Helen Stephenson's Australian Pictures - February/March, 2000 - Blue Lake, Mount Gambier

Mount Gambier is in the South East of South Australia. It is an extinct volcano with a lake in its crater. The lake has the distinction of being a brilliant blue colour throughout the summer months, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. Nearby Valley Lake does not share this colour.

The three pictures on the left were taken from an observation area at the top of the crater.

The three pictures on the right were taken during a tour of the pumping station which pumps water from Blue Lake to supply the town of Mount Gambier with its water supply.

During the pumping station tour, it was possible to descend to close to lake level.

The guide gave the colour of the lake less than five out of ten on the March day when these pictures were taken, so it must be a truly spectacular blue at the height of summer.

The tour guide turned on a jet of water once the party had descended to lake level. The resultant double rainbow was well worth getting wet in the drifting spray, but I did take pity on my camera and take cover from most of it. My 18-28mm super wide angle zoom lens came in most useful: I doubt whether anyone else in the party that descended that afternoon managed to catch the full arc of the rainbows.

While at lake level, I took a couple of close up shots as well.

Click on these images to display photographs of the statistics provided at the look-out point above the Blue Lake.