The European influence in this area can be seen in the towns of Robe, Beachport and Port MacDonnell with quaint harbours and sandy beaches where you can enjoy numerous water activities. Lake Eliza, Lake St Clair and Lake George lie along the coastal area and further south at Carpenters Rocks you can tour along scenic walkways to visit the most southerly port in South Australia, Port MacDonnell. This town is a busy base for a large lobster fleet and with the sounds of the bells on nearby trawlers and cosy whitewashed stone cottages the nostalgia of times past is ever present.
Inland at Mt Gambier you can visit the world renowned Blue Lake which rests in a volcanic crater and during the seasons of spring and summer the water reflects a mysterious irredescent blue colour. There are many limestone caves and sink holes which formed the sub structure of this region and around Mt Gambier you will find several caves worth visiting. The most accessible is Cave Gardens which is located in the centre of town.
The Coorong is a freak of nature – a 145km spit of sand-dune wilderness with ocean on one side and wetland on the other. It’s touring nirvana, birdlife paradise and camping heaven. If you continue south along the beach that never ends, you’re on the famous ‘ Great Ocean Road’, heading for Melbourne. En route, don’t miss the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves – an ancient tomb, where you can encounter the fossils of 500,000 year-old ‘mega’ animals (which are, frankly, bizarre). Go deeper than you thought possible on adventure tours and be sure to watch as 30,000 bats’ exit their cave on summer evenings and. The Coonawarra is home to some of Australia’s most treasured grape-growing dirt; and Mt Gambier sits on ancient limestone and is home to the bewitching Blue Lake (no-one quite knows how it works), strange Sunken Gardens and cave diving, which is only for certified nutters.