A tale of two states
- Lauretta Stace
- Jan 4
- 4 min read
Our summer destination was the south-western corner of Victoria, on the coast, so we had the added benefit of being able to hop across to South Australia for a visit. We camped in the Lower Glenelg River National Park which was a great choice. The campsite was full of wildlife and very peaceful. The Glenelg river meanders from the rugged Grampians down to the coast, travelling through the National Park, before eventually emptying into a picturesque estuary at the seaside town of Nelson.
Lower Glenelg River National Park
This was a truly wonderful destination with campsites dotted along the banks of the tranquil Glenelg River. The campsite was quiet prior to Christmas and was alive with birds and native animals. Some of the wallabies and koalas still had joeys, which were a joy to watch. The park includes a large section of the Great South West Walk (GSWW) so there were lots of walking tracks through lush and interesting bushland, full of birdsong.
Wildlife Encounters
We had some great encounters with wildlife starting with a daring kookaburra that was feeding its squawking chick. He/she did manage to get the bacon from the BBQ and half of Jim's toasted sandwich in the blink of an eye! The river was deliciously cool for swimming, whilst watching swans and other waterbirds floating by.
Other notable encounters included the wallaby joeys and the healthy population of koalas, including an adorable koala joey who preferred to travel on mum's back, but was seen taking its first wobbly steps high up in the gum tree to reach the leaves.
The male koalas were abundant, roaring at each other in between long bouts of sleeping. The baby koala with its mother was simply gorgeous!
A special mention goes to the abundant sightings of the spectacular Gang-Gang Cockatoo. At dusk, they descended to feed on the plants surroundeding the campsite, allowing us to get very close to these magnificent birds. The male has a vibrant red head and the female is adorned in an elegant shade of grey dappled with white, with splashes of red on the underside.
Nelson
The quaint little seaside village of Nelson is only 3km from the South Australian border and is situated at the mouth of the Glenelg River. This tiny town is a nature-lovers paradise and is seemingly undiscovered by the hordes of tourists who populate the coast during the festive season. The natural beauty, river-side shacks, lack of shops and buildings and relaxed atmosphere made it an enchanting place to wander around. We took a walk out to the ocean beach and the estuary beach where we encountered many different types of water-birds.
South Australia
It was delightful to be able to hop across the State border into South Australia to see the Ramsar protected wetlands, check out the Blue Lake in Mount Gambier and spend. some time exploring the coast around Port MacDonnell.
Limestone Coast
The limestone coast offers some spectacular and unique geological formations, including the Piccaninnie and Ewens Ponds. We visited both sites, which are deep freshwater ponds that have filled up following erosion of the limestone base.. The clarity of the water enables plants to grow underwater to a depth of about six metres. Some of these plants are not found growing fully submerged underwater anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, we were unable to snorkel at the Ponds due to warnings about recent algal blooms, but we did watch another couple hop in at Ewens Ponds. An experience to return to!
Mount Gambier
We didn't want to spend too much time in towns, but it was worth a visit to this thriving regional city to see the Blue Lake and the interesting water and garden features that have been created in the city due to its volcanic geological features and limestone under-storey.
The Blue Lake is a massive dormant volcano crater lake that is a main feature of the city. The colour of the water is stunning.
The geological platform has resulted in numerous craters and sinkholes around the city. One notable example is the Umpherston Sinkhole. This was originally a limestone cave, created by the erosion of seawater, with the sinkhole forming when the cave's roof collapsed. While sinkholes like this are relatively common in this part of South Australia, it was James Umpherston's vision that transformed this site into the premier location for Mt Gambier’s elite in the late 19th Century. Today, it is a grand, sunken garden decorated with a variety of flowering plants, including tumbling vines, foxgloves, and hydrangeas. You can walk around the top of the sinkhole and descend to the bottom of the limestone cave to enjoy the surrounding garden and the sound of water trickling underground.
Port MacDonnell
Like many parts of the South Australian coast, Port MacDonnell features dramatic cliffs and beaches. We visited the town and travelled further west to Cape Northumberland and Carpenters Rocks.
Port MacDonnell is an historic port now known as the "Southern Rock Lobster Capital". Whilst we didn't partake in this particular crustacean, we did enjoy a feast of fish and chips for lunch. The town had some interesting features and the natural scenery and coastline surrounding the town was both rugged and stunning. There was plenty of birdlife and we spotted a lone sea-lion wallowing in the shallow waters.
Video
As always, Jim has created a wonderful video of our travels. The video takes on a different but complementary perspective to the blog. We encourage you to check it out by clicking here and use the password: odyssey
Next stop - some riverside camping and a birding trip to the Mallee country in north-west Victoria.
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