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Limestone Coast

The Limestone Coast − strung out along southeastern SA between the flat, olive span of the lower Murray River and the Victorian border − is a curiously engaging place. On the highways you can blow across these flatlands in under a day, no sweat – but around here the delight is in the detail. Detour off-road to check out the area's lagoons, surf beaches and sequestered bays. Also on offer are wine regions, photogenic fishing ports and snoozy agricultural towns. And what's below the road is even more amazing: a bizarre subterranean landscape of limestone caves, sinkholes and crater lakes – a broad, formerly volcanic area that's known as the Kanawinka Geopark.

Heading southeast, trace the Limestone Coast through the sea-salty Coorong (Ngarrindjeri country), past beachy holiday towns to Mount Gambier, SA's second city (Buandig tribal lands). And if you haven't already overdosed on wine in SA, the Coonawarra wine region is here too.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Limestone Coast.

National Park
Naracoorte Caves National Park
About 10km southeast of Naracoorte is World Heritage–listed Naracoorte Caves National Park. The discovery of an ancient fossilised marsupial in these limestone caves raised palaeontological eyebrows around the world, and featured in David Attenborough's 1979 BBC series Life on Earth. The 28 limestone caves here, including Alexandra Cave, curiously named Stick-Tomato Cave and Victoria Fossil Cave, have bizarre stalactite and stalagmite formations. The Wonambi Fossil Centre at the main entrance zooms-in on fossil finds.
National Park
Coorong National Park
The amazing Coorong National Park is a fecund lagoon landscape curving along the coast for 145km from Lake Alexandrina towards Kingston SE. A complex series of soaks and salt pans, it's separated from the sea by the chunky dunes of the Younghusband Peninsula. More than 200 species of waterbirds live here. Storm Boy, an endearing 1976 film about a young boy's friendship with a pelican (based on the 1964 novel by Colin Thiele), was filmed here, and re-made for a 2019 release.
Lake
Blue Lake
Mount Gambier's big-ticket item is the luminous, 75m-deep lake, which turns an insane hue of blue during summer. Perplexed scientists think it has to do with calcite crystals suspended in the water, which form at a faster rate during the warmer months. Consequently, if you visit between April and November, the lake will look much like any other − a steely grey. But in January, wow! The surface of the water is 20m below central Mt Gambier's street level.
Gallery
Riddoch Art Gallery
If Mount Gambier's famed Blue Lake isn't blue, don't feel blue − cheer yourself up at one of Australia's best regional galleries. Passionately curated, there are three main spaces here housing touring and permanent exhibitions, contemporary installations and community displays. There are over 2000 artworks in the permanent collection, dating back to the 1870s and valued at $3.5 million – be impressed!
Landmark
Woakwine Cutting
Just off the highway 12km north of Beachport is this unbelievable feat of human endeavour – a 28m-deep, 1km-long crevasse gouged through the middle a hill. This amazing ditch was excavated by Murray McCourt (and a few rusty machines, still on site) over three years from 1957, in order to drain a swamp on the inland side of the hill. And it worked! The land on the far side of the cutting is now glorious pasture, covered in cows.
Winery
Bellwether Wines
Sue Bell runs Bellwether (ha-ha), an irreverent, arty cellar door in a stone 1868 shearing shed – pretty much the first Coonawarra winery you come to rolling in from the north. Camping here ranges from unpowered/powered sites ($30/45) to six rather lovely 'glamping' bell tents (single/double $100/200, including a bottle of wine) in the lush, tree-studded paddock out the back, with shared facilities. FYI, a 'bellwether' is the leading sheep in a flock, with a bell around its neck.
Landmark
Obelisk
After there were 30 shipwrecks in Guichen Bay in 1835 alone, this iconic red-and-white turret was erected atop the cliffs on Cape Dombey. From here, rockets were launched out to stricken ships, carrying lifelines back to the shore. The cliffs are steadily eroding beneath the Obelisk, and the local council has deemed it too pricey to either reinforce the cliffs, or relocate the Obelisk (it's built from many small mortared-together stones). How long the Obelisk will stand is anyone's guess.
Brewery
Robe Town Brewery
Riding the crest of Australia's craft beer wave, Robe Town uses old-fangled methods to produce its hearty Shipwreck Stout and an excellent amber ale (among other creative brews). The brewery occupies a low-key shed in the eastern outskirts of town. Heavily involved in the annual Robe Beer Fest in October. Open daily during school holidays.
Cave
Tantanoola Caves Conservation Park
Naracoorte Caves National Park gets all the press and visits from David Attenborough, but at little Tantanoola, midway between Beachport and Mount Gambier, these caves sure are spectacular! Stalactites and stalagmites aplenty, plus shell and bone remnants from eons ago when the beach was much closer than Beachport. Wheelchair accessible.