Home » Towns » Donovans
Donovans

Donovans

Donovans is a tiny town nestled amongst the banks of the Glenelg River in South Australia; approximately 32km from Mount Gambier.

It was initially given the name of Donovans Landing, named after Thomas John Donovan, who became famous for shooting a phantom cat known as the Tantanoola Tiger.

Donovans Accommodation, Fishing, Camping & Landing, Glenelg River, SA

On the west side of the Glenelg River is a small settlement, while the area on the eastern side has been declared protected land; it’s now known as the Lower Glenelg River Conservation Park.

Most of the land in Donovans is used for agriculture. However, the settlement on the banks has been zoned for recreational use. Visitors flock to the area for the terrific fishing, river cruising, and water skiing nearby. Sheds and shacks can be found along the river, which are great places for relaxing.

Nearby, the 862-hectare Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park makes for a great day trip. This protected area is best known for its incredible cave diving and snorkelling, thanks to fantastic visibility. There are three main attractions underwater for cave divers: The First Pond, a 10-meter-deep open depression, features a highly vegetated fringe which serves as home to numerous types of marine life. The Chasm refers to a sinkhole that’s over 100 meters in depth, then there’s the Cathedral, which is an enclosed area made of limestone formations; 35 meters in depth.

Those who are interested in snorkelling or diving at Piccaninnie Ponds should obtain a permit first. Some of the marine life here includes native plants and seaweed, eels, shrimp, and freshwater fish.

About the author

Michael Jones

Michael created and runs the Mount Gambier Point website, as well as the Holiday Point travel brand that incorporates a network of 16 location based travel information and attraction websites around Australia, Asia, and around the world.

With 25+ years of online experience and a passion for travel (having been born in Mount Gambier, lived there and reguarly visits family), Michael not only researches and writes content for the website, he also tinkers behind the scenes with the website functionality & design.

Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions.

Do You Have a Question to Ask?

Click Here to Ask a Question

Weather Forecast

MOUNT GAMBIER WEATHER

Upcoming Events