📷 Photo by Michael SKOPAL on UnsplashLimestone Coast: Coorong to Mount Gambier
Follow the Princes Highway along the Coorong lagoon, then visit Robe, Naracoorte's World Heritage caves, Coonawarra reds and the volcanic lakes and sinkholes of Mount Gambier.
- Distance
- 394 km (245 mi)
- Driving
- 4 h 18 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 11
- States
- South Australia
- Updated
- April 30, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 394 km (245 mi) with 11 stops, from Coorong National Park (Salt Creek) to Mount Schank. About 4 h 18 min of driving in total.
More road trips in South Australia
Route description
From Adelaide, take the Princes Highway south-east for about 200 km (around 2.5 hours) to Salt Creek in Coorong National Park. Walk to the lagoon edge to look for pelicans and black swans; this is Ngarrindjeri country. Continue about 90 km to Kingston SE to meet Larry the Big Lobster, then turn off to Robe for the night.
Spend the morning in Robe, a fishing town with stone jetty, historic buildings and the striped 1855 Obelisk above the cliffs. Long Beach nearby is wide and suitable for beach driving only where signs allow, so check tide times. In the afternoon drive inland to Naracoorte for the evening, via quiet farm roads with kangaroos grazing at dusk.
Visit Naracoorte Caves National Park, a World Heritage fossil site, for a guided tour; allow at least half a day, and book in school holidays. Then drive about 55 km to Penola and the Coonawarra wine strip for Cabernet Sauvignon tastings, before continuing roughly 50 km to Mount Gambier for the night. Nominate a designated driver for the tastings.
In Mount Gambier walk around the Blue Lake, which is vivid blue from about November to March, then see the sunken gardens at Umpherston Sinkhole and the Cave Garden in the town centre. Finish with the short climb of Mount Schank, an extinct volcano 15 km south. Adelaide is about 450 km and five hours away, Melbourne roughly the same.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Coorong National Park (Salt Creek)
NatureMeningie, South AustraliaA long, shallow lagoon behind high sand dunes and the Southern Ocean beach, important for pelicans, black swans and migratory waders. Walks and short drives leave the Princes Highway at Salt Creek; the Ngarrindjeri are its traditional owners.
- 299 km
Larry the Big Lobster
OdditiesKingston SE, South AustraliaA 17 m fibreglass southern rock lobster built in 1979 beside the Princes Highway at Kingston SE, a classic Big Thing and an easy photo stop on the Adelaide to Melbourne road. Crayfish season runs from October to April.
- 346 km
Robe
South Australia - 42 km
Robe Obelisk and Cape Dombey
HistoryRobe, South AustraliaA red-and-white striped navigation marker built in 1855 on the cliffs above Guichen Bay, once guiding ships into the port. Combine it with a walk around Robe's old stone jetty and fishing-town streets.
- 5111 km
Naracoorte Caves National Park
NatureNaracoorte, South AustraliaA World Heritage fossil site where Pleistocene animals, including marsupial lions, fell into caves and were preserved. Guided tours go into decorated caves, and a seasonal bat cave allows viewing of a maternity colony.
- 642 km
Coonawarra Cellar Doors
FoodPenola, South AustraliaA narrow strip of red terra rossa soil, about 15 km long, that produces some of Australia's best Cabernet Sauvignon. Cellar doors are small and close together, so tasting here is easy by bike or on foot.
- 772 km
Mount Gambier
South Australia - 82 km
Blue Lake
NatureMount Gambier, South AustraliaA volcanic crater lake that turns a vivid turquoise-blue from about November to March, then fades to steel grey in winter. A 3.6 km loop path circles the rim, and the water supplies the city.
- 94 km
Umpherston Sinkhole
NatureMount Gambier, South AustraliaA collapsed limestone cave turned into a sunken garden in the 1880s, with terraces, ferns and hydrangeas. Come after dark to see brushtail possums emerge, and watch them from a distance without feeding them.
- 103 km
Cave Garden
NatureMount Gambier, South AustraliaA deep sinkhole in the middle of Mount Gambier, lined with gardens and a rose-covered viewing platform. It is a quick stop beside the town hall that shows how the city sits on porous limestone.
- 1114 km
Mount Schank
NatureMount Gambier, South AustraliaA symmetrical extinct volcanic cone about 15 km south of Mount Gambier, rising about 100 m above the plain. A short, steep walk leads to the rim, with views across the Limestone Coast's farmland.
Suggested stages and overnight stops
4 days, split by driving time. Campsites from OpenStreetMap: check opening dates before you go.
- Day 1: Coorong National Park (Salt Creek) → Larry the Big Lobster · 99 km · 1 h 05 min
- Day 2: Larry the Big Lobster → Robe Obelisk and Cape Dombey · 48 km · 0 h 31 minOn the way: Robe.
- Day 3: Robe Obelisk and Cape Dombey → Coonawarra Cellar Doors · 152 km · 1 h 40 minOn the way: Naracoorte Caves National Park.
- Day 4: Coonawarra Cellar Doors → Mount Schank · 95 km · 1 h 02 minOn the way: Mount Gambier, Blue Lake, Umpherston Sinkhole, Cave Garden.
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually November–April. Still fine, with some compromises, in May and September–October. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early.
Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons
FAQs
How long is Limestone Coast: Coorong to Mount Gambier?
4-day road trip of about 394 km (245 mi) with 11 stops, from Coorong National Park (Salt Creek) to Mount Schank. About 4 h 18 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Limestone Coast: Coorong to Mount Gambier?
We suggest 4 days: about 4 h 18 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Limestone Coast: Coorong to Mount Gambier start and end?
It starts in Coorong National Park (Salt Creek) and ends in Mount Schank.
Which states does Limestone Coast: Coorong to Mount Gambier pass through?
South Australia.
When is the best time for Limestone Coast: Coorong to Mount Gambier?
The most pleasant months are usually November–April. Still fine, with some compromises, in May and September–October. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
