Land of Limestone & Volcanic Rock

- A dormant doorway from which to embrace the unknown

SA Road Trip: Part 4

Thanks to my dear friend, Chris from my Rotaract days - that’s the junior version of Rotary - I was fortunate to stay just over an hours drive from Mount Gambier (known as Berrin to the Traditional Custodians of the land - the Boandik Peoples - and means “people of the reeds”), my place of birth or as I have heard Dr Jacqueline Hobbs say, where my body appeared. I was intrigued to return again. It was as though because I’d reconnected physically with my ‘entry-exit’ point on Mount Shasta (another volcano, only active!) that I was cosmically aligned and ready to revisit where my body showed up in Mount Gambier - a dormant volcano.

Curious spiral on this piece of stone with a peek into the Blue Lake, Mount Gambier

The Blue Lake / Warwar turns cobalt during summer

A road winds between the Blue Lake / Warwar and Valley Lake / Ketla Malpi…

At Valley Lake / Ketla Malpi, I observed many skiers going around in circles

I climbed the Rock Wall Lookout for a better vantage point and to see if I could see the remains of the hospital where I was born. In 1918 the ‘Biggest Working Bee’ in Mount Gambier’s history was organised to beautify the lakes area. 16 days after the end of World War 1, construction of the wall began.

Imagine… 800 men, 300 women, 700 school children, 700 visitors on one day (let alone those who didn’t record their names) … when most of the work was completed.

The rock wall windows appearing as blue eyes

I was impressed by its condition, obviously built to last!

The view from above - Blue Lake to the left and to the right Valley Lake (out of view)

At the top I spied an open field that I thought could be the old hospital grounds…

When I went there I found it was a Tourist Information Centre. I stepped inside, grateful for a temperature reprieve and said, ‘Hi! I was born here and I’m looking for the old hospital site… the one that was demolished in 2014.’ ‘I was born there too,’ said a bright bubbly woman of similar age. ‘Here, let me show you where it is on the map.’

When I found it, I stopped to sit beneath the shade of a tree…

Dry grasslands and the laundry room are all that remains

The Laundry was preserved due to the distinctive barrel vaulted curved roof… It’s now a space for special events and concerts

In the far right corner is a person’s belongings… I see him return later on his motorbike

Oh! That view… 180 degrees of the township, Mount Gambier

I would love to share with you my experience while there, however, I’ve written it into my latest memoir, scheduled for release 11.11.2025… I’ll share more about that in another post.

Have you visited the hospital site where your body appeared? If so, what was your experience?

Thank you for journeying with me on this road trip. In my next post I share what tried to hold me back from moving on. Until soon… may you feel the lightness in your steps and the courage in your heart to keep going; all storms eventually pass.

Love’s Harmonies,

Leanda Michelle ✍🏼📚