Mount Schank, South Australia

Mount Schank is a dormant volcanic crater located in the south-eastern region of South Australia, close to Mount Gambier. The place was named after Admiral John Schank, who was actually a designer of Jame’s Grant’s ship.

Presently, Mount Schank is considered as one of the Australian tourist hotspots. This volcano was active during the Holocene epoch or approximately 5,000 years ago. The volcano has a basic ash cone of approximately hundred metres high with the crater base extended till the water table; hence, Mount Schank doesn’t have any crater lakes like Mount Gambier.

The Mount Schank consists of two small adjunct craters close to the major cone. The northern carter is a circular 300m carter, whereas, the older partially overlapped southern crater is of 200m in diameter.

Any lava eruption in the past had resulted in rapid cooling due to the contact with seawater. This is the evidence for the fact that Mount Schank area was covered by the sea in the past.

Today, the volcano is approximately 15 km north of the seashore. Tourists come here to enjoy the scenic views of the volcanic landscapes of Mount Schank and the walking trails across the stony pathways adjacent to the volcanoes.

Apart from the numerous activities at the volcanic landscape, guests can go on picnics near Mount Schank. The picnic areas offer tables, play areas and a small carpark site as well.

A number of tourists come to Mount Schank to enjoy a number of scenic drives to check out the most panoramic views of the landscape.