Must-do highlights for families visiting Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier is on Boandik Country.
There's plenty to do…
Whether you’re in Mount Gambier for a day or planning to stay a while, there’s lots of options for families in and around Mount Gambier.
Choose from guided tours, getting active outside together and some great free things to do.
If you’re short on time, these are our top (and free!) recommendations for a day in Mount Gambier:
Check out Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake/Warwar from one of the lookouts
Picnic at Valley Lakes playground
Stroll through Umpherston Sinkhole/Balumbul and the beautiful gardens
Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake / Warwar
Mount Gambier’s best known attraction is its beautiful volcanic Blue Lake.
Visiting in the summer months, from November through to February, is the best time to see the famous, vibrant blue colour.
On a cloudy day, the lake is a darker grey-blue colour and it's still worth a look if you’re in the area.
During our April visit to Mount Gambier, we got lucky with a clear, sunny day and were treated to a beautiful deep-blue lake.
Lookouts
There are several lookouts to view Mount Gambier's famous volcanic lake.
The most popular is the ‘Blue Lake Lookout’ off Bay Road.
Use the car park on the opposite side to the lake and then follow the path to an underpass to access the lookout.
Walking around the Blue Lake / Warwar
The loop walk around the Blue Lake is an easy 3.6km on bitumen and concrete paths.
There are several lookouts along the loop walk and plenty of signage to learn about Mount Gambier's volcanic activity and the creation of the Blue Lake.
There are sections of stairs, including up to several lookouts. These can be by-passed by walking on the footpath down at road level but you do miss out on the more scenic path in spots.
One part of the walking path is narrow and close to the road. There is a guard rail, but it can feel quite close to traffic - especially if you need to pass people walking in the opposite direction.
The walking path is well-lit in the evening and a nice spot to push a pram or take a family walk after dinner.
Aquifer Tours
Keen to get closer to the Blue Lake? Aquifer tours take visitors to the Pumping Station and viewing platform - the closest public access to the lake.
Learn about the history of Mount Gambier, the Blue Lake as the city’s drinking water supply, volcanic activity, geology and Aboriginal history of the area.
Tours run for about an hour and are suitable for families.
Aquifer Tours are provided seasonally and by appointment only. Bookings are made by phone (08) 8723 1199.
Learn more about Warwar
Warwar is hugely significant to the Boandik people.
The dual naming of Blue Lake/Warwar was adopted by the Mount Gambier council in March 2023.
The name Warwar is from Bunganditj, the language of the Boandik people.
Blue Lake/Warwar is central to the Boandik creation stories and continues to be a site of significance today.
The Bunganditj name for Mount Gambier is Berrin.
An excellent picture book for learning more about the Bunganditj language and the Boandik culture is "Annie's Story; Growing up strong on Boandik Country" by Aunty Michelle Jacquellin-Furr.
Scenic ScRoll Queen
Stop in at ScRoll Queen to pick up a tasty treat.
Cheese and chive is usually a safe savoury bet for kids and their classic CinnaScrolls are delicious, doughy and delightfully sugary.
Take a seat at the tables just outside or head for a sweeter spot overlooking Mount Gambier's Blue Lake/Warwar. The lookout by the Blue Lake Holiday Park has a small carpark, grassed area and picnic table with a very pretty view over the lake. It's also a great spot to start the loop walk of the lake.
ScRoll Queen Opening Hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday to Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Vansittart Park
This park has an abundance of play equipment - several climbing frames, slides and sets of swings. It's looking a little tired but the kids won't mind.
There's also public toilets, picnic benches and a sporting oval.
A section of the playground has been covered with shade sails.
The playground isn’t perfectly toddler-friendly, but there’s definitely enough little bits and pieces for little kids to enjoy. There’s several sets of swings with baby seats, a few rocking animals and a slide with a reasonable set of steps.
Saturday Market Stroll
Weekly from 9:00AM to 12:00PM, the Mount Gambier Farmers Market is the perfect spot to start your Saturday.
Small, short and sweet - you’ll only need 20 minutes or so to explore.
Check out the local coffee, home-baked goods, fresh produce, honey and other speciality treats.
It's a great spot for morning tea, with plenty of space for kids to have a run around on the nearby lawns.
From here, easily walk to the Cave Garden, Mount Gambier City Library and Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre.
