The Grampians, VIC

Leaving Bendigo on 22 March we drove south-west through Maryborough and Ararat before arriving in Halls Gap early afternoon. We booked into the caravan park in the centre of town at the base of the Grampians escarpment which was close to shops, eateries etc. It was also home to dozens of kangaroos and flocks of cockatoos and other birds so we really felt part of the mountains. That evening we enjoyed a few wines with some fellow campers around an open fire – very relaxing!




The following morning we drove up Victory Road until we reached Boroka Lookout which had viewing platforms perched well out over the escarpment providing wonderful views over Halls Gap and surrounds. We also visited Reed Lookout and the Balconies before reaching MacKenzie Falls. After first viewing MacKenzie Falls from the lookouts above we decided to walk down to the base of the Falls for another perspective. Although the descent was relatively steep, the well constructed pathways and sturdy handrails helped make it relatively easy although our leg muscles and knees got a good workout on the way down while the return journey was quite demanding on our cardio-vascular system! We also checked out Broken Falls, upstream of MacKenzie Falls, but not nearly as impressive before driving on to Zumstein. A gentle walk from the carpark took us through the former historic settlement which was developed by Walter Zumstein in the early 1900s as a tourist resort but which has now been left to return to its natural surrounds.

After our minor exertions yesterday we decided to enjoy a relatively easy day by driving north to the town of Stawell which, apart from being an historic town established in 1853, is more well-known for its annual Stawell Gift athletic race held every Easter. We browsed through the shops lining the main street and noted the brass plaques set into the footpath which commemorate the winners of the Stawell Gift since its inception in 1878. We then drove south-east to Ararat which was established in 1857 and is the only Australian town to have been founded by the Chinese. After another stroll through the town centre and a bite to eat we returned to Halls Gap stopping along the road to gather some wood for the evening fire.

The following morning we decided to attempt the challenging walk to the Pinnacle. It was only a 4.4km return walk from the car park however the first 2.2km was mostly all uphill taking us through the Grand Canyon and up Silent Street, an extremely narrow path between two rock faces. Finally reaching the Pinnacle 1hr 15min after leaving Wonderland car park we were rewarded with incredible views over Halls Gap and the surrounding countryside which made it all worthwhile. The return walk was much easier although still challenging in parts and of course nearly all downhill.

Soon after returning to Victory Road we took another turn off towards Silverband Falls which included a long section of winding one-way road through beautiful bushland. We then continued on to Mt William, the highest peak on the ranges. Unfortunately the road was blocked by a gate 2km from the peak so we decided to walk the remaining 2km which proved to be extremely steep and even more challenging than the walk to the Pinnacle. Although not as interesting a walk, being up a bitumen road, we were again rewarded with magnificent views over the surrounding mountains and plains. We finally decided to call it a day and returned to Halls Gap with a short stop at Lake Bellfield which was formed when a dam was constructed in the 1960s to provide water to Horsham and surrounding towns.

We decided to treat ourselves to dinner at the nearby Kookaburra Restaurant this evening - $29 for two courses including a drink. The meal was delicious and after returning to camp we joined friends around the fire where we soon witnessed one of the most unusual sights of our stay - about 20 kangaroos hopping along the main street of Halls Gap just on dusk! The evening was a fitting end to a wonderful few days in the Grampians.