Commission)

Walk down the stairs, cut into the side of the sinkhole’s cliff, and jump off the floating pontoon into the cool waters, which reach a depth of around 47 metres. Cave divers with a CDAA Deep Cavern grade certification can even dive here.

Little Blue Lake Mount Gambier — Jump off the floating pontoon in Little Blue Lake. (Image: Lucy Adamopoulos)

3. Umpherston Sinkhole

Positively dripping with greenery, this vast sunken garden is arguably Mount Gambier’s landmark attraction. Lying just on the edge of town, this sinkhole was first transformed into a garden in 1886, when local farmer and politician James Umpherston took it upon himself to plant a garden in the former cave.

Umpherston Sinkhole Mount Gambier — Umpherston Sinkhole is arguably Mount Gambier’s landmark attraction. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission/Adam Bruzzone)

Whether you’re looking down into it or taking a wide-angle picture from the floor of the 20-metre-deep, 50-metre-wide natural wonder, the views are something special. Follow the public park’s walking paths, admire the lush foliage from its viewing platforms and benches, and mosey past its sculptures and fountains. It’s the perfect place for a picnic. Umpherston Sinkhole is also home to a colony of common brushtail possums, which make an appearance every evening at dusk to feed.

4. Cave Garden/Thugi

Much like its Mount Gambier cousin, the Umpherston Sinkhole, Cave Garden is an impossibly scenic spot, alive with greenery and tucked away right in the heart of the city.

A much smaller wedge of a sinkhole, you can’t descend to the base of Cave Garden: instead, exploit the viewing platforms and peer down into the chasm. And if you visit during, or shortly after wet weather, you can even admire a waterfall pouring into it. It’s believed that this sinkhole was in fact the original water source for early settlers in the area.

Refusing to be beaten on nighttime draws by the Umpherston Sinkhole, Cave Garden also has its own after-dark attraction – a nightly light show that tells Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.

Cave Gardens, Mount Gambier — The Cave Gardens illuminated as part of a winter light festival. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

5. Mount Gambier caves

It’s estimated that there are a whopping 800 caves littered throughout the Limestone Coast region like honeycomb. Here are some of the must-sees.

Engelbrecht Cave

Experienced divers come from all over to take to the waters of Engelbrecht Cave, in the centre of Mount Gambier, with its secret, water-filled tunnels. But you don’t need to brandish a certificate just to gain entry to the cave: guided tours of two of Engelbrecht’s caverns are available, lasting around 40 minutes long. There’s also a cafe at the site if you’d like to sit and enjoy cake and coffee after your visit.

Naracoorte Caves National Park

It’s a one-hour drive north of Mount Gambier to South Australia’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Naracoorte Caves National Park. Recognised for its extensive fossil record, which covers several ice ages and the arrival of humans in the area, it’s part of the 800,000-year-old Naracoorte East Range. Four caves are open to the public, and visitors can choose from a self-guided, guided or adventure caving tour, wandering through the warren of passages, festooned with stalactites and stalagmites.

Tantanoola Caves Conservation Park

Unlike many other caves in the region – or, in fact, many other caves in Australia – Tantanoola Caves Conservation Park is wheelchair-accessible. Just a 20-minute drive northwest of Mount Gambier, these vast, beautiful caverns are decorated with speleothems. Before your stroll freely through the subterranean wonder, each visit starts with an introduction from a guide, who will tell you the history and geology of the caves and explain how their formations have developed over thousands of years.

6. Riddoch Arts & Cultural Centre

The largest regional gallery in South Australia, the Riddoch plays host to a large collection of early 20th-century Aboriginal art, interactive displays, free guided tours, and a daily screening of the documentary film Volcano, which chronicles Mount Gambier’s geological history and the Aboriginal Dreamtime story of the giant ancestor Craitbul.

The Riddoch Art Gallery Mount Gambier — The Riddoch is the largest regional gallery in South Australia. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission/Adam Bruzzone)

7. Mount Gambier Farmer’s Markets

Every Saturday from 9am to 12pm, the Mount Gambier Farmer’s Markets are an easy, cheap and cheerful family-friendly experience. Grab a tasty takeaway breakfast from one of the stalls, shop fresh produce, and enjoy the stunning Cave Gardens where the markets are located.

Honey stall at Mount Gambier Farmer's Markets — Find all kinds of edible treats at the markets. (Image: Luna Socials & Design)

Foodies will be in heaven, with a wide array of seasonal fruit and vegetables, locally grown fish, pork, beef, honey, eggs and olive oil, and baked goods, and green thumbs will also find a whole lot of plants and seedlings on offer. A visit to the markets will make for a wholesome morning out.

Fresh produce Mount Gambier Farmer's Markets — Stock up on fresh produce. (Image: Luna Socials & Design)

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8. Echo Farm, Mount Gambier

Reconnect with nature and get the ultimate serotonin boost by hanging out and interacting with the animals at Mount Gambier’s Echo Farm. The charming farm has an assortment of historic displays as well as an opportunity to feed the animals, explore the outbuildings, and chat with the farmers who live on-site, making it a perfect activity for singles, couples, and families alike.

You can take a self-guided tour on Sundays to Fridays, and stroll around at your own pace taking in all the sights – the farm itself suggests allowing at least an hour for your visit. There’s also a range of snacks and souvenirs along with some delightful homemade scones. You can also book a guided tour most mornings.

9. Explore Mount Gambier’s best wineries

Did you know Mount Gambier is an up-and-coming wine region? The wineries may be young, but they’re producing prized wines, with the region best known for its pinot noir. Due to the climate and rich volcanic soils, Mount Gambier is home to a handful of must-see emerging wineries from family-run businesses to boutique vineyards. From the well-known Herbert Vineyard, renowned for its silky smooth pinot noir, to the hidden gem that is Noski Wines, located on the slopes of the Blue Lake, you won’t be short of places to visit for a tipple.

10. Kilsby Sinkhole

Kilsby sinkhole’s crystal clear water makes it one of the best diving and snorkelling locations in Australia. Book a 50-minute guided tour to learn the history and geology of this naturally occurring karst sinkhole and/or enjoy the tranquillity of the water by booking a snorkel tour.

Kilsby sinkhole Mount Gambier — Dive into the clear waters. (Image: Adam Stern)

11. Centenary Tower

To enjoy beautiful views of the volcanic, lake-dotted countryside, head 190 metres above sea level to the Centenary Tower. The medieval-looking tower opened in 1904 and was built to commemorate 100 years since Mt Gambier was first sighted by Europeans.

Original article written by Chloe Cann with updates by Tahlia Pritchard and Rachael Thompson.

For more travel tips, read our guide to planning your ultimate Mount Gambier holiday.

The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

From the moment you arrive in Mildura, the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura. — Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

Taste Mildura’s produce

It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey. Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers, a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

Hatted dining & Italian history

Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s. Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel. — Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

Discover a thriving culture scene

The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project. Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery. — Find culture around every corner.

Wonder at ancient landscapes

The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park. Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity. — Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

Meet your home away from home

On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama. A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats. Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura. — Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com.

11 awe-inspiring things to do in Mount Gambier

Lakes, caves, volcanoes, and sinkholes – Mount Gambier is a little city with a lot to offer.

1. Blue Lake

2. Little Blue Lake

3. Umpherston Sinkhole

4. Cave Garden/Thugi