HI CITY TRIP TO MOUNT GAMBIER 2010

            We left Hi City soon after 8am to travel to Mount Gambier which is just across the border in South Australia. There were 43 people travelling in 3 buses with a trailer for our luggage. Our first stop was at McDonalds in Ballarat for a snack and a toilet stop. We continued on to Hamilton and had a picnic lunch in the Botanical Gardens. We also visited “The Big Woolbales” for a look at the wool industry in this area. We continued on to Mount Gambier arriving about 4pm at The Jubilee Motor Inn. Dave, our host helped us find our rooms, very comfortable with TV and coffee etc. The best thing was the indoor pool, it was a good size and many went for a swim. We then went out to dinner to the Western Tavern, a good 2 course meal and they still have a salad bar in Sth. Aust.

The Motel gave us a Continental breakfast each day and we had dinner at the motel on 2 nights.

TUESDAY was wet, quite heavy rain for most of the day. After breakfast we went to the Information Centre, it has a replica of the boat Lady Nelson in front and there is an extensive display and movie giving the history of the area. It included a clever holograph story of Christine and a talking boat captain in the Lady Nelson. We went to the shops for a time, some discovered the big Rivers outlet and some the “Molten Chocolate Shop”- very delicious!. We had pies etc for lunch back at our Motel. We then drove to Penola, 50 kms from Mt. Gambier, just a small town but famous now because this is where Mary MacKillop began her teaching at age 19 and established the St. Joseph teaching order. We were warmly welcomed and shown through the first school and church and a display telling the history of the work of Mary MacKillop- soon to become Australias’ first saint. Many people bought mementos of this visit. The rain stopped for the return trip. We had dinner at the Motel and some went for a walk to the Umpherston Sink Hole which is flood lit at night. It was a cave and the top fell in to leave a big deep hole now terraced with beautiful gardens.

WEDNESDAY was fine and windy and we began with a visit to the Blue Lake which was a deep blue/grey colour and very beautiful with steep cliff sides and very deep water. Later we went to Point MacDonald on the coast. Some of us thought we would have a swim but it was cold, however Jeanette who must have been a fish in her last life plunged into the water. Susan was brave enough to change and walk in up to her knees! We had fish and chips from the local shop for lunch and then returned to Mt. Gambier for a swim in the Motel pool or a rest or a visit to the shops. We had early tea at Fasta Pasta because we were going to the movies. Most saw Nanny McPhee and some The Clash of the Titans- very enjoyable. My Coaster bus had a problem with fuel and would not start, the result was 2 trips to get people back to the motel, my bus could not be fixed by RAA and went to the Depot. However next morning their truck service department fixed it in 10 minutes at no charge and drove it back to us at the Motel. Thank goodness.

THURSDAY we began with a tour of the Pumping Station on the Blue Lake. It was interesting and included a walk down, a ride in a lift and we were near to the waters edge. There is only one tiny fish that lives in the lake so no bird life. We went back to get food for our picnic lunch which we had at the Leg of Mutton Lake park. After lunch we went to Tantanoola and were shown through a cave. The limestone and dolomite in the area has resulted in many caves and the formation of stalactites and stalagmites  and a fairyland look in the cave. The good thing was everyone went into the cave and you open the door and you are in the cave- no long passages to walk through. We returned to Mt Gambier, some choose to swim or watch TV or have a molten chocolate. We had dinner at the Motel and then had a little disco in the dining room before packing up ready to leave the next day.

FRIDAY was cool and rain was forecast- by the time we had had breakfast it was raining and it continued to be heavy most of the way home. We tried to keep the bags dry with plastic bags and a tarp. We had a good trip home stopping at Hamilton and again at a service centre outside Ballarat. Everyone travelled well, we enjoyed our holiday, sorry we were a little late but the traffic on the Ring Road was very heavy.

Thankyou to all who were such good company and especially Tina, Helen, Amelia, Fiorina and Grant for all they did to make the trip possible.                         Pam Erwin.