Mount Gambier is jam-packed with natural attractions that the whole family will enjoy! Wander through limestone caves or marvel in the hidden gardens inside sinkholes or head for the white pristine sands and rugged coastline along the Limestone Coast. These are the top attractions to see in Mount Gambier with kids.
Why Choose Mount Gambier for a family holiday?
These are my top reasons of why Mount Gambier is a great place to take the kids:
- Lots of impressive Natural Wonders like sinkholes & caves all over town. The kids will love venturing inside the sunken gardens and exploring the limestone caves!
- Beautiful beaches close by at Port MacDonnell and further north along the Limestone Coast. You can read about Port MacDonnell on my other post HERE.
- Family-friendly: Many accommodation options are suitable for families. These include farm stays, motels, apartments and caravan parks to suit all budgets, as well as updated, accessible playgrounds and family-friendly pubs
Where is Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier is in the state of South Australia, and the 3rd largest city of the state. It’s a 4.5 hour drive from Melbourne if coming from Victoria and roughly the same distance from Adelaide. Mount Gambier is a popular stopover destination on the way to and from Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road.
How long to stay in Mount Gambier
People generally stop in Mount Gambier for 1-2 nights. But if you want to see more of the sights even outside Mount Gambier, 3-4 days is perfect!
Top Attractions to see in Mount Gambier with kids
Mount Gambier is the 3rd biggest town in South Australia and with so many things to see, these are my top picks when visiting with kids, and if you want to read more about Mount Gambier you can also check out my other post with a comprehensive list on the Most Popular Sinkholes and Volcano craters to see and snorkelling spots too!
Umpherston Sinkhole
An absolute must-see when visiting Mount Gambier with kids. Travel down the steep stairs that go 20 mt below the road to these beautiful manicured gardens & tall palm trees.
In the evening, the kids will enjoy seeing the local wildlife come into the sinkhole. Lots of local possums come out at night in the sinkholes and you can feed them too (fresh fruit only)!
More info at: southaustralia.com Cost: FREE
Cave Garden Sinkhole
Another smaller sinkhole located right in the middle of Mount Gambier is Cave Gardens.
Cave Gardens is a bit smaller than Umpherstom Sinkhole with a depth of around 30 mt. It has gardens around it, and stairs to travel down the sinkhole and a viewing platform over the lowest point.
Opposite Cave Gardens is the main library, which is very well equipped for children and has a cave-inspired area for kids too!
More info at: southaustralia.com Cost: FREE
Engelbrecht Cave
A must-see attraction to see in Mount Gambier with kids is Engelbrecht Cave. This large sinkhole and the caves beneath it can be explored by guided tour only. The tour takes you through to visit an impressive crystal clear underground lake, as well as the western cave located alongside it.
The fully guided tour takes around 1 hour. The knowledgeable guides take you through the very interesting history of the cave, and lots of fun facts kids will enjoy.
There are some steps down to access the caves and not too much walking so it’s suitable for young children also. The temperature in the cave is at around 16 degrees. It’s a great thing to visit Mount Gambier with kids on a hot or rainy day! Just be mindful of the rules when entering the cave, they are quite strict about them.
More info at: www.engelbrechtcave.com Cost: AUD 15 per Adult, AUD 9 per Child, Free under 4 yrs
Blue Lake
This dormant volcano crater has the most beautiful shades of blue, unfortunately, the day we visited we did not have the best visibility but on a clear day the lake is a bright blue colour.
Even thought you cannot swim in there (it’s Mount Gambier’s water supply) you can hike/walk all along the crater. The popular Blue Lake Circuit walk is around 3.5 km long, and is pram friendly too!
If you just want to take a look and not hike, there are lots of viewpoints. The Blue Lake lookout has a small carpark and has a convenient viewing spot accessible via a tunnel below the road for photos or you can also go up a set of steep stairs to see the lake from higher up.
More info at: southaustralia.com Cost: FREE
Echo farm
A popular attraction for families. Echo Farm is a historic 1920′ farmhouse where you can see farm displays and see and feed lots of different animals like ducks, chickens, alpacas, sheep, guinea pigs and rabbits.
