It’s a long way from Sydney to Adelaide, 16 hours drive to be precise, so we find ourselves just for a day for a taste of picturesque Mount Gambier. Mount Gambier is a thriving city of geological wonders and is the perfect quick stop on the way to Adelaide. Unmissable is the Upmpherston Sinkhole Garden and the magnificent Blue Lake. However, there were many more attractions we didn’t get to visit because we were just passing through. But, we are already planning to return for a longer holiday.
Umpherston Sinkhole Garden
This sunken garden was a delightful surprise. Established on a sinkhole by James Umpherston around 1886, it’s a lush green paradise just 10 minutes drive from the city centre.
The Blue Lake
From November to February is the perfect time to visit the Blue Lake. Crystal clear water and the summer light creates a most intense magical shade of turquoise blue that can only be found in nature.
Market Day
Just our luck that we visited Mount Gambier on a Saturday. There was a market stall happening with local produce in the city centre near the library. We had lunch of bacon and egg rolls from one of the stalls and sampled some handmade pastries made by a local artisan baker named Silke. Her Basque Cheese Cake was an absolute perfection and the pear tart was to die for.
I loved Silke’s red wine poached Pear Tart so much that I tried to recreate it when I came back home. This is the recipe I used Pear and Almond Tart, but substituted the poaching liquid with red wine. Absolutely divine!
