Mount Gambier

Thursday September 30th: Took me the whole day to return from Adelaide. I stopped in Mount Gambier which is near the Victorian border. It is build beside three craters of an extinct volcano, the largest of which is filled with water which has a blue colour. It is appropriately called The Blue Lake. This is a turquoise blue from November to March and a winter blue from March to November (that's winter down here!) It is the only lake in the world to change colour like this. There are many theories as to why Blue Lake changes colour each year, but none yet proven. The most common theory is that the top layers of the lake warm in summer, creating a chemical reaction with the cold bottom layers, turning the lake to its brilliant blue.


There are caves beneath the streets ( the city is built on limestone with many sinkholes) and people come from all over the world to dive there but I resisted the temptation.


HMS Lady Nelson was commissioned to map and chart the coastline of that area.
The Mount Gambier Visitor Information Centre ("The Lady Nelson" Visitor & Discover Centre") has been built around a full scale replica of HMS Lady Nelson, and as part of the Discovery Centre Tour, I ventured down into the brig to hear Lt Grant tell his story of discovery.
It was a grand way to break the journey.