Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
this amiable park has some natty grey-and-white cabins and well-weeded lawns. There
are also spiffy contemporary, self-contained 'retreats' (from $200) that sleep four.
Eating
Yoeys
(
www.yoeys.com.au
;
32 James St; items $5-14; 8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri,
8.30am-1.30pm Sat)
What a find! A gourmet cafe-providore with shelves full of cakes,
muffins, breads, chocolates, pasta and gourmet foodie hampers; a fabulous cheese fridge
(rustic Italian goats' cheese anyone?); and the best coffee in town. Soups, pies and pas-
ties, too.
Bullfrogs
( 08-8723 3933;
www.bullfrogs.com.au
;
7 Percy St; mains $11-32; 11am-
late)
Spread over three floors of a fabulous old stone mill building, this is the place for
beef and lamb grills, boutique beers, Coonawarra wines, cocktails, trusty coffee and oc-
casional acoustic troubadours. Hard to beat.
Banana Tree Cafe & Terrace
( 08-8723 9393;
www.bananatree.com.au
; 53 Gray St;
mains $16-33; 11am-2pm & 6-9pm)
Authentic Thai in Mount Gambier! Colourful and
appropriately tacky (faux rattan, chandeliers, commercial FM), backstreet Banana Tree
serves chilli-laden dishes like beef-and-basil stir-fry and a smokin' green chicken curry.
Jens Town Hall Hotel
( 08-8725 1671; 40 Commercial St E; mains $15-29;
noon-2pm & 6-8pm)
The most palatable place for a beer in the Mount (there are a lot of
rambling old pubs here), the 1884 Jens has a vast dining room plating up equally large
steaks, mixed grills, pastas, seafood and a damn fine lasagne. There are $12 lunch spe-
cials.
Information
Mount Gambier Visitor Information Centre
( 08-8724 9750, 1800 087 187;
www.mountgambiertourism.com.au
; 35 Jubilee Hwy E; 9am-5pm)
has details on local
sights, activities, transport and accommodation.
Lady Nelson Discovery Centre
(adult/
child $2/1)
is here too, featuring a replica of the historic brig
Lady Nelson
.
PENOLA & THE COONAWARRA WINE REGION
A rural town on the way up (what a rarity!), Penola (population 1670) is the kind of place
where you walk down the main street and three people say 'Hello!' to you before you
reach the pub. The town is famous for two things: first, for its association with the Sisters
of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, co-founded in 1867 by Australia's first saint, Mary
MacKillop; and secondly, for being smack bang in the middle of the Coonawarra Wine
Region.
