Mount Gambier
30 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Mount Gambier →South Australia
The limestone around Mount Gambier is riddled with water-filled sinkholes and caves, and they are the heart of Australian cave diving. Kilsby Sinkhole (65 m, clear as air), the Shaft (124 m), Piccaninnie Ponds' Chasm and Cathedral, Ewens Ponds' spring-fed creek, and the Tank Cave system with more than 8 km of passage. Most sites require Cave Divers Association of Australia rating; Kilsby and Ewens are open to recreational divers by booking.

Custom YouDive mascot art inspired by South Australia. An imaginative illustration, not a photograph or map of this destination.
Your bearings, in a minute
Start with the local site mix, explore the map and find people to ask about your trip.
Directory counts describe published records, not bookable trips. Location confidence is shown separately in the map list. How we check information →
Prepared by YouDive editorial with AI assistance. No firsthand visit, equipment test or instructor review is implied.
Independent specialist review: pending. We publish a reviewer’s name, qualifications, date and exact review scope only after the review has actually happened.
Who can contribute and how reviews work →Find your bearings
Compare where the recorded sites sit, then open a site to read its access and source notes. Locations are for orientation, not marine navigation or entry instructions.
36 matching records · 36 with a map location · 0 without a usable position.
Cave/Cavern · 0–24 m
Approximate area
Cave/Cavern · 0–33 m
Approximate area
Sinkhole/Cenote · Not recorded
Approximate area
Freshwater Lake/River · Up to 77 m
Approximate area
Cave/Cavern · Not recorded
Approximate area
Sinkhole/Cenote · Not recorded
Approximate area
Cave/Cavern · 0–8 m
Recorded location
Cave/Cavern · 0–22 m
Recorded location
Cave/Cavern · 0–12 m
Recorded location
Freshwater Lake/River · 0–10 m
Approximate area
Cave/Cavern · 0–15 m
Recorded location
Sinkhole/Cenote · 0–26 m
Approximate area
The local notebook
Use the actual places attached to the local records to narrow your research. These are recorded nearby towns and areas, not verified departure points or accommodation recommendations.
30 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Mount Gambier →3 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Tantanoola →1 site record refers to this town or area.
Look for operators around Allendale East →1 site record refers to this town or area.
Look for operators around Glencoe →1 site record refers to this town or area.
Look for operators around Port MacDonnell →| Local example | Recorded nearby place | Recorded access | Follow the evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allendale East Cave | Allendale East | Shore | Recorded source ↗ |
| Blue Lake (Mount Gambier) | Mount Gambier | Shore | Recorded source ↗ |
| Black Hole | Mount Gambier | Shore | Recorded source ↗ |
Choose the named outing that interests you first. Compare its recorded place and access with your accommodation plans, then obtain the actual meeting address and schedule from the provider. The site links show the underlying depth, location confidence and source notes. Similar town names or map positions do not establish that two outings can be combined in a day.
A closer look at Mount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
Our Mount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves directory currently includes 36 published site records. The largest recorded category is cave/cavern (18 records). Use the mix below to decide what you would like to read about first.

A visual guide to recorded site types. Counts show coverage, not popularity or current availability.
Source: published YouDive directory records for Mount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves. Bars use the same scale within this graphic; the longest is the largest category, not 100% of the destination.
Start with Allendale East Cave, Blue Lake (Mount Gambier), Black Hole. These are examples from different recorded categories, not a recommended route or a list of the best sites. Open each record for its sources, map and review notes.
| Site | Recorded type | Access | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allendale East Cave | Cave/Cavern | Shore | 0–24 m |
| Blue Lake (Mount Gambier) | Freshwater Lake/River | Shore | Maximum recorded: 77 m |
| Black Hole Details need confirmation | Sinkhole/Cenote | Shore | Depth not recorded |
A dot shows a recorded maximum. A line joins the recorded minimum and maximum when both are available. These are site descriptions, not target depths or certification limits.
The table above contains the same depth values. Depth alone cannot establish suitability, and records may require correction. Source: the linked site records.
A jetty, a boat outing, a seasonal wildlife visit and an inland training objective are different starting points. Name the experience first, then use the records to explore its practical setting.
Do not assume that two experiences grouped within a state are easy to combine in one day. Write down the town, meeting point and time commitment for each. For a mixed group, ask which activities actually accommodate divers and non-divers together. A famous animal or landmark may bring you to a region, but the booking still needs to describe what each person will do.
A site category is a starting point for learning more. In particular, an inland or cave-related record does not make an outing an ordinary open-water dive. Discuss access permissions, the intended environment and appropriate qualifications with a relevant provider. Choose training to suit the activity rather than trying to make a planned holiday fit whatever qualification you already hold.
If one wildlife event is the main attraction, research its current visitor information and the exact activity being offered. Keep another worthwhile part of the visit in your plans. Arrange equipment and support before treating dates as final, and ask what happens if the intended outing changes. A recent observation and a broad seasonal pattern answer different questions.
What access and equipment arrangements apply now?
Keep the site record and local reply together.
What is the actual activity and current visitor advice?