Seasonal Makers and Farmers Market
During the warmer weather, the ‘Makers and Farmers Market’ is held once a month with a wider range of stalls.
Check the dates here.
The dates for 2023 Makers and Farmers Market are:
Saturday 23 September
Saturday 14 October
Saturday 18 November
Saturday 16 December
Cave Garden / Thugi
Cave Garden/Thugi is a state heritage listed site, significant to the Boandik people and the centre of Mount Gambier. Rows of roses and neat paths lead to viewing platforms overlooking the sinkhole.
There are steps with a handrail down to the viewing platforms on a bitumen path. Following plenty of rain, a small waterfall flows into the Cave Garden from the storm drain above.
Unfortunately the Cave Garden is not as well kept as the surrounding rose garden.
There’s rubbish littered through the cave floor, and a few shopping trolleys too. The locks on the viewing platforms are not the usual "love locks" and have been placed as a memorial after a death by misadventure.
It’s disappointing to see the Cave Garden isn’t well cared for, both as a popular destination in the centre of Mount Gambier and a site of significance for the Boandik people.
Perhaps your child will not notice these details gazing into the cave and enjoying the gardens, but undoubtedly some may have questions about how we show care (or not) for special places.
Grab a book at the Mount Gambier City Library
A library with creative reading nooks is always worth a visit!
Check out the underwater themed children's area of the Mount Gambier City Library where your kid can grab a book and curl up in a cave for some quiet reading time.
The library is family-friendly with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. There's a couple of tables with toys and two tablets with read-aloud stories for all to access at child-height tables.
There's also a nice selection of picture books, including board books suitable for babies and toddlers.
South Australia has a OneCard system - you can borrow from any library with one state-wide library card, so it's worth signing up if you're travelling in the state for a while.
You can return items to any library - so handy for anyone on the road.
Your OneCard has a digital component too, perfect for accessing audiobooks on a phone or tablet.
Find out more about OneCard and Libraries SA here.
Happy reading!
Mount Gambier City Library Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Public Holidays: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre
This free activity is just around the corner from the Umpherston Sinkhole, library and Saturday market.
The gift shop is worth a wander. It’s stocked with prints, paintings, jewellery and other offerings from local artists and talent.
We enjoyed the colouring tables and art invitation - our 14 month old had a go at colouring birds for the school holiday activity.
It would be a great visit for little ones content to sit in a pram or carrier and for older kids who can understand the 'no touching' rule.
Sprout isn't yet walking confidently but I can imagine it would be a more stressful experience with a mobile toddler!
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Nightly Light Show
There's an outdoor light show in the evenings after sundown, on the rear wall of the Riddoch Centre.
The prelude plays on a loop from 7:30 p.m. (no sound in this part of the show) and Dreamtime Stories sound and light show begins at 8:30 p.m.
The show plays daily and is not weather dependent, however you'll need to wrap up well to enjoy the show during winter months as Mount Gambier can get pretty cold!
Valley Lake / Ketla Malpi Playground
The scenic Valley Lake Playground is a great spot to spend a few hours.
This fully-fenced playground has climbing frames, tunnels and slides on a bark surface and a large sandpit with climbing equipment, digger and scoops.
There's something here to suit all ages, from toddlers to big kids.
Looking for a family challenge?
Check out the Disc (Frisbee) Golf Course! Disc Golf sets can be collected from the Visitor Information Centre. The large grassy hills are also great for running around and games of tag.
The area by the lake looks lovely for a picnic but beware the bird life!
We had trouble with the birds flying at our baby in her high chair, even with two parents either side. If you've got older kids more capable of chasing them off, the birds will probably keep their distance!
Please follow the signs and do not feed any wild animals.
If you don't have food, the birds are quite happy for you to wander to the water edge and check out their lakeside home.
Facilities include a large car park (suitable for long vehicles), toilets, picnic benches and BBQs.
Valley Lake Conservation Area
Also worth a look is the Valley Lake Conservation Area. It's a lovely little section of native vegetation and home to a few native animals.
There's a boardwalk with signs to read along the way. Some of the walk is along a small waterway - something to be mindful of with young kids.
There's plenty of bird life, kangaroos and wallabies. Keep an eye up high in the trees for sleepy koalas too!
