Day 18: Volcano collecting

Ok, so I really didn't know that there are so many volcano craters in this part of Australia. We have replaced 'collecting' lighthouses for 'collecting' craters.

Today's craters included the Blue Lake crater, the Valley Lake crater and Brown's Lake (inside another crater)...we just didn't manage the Mutton Leg lake/crater. The main reason for this is because the rain came down quite convincingly and we were forced indoors...more about that further down.

Our first stop was the Aquifer Tour at the Blue Lake, which is also the source of drinking water for Mount Gambier. This involved a stroll down to the control center (which is all computer managed) and finding out about how the water is pumped into the holding tanks at the top of the hill, then shared with the town using gravity. We went down an elevator in an old well shaft (that was dug by hand originally) and could see the shaft wall through the window in the elevator as we descended. This brought us out to the pontoon on the lake, where all the machinery is. It also gives you a really close up look at the lake, which is crystal clear and very blue. It changes colour twice a year (blue now, grey later).

We segued naturally from the tour into a walk around the lake itself. This goes for 4.6km and is the locals' favourite exercising track (there were lots of panting, sweaty people passing us by at a run). There are also several lookouts to give you a number of views of the lake.

Pictures of the Blue Lake, by Duncan Grant

Control central in the house with the little red roof:

About three quarters of the way around, the rain started coming down. This was a welcome relief at first, because it was fairly warm and humid. However, the rain got more serious and we got more wet, so cooled off quite nicely. The outdoor wetness sent us seeking shelter, which we did at the local Coles (yay, we love Coles!) and checked out the local specials while stocking up on essentials.

An afternoon of school work, with the rain pouring outside, saw Callum doing some English and Computing. Andrew emailed his teacher to check in, and caught up on some Maths.

With the easing of the rain, we emerged to go and have a look at the Valley Lake and the wildlife park. We had a lovely walk in the fresh smelling bush and look forward to exploring the area in the days to come.

Happy people at the Valley Lake

Our little Angel?!