More info at: echofarm.com.au Cost: AUD 21 per Adult, AUD 18 per Child, Free under 2 yrs
Little Blue Lake
Very popular with families and teenagers, this sinkhole that you can swim in is called Little Blue Lake. Located about 15 minutes from Mount Gambier, in nearby Mount Schank. The Little Blue Hole is stunning, and worth a visit even if you don’t plan to swim in it.
Heads up, it’s as deep as a 15th storey building (47 metres) so the water is quite cool and it’s not easy to float as it’s freshwater. Lots of people had inflatables for easier floating.
Note: Although the Little Blue Hole is a very popular attraction for families and teenagers, due to the steep stairs, depth and access to the sinkhole, in my opinion this place is NOT suitable for swimming for toddlers and very young children (under 6).
More info at: southaustralia.com Cost: FREE
Other things to see with kids near Mount Gambier
Hop in the car and a short drive from Mount Gambier there are many other great towns to explore with kids along the Limestone Coast.
Port MacDonnell
Port MacDonnell and its stunning white Limestone beaches is just 30 minutes away! Also the known as the Rock Lobster Capital of South Australia, it’s a great half day trip from Mount Gambier. You can read about Visiting Port MacDonnell on my other post HERE.
Millicent
Just 40 minutes drive north from Mount Gambier is Millicent. Famous for its local museum that displays historical farm machinery and artefacts, it also has a fantastic, toddler friendly swimming lake, Millicent Swimming Lake.
This large, half moon shaped man-made lake has a sandy ‘beach’ and lots of shaded areas. There is also a small playground facing the lake as well as a cafe/takeaway shop on side also. For picnics, a large grass area is very well maintained. The shallow end with the sand make it ideal for toddlers and young children, and the maximum depth of the lake is 1.8 metres. Note: entry to the lake is free and open only during swim season, no lifeguard on duty
Closer to town, the Millicent Domain Playground and Skate Park and Nature Playground are also great for children. One part of the park is a bit older, but extremely well maintained and completely fenced. Some of the facilities include tunnel slides, tractor bouncy rides, a flying fox, a liberty swing & gym equipment.
Just outside the fenced park, a new nature playground has recently been added with a tall tunnel slide as well as tunnels underneath that the kids loved. A skate park is also just outside the playground with a spacious shaded grass areas, BBQs and toilet.
Naracoorte caves
Another popular cave that the children will enjoy is Naracoorte Caves – located 1.5 hours drive from Mount Gambier. This dry/wet cave is most famous for its fossils and is South Australia’s only World Heritage Site. More information on Naracoorte caves can be found HERE.
Family Friendly Dining in Mount Gambier
These are some popular dining spots in Mount Gambier:
South Eastern Hotel: Fantastic bistro serving Australian food, very family friendly with a large indoor playground. Kids meals are offered at AUD 15 per child, and Adult meals range from AUD 25-45 and include with each main a salad buffet, which has hot and cold salads, sides as well as fruit and bread rolls. More info at www.southeasternhotel.com.au
Other popular dining options in Mount Gambier:
- Natural Born Grillers – Burgers
- Fact – Fish and Chips takeaway
- Wild Ginger Thai – Thai Food
- Bahn Kubo – Asian food (popular for roast meats)
- Federal Hotel – Australian Pub with kids meal and small playground on site
Accommodation in Mount Gambier
- High End: The Barn Accommodation. Click HERE to check prices!
- Mid Range: Aloha Central luxury Apartments. Click HERE to check prices!
- Budget: Blue Lake Holiday Park. Click HERE to check prices!
Stop points from Melbourne
Travelling from Melbourne? Here are some great stops in Regional Victoria to stretch your legs with kids:
- Lismore – Playground located next to the local outdoor pool. It has a large old steam train on display at the front and historical farm machinery.
- Mortlake – Roadhouse with a display room of die cast models of HUNDREDS of trucks for the little truck lovers!
- Heywood – Heywood Bakery – Cozy country bakery with freshly baked goods & Vietnamese coffee.
- Portland – Portland All Abilities PlaySpace playground is wonderful and in a great location in town facing the sea.
Want to read more about Mount Gambier?
You can read more about Mount Gambier in my other post on the Most Popular Sinkholes and Volcano Craters to visit in Mount Gambier and Visiting Port MacDonnell on the Limestone coast.