Do not treat a season as a sighting guarantee.
Which permissions and training apply to this environment?
Check with a relevant specialist provider.
From “that looks lovely” to a plan
Find your starting point, meet the local options and keep your ideas together. You do not need to have the whole trip worked out yet.
Find out how a first course works, compare your options and get comfortable asking questions.
Connect your next outing with useful reading and a conversation about the right training and support.
Explore the professional pathway and prepare better questions for a training centre.
These are learning paths to explore, not prerequisites for every local site. Confirm the actual course, instructor and your readiness with the provider.
These profiles are based in the region or have a sourced link to one of its sites. Shown alphabetically, not as a quality ranking. Ask about the specific trip or course you want.
Listed in this region
McCrae
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Listed in this region
Mount Gambier
A Mount Gambier business serving the region's cave and sinkhole diving community, including equipment and gas support.
Meet this operator →Source-linked to a site in this region
Marleston
An Adelaide training and guided diving operation serving local sites and organised trips.
Meet this operator →Listed in this region
Mount Gambier
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Start with the place and your questions. Add dates and prices once you have spoken with the people running the trip.
Creates a new trip with this destination, useful reading and starter questions. Saved on this browser; export a backup from My trips.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
The words sinkhole and cave should prompt a specific training and access discussion. Do not assume an inland record is publicly accessible or suitable for an ordinary recreational holiday dive. Establish the responsible site manager, current permission process and qualifications required for the exact activity. A directory description, photograph or map cannot authorise access or replace specialist instruction.
One useful question: Who manages the specific site, and what current permissions and training requirements apply to the proposed activity?
There are 36 published site records in Mount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves. The recorded categories include cave/cavern (18), sinkhole/cenote (16), freshwater lake/river (2). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Mount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves site cards to compare recorded access and depth, then open the individual pages for the map accuracy and source notes. Sites grouped in a region are not necessarily close enough to combine in one day.
Research operators in South Australia →Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 36 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.
Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.
No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.
Regional planning context: South Australian Tourism Commission — regional trip information ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Search within Mount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves, or narrow the list to a recorded dive type. Open a site for its map, sources and access notes.
36 matching site records. Listings do not confirm current access or availability.
Freshwater Lake/RiverMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A 77 m volcanic crater lake that turns cobalt blue every summer – view only; diving prohibited.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
Cave diving beneath the middle of Mount Gambier – a shallow, silty 70 m passage to a hidden air chamber and lake.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
Over 400 m of newly discovered, sidemount-only tunnel beneath Mount Gambier, reached through the Rabbit Hole and the Caterpillar.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A 340 m Advanced Cave dive with an air chamber directly beneath Mount Gambier's Jubilee Highway.
Freshwater Lake/RiverMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A one-way drift through three gin-clear spring ponds over meadows of aquatic plants – easy, beautiful and open to Open Water…
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A cave with a fossil record of thylacines, marsupial lions and giant kangaroos, connected to the Tank Cave system.
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
50 m-plus visibility in a cliff-walled sinkhole that Open Water divers can dive with an approved operator; midday light shafts…
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
The easiest-access deep sinkhole in Mount Gambier – roadside parking, stairs and pontoon, and a flat floor at 36 m for depth and…
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
The approach to Australia's most famous sinkhole: weed meadows in near-perfect visibility leading to the lip of a 100 m+ chasm.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
More than 7 km of shallow, lined maze passage – Australia's premier Advanced Cave training and exploration site.
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A single midday shaft of sunlight falling into a flooded chamber 140 m long – and the birthplace of Australia's cave-diving rules.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
An 18 m belayed ladder descent into a 30 m dome chamber, with the infamous 30-40 cm 'flattener' beyond – sidemount only.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A steep, silty township cave with a big chamber at 24 m – a true test of buoyancy and line skills for newly rated Cave divers.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A 15 m wire ladder down a 1 m solution tube into a large flooded chamber and tunnel to 33 m.
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
The classic CDAA training sinkhole – compact, clear below a 15 m thermocline and easy to plan around.
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A 60 x 35 m bell-shaped cenote with collapse features, swim-throughs and a milky white-silt lower chamber – closed at present.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A long, wide single passage with flat ceilings, huge boulders and fragile tessellated clay – 'very easy' for competent cave…
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
Crystal-clear shaded water for the first diver – and a textbook silt-out for everyone after.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A restrictive entrance into 'The Gallery' with archaeological markings, then boulder and clay chambers to 28 m.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A white limestone chamber lit by daylight in near-perfect visibility – one of Australia's finest freshwater photography dives.
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
Hanging over a 100 m+ spring-fed slot in 40 m-plus visibility – the signature Mount Gambier image.
Cave/CavernMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
A tight entrance opening into a large, clear chamber, with a signed deep Advanced Cave section below 25 m.
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
Twin sinkholes – a clearer northern wall dive and a southern hole with a dumped car, truck, cash register and bike.
Sinkhole/CenoteMount Gambier Sinkholes & Caves
The Black Hole is one of the Mount Schank sinkholes that has dropped off the active site list. The CDAA describes it as a large…
Details need confirmation