Leg of Mutton Lake
Today I took the children for a walk down to the Leg of Mutton Lake. It’s a dry lake bed in a volcanic crater with a forest of European trees, quite beautiful.
It has historical significance as the site of a tree nursery established in 1876. Pine trees, which now dominate the softwood industry, were first cultivated there.
According to Environment SA, the eruptions at Mount Gambier occurred as late as 4000 to 4300 years ago, making it possibly the youngest volcanic feature on mainland Australia.
The black and white photo shows how Leg of Mutton Lake looked in the 1920s, when it still had water in it, and explains why it was so named.
Apparently the lake was nearly dry in 1859, but levels rose again before it dried up completely.
The walk is 1.6km down from the lookout, looping around the circumference and back up again.
The children decided to take a short cut on the way back and scaled the crater wall, with me behind them. It was no easy task and I wouldn’t recommend it.
The main walk is very pleasant and I look forward to seeing the trees in autumn.
There are quite a few walks around the craters. Most people just see the Blue Lake when they come to Mount Gambier, but the other sights are just as interesting.
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
