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Little Blue Lake
Limestone Coast, South Australia

Still little, but no longer blue, this sinkhole near Mount Gambier has a pontoon and ladder for easy entry into the water for swimmers. Unlike other nearby sinkholes, when I visited there was no need for a snorkelling permit to swim in this deep, circular lake.

Swimming at Little Blue Lake, Mt Gambier

Above: The swimming pontoon and ladder at Little Blue Lake (Order this image)

Information boards on site claim the temperature of the water to be 12 degrees celcius year round, but based on my experience, the top layer of water was actually quite warm to the touch. It was definitely warmer than other sinkholes in the region. It felt cool enough to be refreshing on a hot day, but was not uncomfortably cold.

Pushing off from the pontoon, the lake is immediately deep with no shallow areas, even around the edge of the lake, so it is strictly for experienced swimmers only. The visibility in the water was quite good at more than several metres. Rays of sunlight streamed boldly through the turquoise coloured water, but were not strong enough to pentrate through to the bottom more than 20 metres below. With a face mask you can trace the vertical walls of the sinkhole downwards.

Swimming at Little Blue Lake, Mt Gambier

Above: The Little Blue Lake sinkhole reflecting a blue sky (Order this image)

In the water I enjoyed the stillness of this lake, sheltered beneath the land surface from the coastal winds that can buffet the region. It is a nice spot for a dip, or for floating around on an inflatable on a hot day. The lake can however suffer from blue-green algal blooms at times that make it unsuitable for swimming, with some small mats of algae present on my visit.

There is a sloping rest area on the limestone rock beside the steps, where you can pause for a rest in between swims. A very small area of shade is provided by an apple tree, probably from a discarded core from many decades ago.

There are no other facilities, so don't plan on spending much time here outside of admiring the sinkhole and your time in the water.

Here is a video of swimming at this spot on a late summer's early morning.

Other Information Before You Go:

Location: 338 Mount Salt Road, Mount Schank, 17 km south-west of Mount Gambier.
Latitude:-37.927773 Longitude:140.679773
Getting there: From Mount Gambier, take the Riddoch Hwy (B66) south for 14 km then head west along Mount Salt Rd for 3.5 km. The Little Blue Lake car park is located right next to the road.

Facilities: Car park, elevated bench, steps and pontoon.
Entrance fee: None
Water temperature: Cool
Water clarity: Clear to cloudy
Under foot: Rock
Maximum water depth: Greater than 2 metres
Minimum swimming proficiency required: Experienced
Prohibitions including whether you can bring your dog: No camping, no cliff jumping. Scuba diving is restricted to qualified cave divers, and a permit is required for scuba diving. On my visit there were no signs on site indicating that you cannot bring your dog.
Sun shade: Very limited (almost none) shade out of the water. Shade in the water in the early morning and late evening, but not in the middle of the day.
Opening times: Always open
Wheelchair access: None
Managing authority: District Council of Grant
Nearby attractions: The Blue Lake in Mount Gambier

Before you head out, make sure to read the swimming safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions. Specific to this site for swimmers, the managing authority warns that persons entering the site do so at their own risk, that blue green algae may be present and has the potential to cause skin irritation, and that deep water and limited visibility may cause disorientation.

Locality Map:

The marker indicates the approximate location of the lake. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can sometimes occur when loading, simply click or tap on "View Larger Map" below.
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Comments:

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