Adelaide to Mt. Gambier

Monday November 10, 2014

During the night we'd used our little tent at the back as dressing room, toilet area and what else we needed it for, as this was a rest stop without toilets.  The weather was okay, so we had breakfast outside.  Farmer Robert Smith (sheep and cattle farmer) passed us in his ute and felt like a chat.  Invited us to watch the shearing if we cared to stay for another day, but since there was nothing much to do we decided to give it a miss and would travel on to Kingston. We left at 8.30am and when we arrived in Kingston we discovered a business that could possibly look after Trish’s radio/cd player which had stopped.  We walked around town for half an hour while it was being checked out, and did some groceries shopping.  They had done some basic repairs to the radio, so Trish was happy and we travelled on to Cape Jaffa and Robe Beach where we had our cup of coffee near the beach and enjoyed the view.

The Big Lobster in Kingston

Historic Cape Jaffa Lighthouse

Robe Beach

Robe Beach

Robe Beach: information on Intertidal reefs

Old buildings at Robe Beach

We picked up some pamphlets from the Information kiosk and moved on again.  On the way I knew an easy to get to cache, so we stopped outside Robe at Fox's Lake and found it quite easily under a little bridge.

Fox Box

Cache: Fox Box

Cache: Fox Box

Next we stopped at a patchwork shop for Patricia while I logged the cache, because I had dropped off a geocoin.

Lunch we had at a picnic area at Randelsham, SA. (S37 32 59.64, E 140 13 33.14)  A nice spot in the sun along the roadside.

Randelsham, SA

Randelsham, SA

We stopped in the little town (Millicent) where Trish wanted to have a look at a thrift shop.  It was closed, but not so Target across the road.  They had clothing on special and since it was a lot colder than I had expected I bought a long-sleeved T-shirt. 

Millicent, SA

Next we had the Tantanoola Caves in our sights, so we stopped there for a brief guided tour and a look at the wonderful stalagtites and stalagmites that had formed in the limestone caves.  We could do this in the half hour that was left before closing time at 3pm.

Tantanoola Caves, SA

and a last picture outside

Our destination for the day was Mt Gambier, so we pushed on for a bit of sight-seeing during daylight.  The Engelbrecht Cave was closed by the time we arrived, but the Blue Lake was freely available for viewing and that was what I really had come for.  When I was last here with Frank in 2009 we didn’t have much time/opportunity to stop, so now I got to see it all.

Engelbrecht Cave, Mt Gambier, SA

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Blue Lake, Mt Gambier

Just an interesting building on the roadside near Blue Lake

We needed a place for our overnight stay and Mt Schank (#4 - S37 56 27, E140 43 50), a bit south of Mt Gambier, looked good.  After a bit of a search we got there and since it was quite early we had a cuppa and walked to the rim of the crater, since Mt Schank is an old volcano.  Patricia stopped half way and I took her camera to get some good pictures of the crater. The battery of my camera was flat, and I didn’t bring my charger.  I should have checked it, but had only recently charged the battery.  Why it had gone flat so fast I have no idea! Luckily I can take pictures with my tablet.  It’s a bit inconvenient because of its size, but that’s all.  Luckily Kevin gave me the inverter from Frank’s campervan, so I can charge it on the way as we don’t have the intention to stop often at caravan parks where we have access to power.

Mt Schank

(As I don't have Patricia's pictures yet I only have this aerial photograph of Mt Schank)(And now I do have them and they follow below)

There’s also an earth cache at Mt Schank for which I had to collect pictures and answers to some questions, which I did.  The logging of the cache I will sort out later.  The views were just wonderful and worth the climb, which was up, and up, and up...

Mt Schank

Picture taken from the crater's rim

Looking down inside the crater

Walking back, view outside the crater

The stairs going down

After dinner we watch a DVD.  Yes, Patricia even has a TV in the little camper.  It was ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ which I quite enjoyed, since I had read the book.