This ivy-hung hole-in-the-ground was once a retreat from the summertime heat on James Umpherston's long since subdivided estate, now surrounded by lumberyards. You could row a boat around in the bottom before the water table dropped some years ago, after an earthquake. There's a little kiosk here for snacks and drinks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Lady Nelson Discovery Centre

1.47 MILES

The Lady Nelson Discovery Centre (access via the visitor information centre) features a replica of the historic brig Lady Nelson, the sailors aboard which…

2. Cave Gardens

1.67 MILES

This is a 50m-deep sinkhole right in the middle of town, with the odd suicidal shopping trolley at the bottom. You can walk down into it, and watch the…

3. Riddoch Art Gallery

1.68 MILES

If Mount Gambier's famed Blue Lake isn't blue, don't feel blue − cheer yourself up at one of Australia's best regional galleries. Passionately curated,…

4. Blue Lake

1.79 MILES

Mount Gambier's big-ticket item is the luminous, 75m-deep lake, which turns an insane hue of blue during summer. Perplexed scientists think it has to do…

5. Engelbrecht Cave

2.33 MILES

A rubbish dump prior to 1979, this meandering cave system runs beneath Jubilee Hwy and 19 local houses! Tours last 45 minutes and take you down to an…

6. Princess Margaret Rose Cave

14.41 MILES

Opened to the public in 1940, this limestone cave with surreal, gleaming calcite formations remains one of Australia's finest show caves. It can only be…

7. Lower Glenelg National Park

14.85 MILES

Hidden away in Victoria's far southwestern corner is one of the state's most scenic national parks, of which the Glenelg River is the most prominent…

8. Port MacDonnell Maritime Museum

15.94 MILES

Around 40 ships have sunk along the wave-ravaged Port MacDonnell coast since 1844. The Port MacDonnell Maritime Museum is a barnacle-encrusted trove of…