Echo Farm
This charming pioneer farm experience is a must-do with kids in Mount Gambier.
Located just out of town, it's a beautiful spot to experience the South East countryside.
Suitable for all-ages, there's something for everyone to enjoy at Echo Farm!
We had a warm welcome and a quick run-through of common sense rules on arrival before heading out the gate to meet the animals.
The self-guided tour is perfect for families - especially with younger kids. You can move at your own pace and double back to your kid's favourite animals.
Echo Farm's owners were attentive - they provided extra animal food, showed how best to interact with the animals and supported our young toddler to pat some of the animals. There was a genuine care for both their farm animals and the experience for visitors.
We found it easy to navigate our pram around the farm. Our newly walking toddler could have managed the gravel paths herself and the farm is not large. However, sitting in the pram gave Sprout time to warm up to the experience without being eye level with some of the larger free-roaming birds!
As a completely outdoor activity, you'll want to dress appropriately for the weather.
There are grass spaces to set down a blanket for lunch or snack time but no picnic facilities. A toilet is onsite, just past the entrance.
Opening Hours
Sunday to Friday: 10:00AM - 5:00PM (last entry to the farm at 3:30PM).
Saturday: CLOSED
These hours may change seasonally, check the Echo Farm website to confirm opening times.
Ticket Prices
Child (2 to 16 years) $12
Adult $15
Family (3 children & 2 adults) $50
Free entry for children under 2 years.
Ticket includes food to feed the animals.
Mount Gambier Rail Trail
This shared-use trail in central Mount Gambier is an excellent family-friendly walk option.
The path is bitumen, mostly level and flat for easy pram-pushing. There are a few play areas, ponds and sculptures to check out along the way.
The old railway station has been restored and is used for community events. Some features of the old railway line have been left in place. This adds a bit of interest and is a talking point with kids about Australia's significant railway history.
This path is suitable for young riders, however there are several road crossings. The crossings are well sign-posted and have safety features to make it easier for riders to identify the road crossing. You'll need to look for traffic and give way to vehicles at all crossings.
The Rail Lands is also a great place for a family picnic with BBQs, shaded picnic tables and plenty of green space to lay out a rug.
Free bike hike from Mount Gambier Visitor Centre, Mount Gambier Library, and the Main Corner Complex.
Umpherston Sinkhole / Balumbul
The Umpherston Sinkhole / Balumbul is a beautiful terraced garden, first developed in the 1880s.
James Umpherston created the garden as a refuge from the summer heat and it soon became a popular attraction in Mount Gambier.
It’s now owned and maintained by Mount Gambier City Council and pretty incredibly, access to the Umpherston Sinkhole / Balumbul is free.
When visiting Umpherston Sinkhole / Balumbul, you’ll first come to the viewing platform for a look down into the gardens. You’re able to walk back through the hanging vines from this point for another perspective.
Access to the sinkhole can be slippery when wet, with a set of steep stairs. It can be a little treacherous if you’re holding a baby or young child. I was glad of closed shoes with some grip on the soles during our visit.
Down in the garden, there’s terraced rows of native and introduced flowers.
Make your way down through the middle and then return along the side of the garden path or vice versa.
There’s plenty of lovely spots to take photos, but you might be waiting a while if you want shots with no one else around.
There’s a lot of reading to do if you’re interested in the full history of the Sunken Garden. We skipped over lots of it as it difficult to stay long enough to read with a wriggly toddler, but it’s certainly a unique destination and definitely a highlight when visiting Mount Gambier.
Engelbrecht Cave
Join a guided tour to see Engelbrecht Cave, a famous dive spot with an interesting history.
Tours run for 45-60 minutes throughout the day. There’s also a small coffee shop on the premises, open 9:00AM to 3:00PM.
Whilst the website says tours run ‘on the hour’, the start times vary seasonally and are not listed.
Bookings are expected / highly recommended.
The tour is not pram or wheelchair accessible due to a number of stairs to access the cave.
Find information about booking a tour here.
Looking for more ideas for your Mount Gambier stay? Our article on awesome day trips from Mount Gambier to enjoy even more of the South East is coming soon!
We acknowledge over 65,000 years of continuous care and custodianship of the Boandik people over these lands and waters. Their sovereignty has never been ceded. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and the Boandik people as the traditional and rightful owners of this Country.