^rad^'s adventures driving around South Eastern Australia

Day 3 - Thursday January 5th, 2006

Geelong - Mount Gambier

Before departing we have breakfast at banjos bakery, it is very cheap, but pretty crappy really.
The drive to Mount Gambier is actually further in distance than yesterdays drive, but will take about half the time.
Along the way we stop at Portland, which is a very nice seaside town (as the name suggests). The port is very large and they have a good maritime museum, I have once again failed to take any photos.

We arrive quite early in Mount Gambier, despite trying to use time on the way, which seems amazing after the day befores drive.
The motel in Mount Gambier has about 4000 rooms, which is quite strange. Mount Gambier is the biggest town in South Australia other than Adelaide, and to my surprise its actually pretty nice, I thought Country South Australia was all...dust.

We venture out to some of the tourist areas of Mount Gambier.

The blue lake - mount gambiers premier attraction, the lake is inside an extinct volcano, which apparently makes it unnaturally blue, due to the aliens that live down there


Some dorky guy got in the photo again..its quite windy!

Dinner is great! I think it was called the blue frog cafe, but its not like a normal cafe, more of a night spot with restaurant. I have a mixed grill and its all really good, very happy with my choice.

Day 4 - Friday January 6th, 2006

Mount Gambier - Adelaide

The last day of our short holiday, not far to drive today, so no need to leave early.

The first stop of the day is a sinkhole garden. The whole area is full of limestone caves and extinct volcanic areas, the sinkhole used to be full of water but it magically dissapeared in about 1900, so someone decided to make a garden there. I guess it could fill up again at any time, but people dont seem to be concerned.

Looking up out of the sinkhole


The sinkhole garden, I believe those are hydranges, but I know nothing about gardening other than those are plants that need 5 megalitres of water a day

Just out of Mount Gambier is the Tantanoola caves, Tantanoola sounds a lot like Chatanooga, and not having been to Chatanooga, maybe it is!
On the way you pass wind farms and pine forests which are abundant in this region.
The park ranger taking money for the caves is a bit weird, and there seems to be some drama about her not having any change, despite us being the first group of the day. I stand back and let other people argue with her. One group of about 9 people think they can get in on a family pass, despite the family pass saying its for 2 adults and 2 children, they want to get in mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and about 5 children for the low low price. The argument becomes quite heated and amusing
The caves themselves are great and provide some great photo opportunities.

Near the entrance to the caves, looking over the pine forests and if you look closely you can see a wind farm on the horizon.


Stalagmites or Stalagtites, whatever they are dont touch them! The ranger would probably shoot you


Random Cave shot


2nd Random Cave shot


I decide to take some long exposures without flash, which gives great results, this is a pool of water with the roof reflected.


Apparently this is one of two wheelchair accessible caves in Australia


The non flash shots are so much better than the flash ones, people around me are looking at me like I am weird, balancing my camera on things and waiting for 30 seconds or so


The last picture of the holiday!

And so after the drive back to Adelaide another holiday is over, a short holiday at short notice, but we crammed a lot in.