Mount Gambier is the second-largest city in South Australia, only after the capital of Adelaide, and the southernmost in the state, close to the border with Victoria. It's located on the slopes of the dormant volcano of the same name, Mount Gambier. The volcanic landscape has led to the many gorgeous parks, caves and sinkholes of the area that we came here to explore.
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
For thousands of years, the Bungandidj people lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived, referring to the volcano as Berrin and the peak of it as Ereng Balam meaning "home of the eagle hawk".
The first European to sight Mount Gambier was Lieutenant James Grant of the HMS Lady Nelson in 1800 who named it for Lord James Gambier, Admiral of the Fleet. It was the first place in South Australia to be named by the British.
The first European to climb Mount Gambier was Stephen Henty in 1839; he and his brother claimed the area in 1842 to establish a sheep farm which led to many conflicts with the Aboriginals of the area and the farm being abandoned just two years later.
Many conflicts followed between later European settlers and the Aboriginals; the police office was opened in 1845 to take control. Mount Gambier continued to expand, even with its painful growth, officially becoming a city in 1954.
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Mount Gambier. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Mount Gambier, the traditional language of the Bungandidj people is Bunganditj.
→ Learn more about the language of the Bungandidj people.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
We travel with a Starlink in our campervan which enables us to have unlimited WiFi wherever we are, even in places without coverage.
There is free WiFi available at the Mount Gambier Library.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Mount Gambier can get very hot and busy in the summer, especially around school holidays, and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: We spent just a day exploring the area, including the famous sinkholes, but would have liked to spend at least a night or two to get more time in the city itself.
By flight: Mount Gambier is serviced by a regional airport connecting the city to both Melbourne and Adelaide so if traveling internationally, the easiest would be to get a connecting flight through one of these major cities.
Mount Gambier Airport is just ten minutes from the city with rental cars available. There is no public transport available between the airport and the city but there are taxis.
By car: The best way to reach Mount Gambier is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like and stopping wherever you want to along the drive
You might want to start in Adelaide or Melbourne as your base for renting a campervan to explore Australia.
→ Rent a campervan in Adelaide or Melbourne with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
By coach: Stateliner runs a coach between Adelaide and Mount Gambier, a journey of just under seven hours.
Transport Victoria's V/Line Route takes about seven hours connecting Melbourne to Mount Gambier.
By guided tour: If you don't have your own wheels or want to go the guided route, there are multi-day guided tours available between Adelaide and Melbourne - primarily of the Great Ocean Road - which stop in Mount Gambier along the way.
→ Book a guided tour between Adelaide and Melbourne including Mount Gambier.
On foot: The main city area is very walkable and exploring on foot is the best way to get around and visit many of the main highlights.
By bus: LinkSA operates three bus routes within Mount Gambier; south east, north west and north east, getting you where you need to go in the city.
→ Plan your trip by bus around Mount Gambier.
By car: If you have your own wheels, of course you can drive yourself around. A car is also the only way to reach the famous Little Blue Lake or down to the beaches along the coast.
→ Find out about parking in Mount Gambier.
By taxi: Taxis are readily available in Mount Gambier; Uber does not operate here.
By bike: A fun way to explore Mount Gambier is on two wheels; there are a limited number of free bikes to borrow through the city!
We only spent a day exploring Mount Gambier and the surrounding areas so this is just a small list of ideas to get you started!
Walk down into the Umpherston Sinkhole
Umpherston Sinkhole is the former garden of James Umpherston who bought the property in 1868, then called The Caves. The fascinating sinkhole was a limestone cave which collapsed and he turned it into his retreat in 1884, claiming that it was much cooler inside the sinkhole during hot summers. At one point, there was a small lake in the garden and he would take his guests on boat rides around the sinkhole to look at the cave walls.
Today, it's free to visit and open 24 hours. There are gorgeous hydrangeas and small paths to wander along. Bees and possums like to hang out here, too.
See the blue waters of Blue Lake
Blue Lake is a volcanic lake used as the city's main water supply. Apparently the lake is blue only between November and April and is shows up grey during the winter. There are a few viewpoints to check it out from around the perimeter.
As it supplies Mount Gambier with water, swimming is not allowed here.
Jump into Little Blue Lake
This gorgeous lake is literally on the roadside and feels totally out of place. It's actually a volcanic sinkhole with bright blue water to swim in. Stairs and a pontoon have been installed to safely access the lake.
Little Blue Lake is about 40 metres wide surrounded by eight metre-high cliffs and lies in the Kanawinka volcanic area, giving it its gorgeous colour. The perfect spot to swim on a hot day or simply photograph from the top of the cliffs.
Relax on Bucks Bay Beach
A little out of Mount Gambier, Bucks Bay Beach is a quiet beach in Carpenter Rocks, a sleepy beach town on the southern coast of South Australia. We stopped here after the Blue Lake and Little Blue Lake on our way towards Adelaide.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
