Day 2 - Mt Gambier - Walking!

What a long day! I've walked somewhere in the region of 23km today around Mt Gambier. Although the hiphop-blasting P-platers and their antics on the roads make walking here a hazard, I've really come to like this place and one day I will be back.

I spent the morning discovering the central city area and the Lady Nelson information centre. I guess it'd be of more use if I was either much older or much younger and/or had a car, but it was worth going.

The Jail YHA's shower was the next stop, followed by the long walk trail around the back of Valley Lake and Brownes Lake. Some spectacular scenery and great views of Mt Gambier and also got to talk with tourists from all over Australia, although quite an arduous walk!

Next was the much more famous Blue Lake - which turns a brilliant blue every November due to unknown volcanic factors (it is one of the handful of active volcanoes in Australia - apparently this region is the third-biggest and sixth most important volcanic region in the world). The fairly easy 3.6km circular walk around the top of it was excellent - I spent quite some time amusing myself with some tiny superb wrens which were about the length of my little finger and were busily hopping around looking for water and squeezing through holes in the wire mesh fence.

Returned to the YHA and talked to some Year 11s from Adelaide (450km away!) who'd come to compete in an athletics carnival. Also the owner, Gary, whose hyperactive dog Milka and its ball-fetching activities provided some cheap entertainment.

I'm exhausted.