Mount Gambier, SA 5290

If you're looking for a combination of city facilities and small town charm, look no further.

Mount Gambier has most major outlets while maintaining the feel of a country town. Suburbia can be driven from end to end in 10 minutes, before switching to rural living. all the comforts you want, with the attractive rural backdrop.

Mount Gambier is a tourist destination for those driving between Melbourne and Adelaide, with many hotels and motels spread throughout town as well as natural attractions in the Blue Lake and sinkholes, restaurants and a large tourist information centre.

The main drawback is the trucking traffic. As a major stop halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide, with logging trucks ferrying the produce of the Mount Gambier pine plantations, truck traffic is high.

I have lived in nearly every state of Australia, in both capital cities and large country towns. After a change in profession I moved to Mount Gambier with my young family nearly 6 years ago. As I love to move around often, I didn't expect to stay too long; however, I have fallen in love with the place (as has my family). I feel like I have the best of all worlds. No more traffic jams and very reasonable property prices (a beautiful, modern 4brm with acreage for under $500k!!). It is green year round and it is located about 5 hours from both Adelaide and Melbourne with daily flights to and from the 2 centres with Rex). I am very impressed with the school my children attend (Catholic College) and there are plenty of clubs to join. The shopping isn't exactly Chadstone but it fulfills most of my requirements and I go to Adelaide and Melbourne regularly for work and shop there for things I am unable to get here.

I live in NSW but visited MG and the Limehouse Coast in 2022 for a short break. My first impression was how lovely and friendly the locals were. The town is pleasant with a few good eateries, a modest but reasonable shopping selection and based next to the beautiful Blue Lake. We enjoyed day trips out to Port McConnell to walk up the (dormant) volcano Mount Shank , Southend andPort McConnell for seafood. . For a young family I could understand the attraction of living here as it’s very affordable. My partner and I would love to return to visit one day especially to visit the local Coonawarra wine valley.

South Australia’s 2nd largest “city” is in dire need of an upgrade. It is 5-10 years behind the rest of the country with very little to see & do. Shopping options are dismal (the place doesn’t even have a Target). The town lacks cafe & restaurant options. They don’t even have basic takeaway options such as Grill’d, Guzman y Gomez or Schnitz etc. Need to see a GP? A lot of the clinics don’t accept new patients or you may be told “there’s a 7 week wait”. Are you a working mother? Say farewell to your career! There is no childcare! Most working families face a 2 year+ wait for a childcare spot. And after that 2 year+ waiting period you may only be offered 1 or 2 days of childcare per week. The property prices are very reasonable, but ultimately, moving here is just not worth it! You will be bored (and unable to work!). On a positive note - the town has a pretty decent Dan Murphys (which you will need if you move here).

The Mount is quite a nice town, a lot of drama/action happens here though. It has some great cafes and places to visit, including Blue Lake.
It is near a lot of small country towns, which are very lovely to visit and/or live if you don't want to live quite in the town of Mount Gambier,

Steve Mac | House and Land Expert

I love it. It has what we need as gardeners, beach lovers, seafood lovers, wine appreciators, dog walking horsey people who like to eat out a lot. I worked there briefly and it has all the medical and mental health facilities. Plane flights fir an escape to the big smoke. Takes a while to make friends anywhere. I’m in Shepparton 20 plus years and I have friends but don’t feel like a local.

This place is full of rubbish, and close minded people, I am ashamed to have lived here. Only upside is the waiting line for subway is short

Mount Gambier may be a lovely place to visit or stay for a few months or even a year knowing you will be leaving at some stage. However, if you are reliant completely on the job prospects, health care and cultural aspects of the town to support your livelihood and you have experienced more diverse forward thinking attitudes then you will most likely end up sticking to those ex pats from other states or nations. I lived there recently for nearly 11 years and found the place stifling and in some cases the attitudes very unhealthy.
Rarely Drs bulk bill, often people are hired in jobs based on their friendships and who they are related to not on their credentials, very small degree of separation and gossip was a standard, businesses can ask what they want, function on their own terms because its a closed market e.g buy a pair of pants on a sale rack, get them home, see they have a 10c piece size hole in the side and try to return them and get told it was on the sale rack, therefor it's sold as is. This was a common occurrence and its embarrassing. Housing prices are cheap but if a home is based on people, culture, diversity and freedom of choice you'll most likely find it's 50 years behind.

Prob great if your retired but otherwise very limited employment unless you enjoy personal care jobs. Which are prolific. Nice scenery and some big brand shops here now. Easy to get around but nadda to do or see on most weekends unless you play sports.

Not the best place to live... Not much industry... boring shops... cost of living is too cheap. Total lack of health care.......

Great town with a small town mentality - council needs to get themselves into gear.

Have to agree strongly with the previous post; I lived there in the late 90's and return infrequently and I feel that it could be much more attractive if the local council put some more effort in. On the plus side there's a lot of natural beauty; the lakes are spectacular and the beach isn't far away. It's a nice size city and there's a full range of services and shopping; real estate is comparatively cheap and affordable and there's a lot more restaurants compared to when I lived there. On the down side there's been a lot of industry leave town and the poverty is quite evident (particularly on the eastern side and the inner areas); kids from surrounding towns come into the Mount to drink and cause trouble on the weekends and the main drag isn't the safest place to be after dark. The biggest problems are related to lack of jobs - given the State government is preparing to sell the forest industry to the Chinese the fear is that what little heavy industry that's left will be gone soon. Tourism is a big employer but that dies off over the (very cold) winters. Its also just a bit too far from Melbourne and Adelaide to make a comfortable weekend trip by car. In all it's not a bad sized city but the lack of bike paths and job options (outside retail or tourism) are a real problem. It could be really good you have a young family but you need to join churches or sporting clubs to meet people otherwise it can be very isolating.

