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Mount Gambier
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The picturesque volcanic landscape of Mount Gambier makes it a popular tourist destination located mid-way between Melbourne and Adelaide.  The volcanic landscape, viewed from the surface, provides a myriad of lakes and natural features to explore.  

Mount Gambier is a limestone karst area riddled with dissolution caves including the world famous Tank Cave (full cave level) and Piccaninnie Ponds (cavern level).  The area boasts a diversity of freshwater diving in sinkholes and caves perfect for training and exploration. Present in the cave are stunning speleotherms and helictites.  Pebbles, seal bones and shells located inside the cave were left behind when sea levels fell after the Pleistocene epoch.

All diving at Mount Gambier is regulated by the Cave Divers Association of Australia (CDAA).  However, as most of the sites are on private property access also needs to be arranged with the landholders.

Dive Sites

SIGNATURE SITE

Kilsby’s Sinkhole (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (48m | 157ft) |
Very large sinkhole with crystal clear visibility. History of use by the Defence Research Centre and SA Police Department have led to very well constructed access and diving platform.
 
SIGNATURE SITE

Piccaninnie Ponds (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (60m | 197ft) |
Spectacular chasm dropping to great depths, a beautiful white cathedral and attractive aquatic weed growth in the clear water. Many native freshwater fish, eels and shrimp. Gear benches and access by raised walkway.
 
SIGNATURE SITE

Tank Cave (CDAA Advanced Cave)

|
World-renowned cave diving in Mount Gambier. Locked entrance next to gearing up shed. Kilometres | miles of fixed line.
 

Ela Elap (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (50m | 164ft) |
Large deep sinkhole, visibility can be excellent at depth, water always cold (around 10C | 50F). Large dead tree fallen near the entrance.
 

Ewens Ponds (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (9m | 30ft) |
Series of three limestone basins on Eight Mile Creek, connected by shallow watercourse. Located in a narrow band of bushland, surrounded by cleared terrain. The ponds contain extremely clear, high quality freshwater with prolific plant life.
 

Gouldens Waterhole (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (26m | 85ft) |
Smaller sinkhole with some yabbies and fish, and thermoclines at 15m | 50ft. Visibility usually good. Often used for training and courses. Easy access from the roadside and includes a diver’s change table.
 

Hells Hole (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (26m | 85ft) |
Large sinkhole with 30m | 100ft drop to the water. Visibility varies, much tree debris.
 

Horse and Cart (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (8m | 26ft) |
8m | 26ft of ladder required for the entrance. Shallow water with algae, some tree debris, small fish in water, snakes in reeds and underbrush.
 

Little Blue Lake (CDAA Deep Caver)

Depth (40m | 131ft) |
A local swimming hole with much rubbish at the bottom. Water dirty, visibility usually poor. Can be clear below halfway. Easy access from the roadside and includes a diver’s change table.
 

One Tree (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (50m | 164ft) |
Large deep sinkhole, visibility usually good below 20m | 66ft, thermoclines, harvester and some rubbish. Bring a 30m | 98ft rope to assist climbing the steep access path.
 

Tea Tree Sinkhole (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (4m | 13ft) |
8m | 26ft of ladder required for the entrance. Water cold and dark, much tree debris, shallow silty floor, eels.
 

Ten Eighty (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (60m | 197ft) |
Large sinkhole with two passages at opposite ends. Algae in shallow water, visibility at depth excellent.
 

Black Hole (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (60m | 197ft) |
Large deep sinkhole with one passage reaching great depth. Visibility usually very good.
 

The Shaft (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (60m | 197ft) |
Requires SRT entry and exit through narrow, vertical solution tube. Picturesque rock pile submerged below entrance and interesting light effects when the sun is directly overhead. An incident in 1973 resulted in 4 deaths in dramatic circumstances, and was a major reason for formation of the CDAA.
 

The Sisters (CDAA Deep Cavern)

Depth (20m | 66ft) |
Two separate holes with landbridge. Visibility average, usually better in northern hole. Southern hole has car body, truck, cash register, and bike. Popular training site.
 

Alandale East Cave (CDAA Cave)

Depth (27m | 89ft) |
Cave entrance literally in the middle of the road. Clear chamber at the bottom with black silt floor. Bring a 30m | 100ft rope to assist climbing the steep access path.
 

Bakers Cave (CDAA Cave)

Depth (33m | 108ft) |
Requires SRT entry and exit through narrow, vertical solution tube, 16m | 52ft to the water. Large underwater main chamber that leads to a single tunnel.
 

Engelbrechts Cave East (CDAA Cave)

Depth (5m | 16ft) |
Tourist cave in Mount Gambier with shallow muddy lake. Low, silty passages and flatteners lead to an inner air chamber and lake.
 

Fossil Cave (CDAA Cave)

Depth (12m | 39ft) |
Small pond leads to broad chamber with dark silt at the bottom. Small pool at other end leads to single small chamber. Easy access from the roadside and includes a diver’s change table.
 

Hancocks Cave (CDAA Cave)

Depth (5m | 16ft) |
Requires SRT entry and exit through narrow, vertical solution tube, 16m | 52ft to the water. Enormous bell shaped cavity. There is currently a fixed line circuit of about 185m | 607ft around the feature with a jump into the sidemount accessible lower chamber.
 

Max’s Hole (CDAA Cave)

Depth (15m | 49ft) |
 

McKay’s Shaft (CDAA Cave)

Depth (15m | 49ft) |
 

Mud Hole (CDAA Cave)

Depth (17m | 56ft) |
Usually very clear visibility. A flooded passage leads into a low silty chamber which pinches off 17m | 56ft deep. Very easily silted out by the first diver.
 

Pines (CDAA Cave and Advanced Cave)

Depth (45m | 148ft) |
Small entrance cuts back to large clear chamber. Dual rated with two Advanced Cave only stop signs at 25m | 82ft. Very well constructed infrastructure with benches, raised walkway and diver platform.
 

Three Sisters (CDAA Advanced Cave)

Depth (33m | 108ft) |
First described in 1933 by scientist-explorer Norman B. Tindale. Originally had three roof-window holes, but only one can be used.
 
There are many more dive sites in this area that can be arranged on request either to the skipper on the day of this event for normal dives,
or by Contacting Us for specialist technical dives.
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