Mount Gambier: Crater Lake, Caves and Volcanic Landscape

Mount Gambier combines a striking volcanic landscape with natural experiences that can be explored in different ways. Blue Lake/Warwar lies in one of the craters of the maar volcano after which Mount Gambier was named. The Mount Gambier Volcanic Complex is the most recent place in Australia where a volcano was active. At the lake, seasonal colour and lookouts are the main attractions; cave tours, trails and activities at Valley Lake/Ketla Malpi offer other perspectives. You can shape your trip around whether you are especially interested in geology, outdoor activities or the cultural side of the area.

Experience Blue Lake/Warwar throughout the year

Blue Lake/Warwar changes in appearance over the course of the year: every November, it changes from a darker blue to an intense deep turquoise. This colour lasts until the end of February. If the seasonal colour is especially important to your trip, this period is a useful guide for planning. A 3.6-kilometre road and walking path run around the lake, providing access to several lookouts. This lets you combine your visit with a circuit of the lake rather than planning to visit just one lookout. The route offers a clear guide for anyone wishing to explore the lake on foot or along the road, while the different lookouts provide several destinations along the way.

A cave tour or time by the lake

Another way to experience the volcanic landscape is to visit Engelbrecht Cave. The guided experience lasts 30 minutes and passes through the dry eastern and western caves. The tours cover the cave’s history and geology. This makes the visit different from an outdoor trail or a view of the lake: the focus here is on the caves themselves and their geological and historical context. If you are interested in how natural places formed and their history, you can include the tour as a separate activity. The stated duration makes it easy to fit this experience into part of your day.

Walking and water sports at Valley Lake/Ketla Malpi

In the Valley Lake/Ketla Malpi area, you can walk through the Conservation Park, and water sports are possible on the lake. This offers two different ways to spend your time there: a walk through the park or activities on the water. If you like having the choice between exercise on land and experiences on the lake during your stay, you can find both options in the same area. You can decide which suits your travel plans better according to your interests; neither activity depends on the other. The area thus adds another choice between enjoying the landscape and actively using the lake to the lookouts at Blue Lake/Warwar.

Cave Garden/Thugi and culture in the centre

Cave Garden/Thugi is in the centre of Mount Gambier, on the south side of the Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre. You can view the sinkhole from a platform above it, or go down into it. This choice changes your perspective on the same place: you can look from above or take the path down. The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre is also part of Mount Gambier’s cultural scene. Its aim is to offer national, regional and local exhibitions. If you would like to include art and culture in your trip as well as nature and geology, you can take these interests into account when planning your stay. Mount Gambier therefore offers a range of thematic experiences: from the crater lake to caves and trails, as well as a place where exhibitions are intended to form part of the cultural offering.

For the broader travel overview: City of Mount Gambier.