Small regional town in South-West SA. Around 25000 population. Great for families with small children. Town itself looks neglected with bitumen footpaths, above ground power lines, factories on town,s edge. Council need to get it's act together. No cycle paths. Every man and it's dog need to drive their cars into town. Ridiculous traffic for such small town. Car dealers everywhere are also an eye sore. Gerat couple of golf courses. fairly high small crime rate. Live out of town if you can or in lakes area in town. Freezing and wet most of the year hence quite green looking. Not for singles as entertainment after 8 does not exist. Very sporty town incl cricket tennis golf hockey etc

a lovely spot to bring up a family, great public schools and inexpensive private schools, housing is considerably cheaper than bigger cities in victoria, weather is great not too hot and rainfall is amongst the best in the state.
Jobs are relatively easy to find for those who want to work. There is a great community spirit from shop owners to the general public.
A large range of sports are on offer from netball, footy to archery and bmx. There is a Jazz festival held once a year over a weekend and plenty of dancing academies from highland to hiphop.
Australia's world known Coonawarra region is half an hours drive and the locals can get really sick of crayfish in the Summer
Overall a beautiful city nested against gorgeous crater lakes

Mount Gambier is a great spot. It’s a good sized city with everything you could possibly need. And it is in a beautiful area. The city is well laid out with some nice houses. Its a good sized city but you're never far from anywhere and there is a good selection of shops.

It’s halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne, close to some of the best coastline Australian has to offer.

Mt Gambier has a great feel. And it’s easy to get around. There are plenty of good parks around, some of them are the best I have ever seen, and I've seen a few.

It’s not for anyone that wants to big city lifestyle, but it’s a nice compromise for those that want out of the city but don't want to give up on the amenities of the city.

Mt Gambier East, not surprisingly, is the suburb situated to the east of Mt Gambier. Mt Gambier is South Australia’s second largest city, with a regional population of more than 30,000. It is located approximately 400 kilometres from Adelaide, and the drive takes around 4 ½ hours. There are also frequent buses and plane flights every day.

Mt Gambier East offers lovely residential living. There are a number of subdivisions, with neat homes on comfortable sized blocks. A number of large and spacious modern properties have been built in recent years by a number of the more affluent Mt Gambier families. A number of retirement villages have arisen in the area lately as well.

Mt Gambier East is a great spot for families, offering primary schools and parks. The centre of Mt Gambier is just a short drive away, so all of its shops, facilities and services are within easy reach.

As the name suggests, Mt Gambier West is the suburb situated to the west of Mt Gambier. Mt Gambier is South Australia’s second largest city, with a regional population of more than 30,000. It is located approximately 400 kilometres from Adelaide, and the drive takes around 4 ½ hours. There are also frequent buses and plane flights every day.

Mt Gambier West is an area offering different styles and character. The immediate area closer to the main town is predominantly industrial with a large number of businesses and manufacturers. Not particularly pretty, as to be expected! There are then a number of subdivisions with neat and modern homes, and spacious gardens. The area then rolls in to lovely farming properties, incredibly green and on very large blocks.

The residential areas of Mt Gambier West offer picturesque rural living, just a short drive from the town centre and all of its facilities.

Mount Gambier is almost a six hours' drive south from Adelaide City. This country town is very close to the Victorian border and is home to the famous Blue Lake. The Blue Lake has the bluest water you will ever see in your life and it is worth joining the tour. Also, during the drive from Adelaide to Mount Gambier, you will pass by the wine region of Coonawarra.

Mount Gambier is quite a large country town that has it's own airport. The main street has your usual Chinese restaurants, shops, supermarkets, service stations and etc. The locals are very friendly and the houses here are very well maintained. Streets here are clean and the air is fresh. This is a nice country town to visit or stopover even if it is just for a day.

Mount Gambier is South Australia’s second largest city with a population of around 24,000 in the town itself (and over 30,000 in the surrounding region), significantly less that the million plus in Adelaide.

Situated in the state’s south-east (only kilometres from the Victorian Border), the drive to Adelaide takes around 4 ½ hours or so, and Melbourne is around 5 hours. Buses run to both regularly but take a lot longer. There are also multiple frequent flights with Regional Express every day.

The city lies in the heart of the Limestone Coast region, and is well known for its top-quality produce. The region’s climate is significantly cooler than more northern areas of SA, and the higher annual rainfall is well suited to the farming and forestry of the surrounding district.

Just a short drive to the north is the world-famous Coonawarra wine region, and to the South and West a selection of fantastic holiday spots and country towns along the rugged coastline (although the water is not warm by any measure!).

The city has continued to sprawl out from its historic centre. Commercial Street, in the centre of town, provides a full range of shops and services while the large supermarket chains all have a local presence. Pubs are numerous and there is a good choice of cafes. There is a major hospital and all of the banks. All of the services and essential facilities are provided, yet with convenience of the major capitals just a few hours away.

Mount Gambier is a great location to raise a family – green open spaces, a relaxed and friendly country-town lifestyle. Sporting facilities abound, with regional competitions across the entire southeast region for football and netball popular in winter and cricket and tennis in summer. There are a number of primary schools in the vicinity, as well as two public high schools. However quite a few families do choose to send the kids to boarding school in Adelaide or Melbourne for the later years.

Overall, Mt Gambier offers everything you need for a lovely life in the country.