(26/3/2018 – 28/3/2018)
From Coonawarra we travelled down the Riddich Highway. On our way to Robe, we drove through Mount Gambier where we stopped to look at the Blue Lake and Umpherston Sinkhole.
The Blue Lake is a large crater lake located in a dormant volcanic maar. The Blue Lake also boasts a vibrant cobalt blue colour during the months of December through to March each year. From April through to November, the lake turns to a darker steel grey colour. There are a number of theories behind the mysterious colour change of the water, but it is generally accepted that the change in colour has something to do with the water temperature of the Lake. There is also a walking trail around the perimeter of the lake.
From here we then visited the Umpherston Sinkhole. It is a beautiful sunken garden which was made by James Umpherston in 1886. It was once a cave formed through dissolved limestone. The sinkhole was created when the roof of the chamber collapsed. There were quite a few steps down to the garden floor and walking through this garden was just stunning. There were a number of seats in the garden where you could just sit and look around at the many different trees, plants, flowers and rock formations. Very unique!!!
After here we travelled along the coast road up to Robe where we stayed for 2 nights at the Discovery Parks Robe Caravan Park (had a special on where kids stayed for 2 nights free). Another nice big park – fantastic kids adventure playground with a cool zipline, indoor swimming pool, bike track and games room. They even had a massage chair!!! After we set up, Andrew and Mitchell went off to do some fishing!!
On Tuesday, the weather was miserable most of the day so we drove around the Robe area and along the coastline stopping at the Obelisk and the Big Lobster “Larry” in Kingston.
The Obelisk was a safety beacon for generations of south-east mariners, a sign that home was not far away. The obelisk was built in 1855, after a bad year saw about 30 individual ships come to grief in Robe’s notorious Guichen Bay in 1853. The distinctive red and white striped pyramid was visible from 16km away and guided fishermen and their vessels in safely.
Known locally as Larry the Lobster the sculpture of a spiny lobster stands 17 metres tall and weighs over 7 tonnes. Larry is regarded as one of the most impressive of Australia’s Big Things. Born in 1979 after being designed and built by Paul Kelly, Larry is made from fibreglass supported by a structural steel frame. He has been Kingston’s main attraction for decades.
When we returned to the Park in the afternoon, the rain had stopped so we had a bike ride around the park and checked out the zipline!!!
We left Robe on Wednesday morning and continued up the coast road to Adelaide.
(26/3/2018 – 28/3/2018)
Laughtons Living Life 