After looking up The Grampians well before our trip to Australia I had high expectations for it but with the penguin parade being a little bit of a let down I was worried. However, I needn’t not be…
It was an early start, we had to be in the city for a 7AM pick up. The White Night Festival (7pm – 7am) was just finishing so we were caught amongst a lot of very tired/drunk looking people – that was an interesting experience.
Our tour guide, Courtney met us at the Immigration Centre and was very cheerful and sprightly for the time it was. Totally my cup of tea, but probably not for everyone, especially those that looked like they’d just rolled out of bed. We had a 3hr drive ahead of us, for the majority of which Courtney chatted away over her microphone, again I was loving all the interesting facts she was telling us!
We stopped just over half way at Beaufort, a small village in the middle of nowhere, for some morning refreshments and a toilet break before doing the final leg of the journey.
We arrived into Halls Gap in just over 2.5hrs and were dropped at Brambuk, the National Park and Aboriginal Cultural Centre. A really interesting centre, not only in the aboriginal displays but also the actual design of the building was so unique. For example, the exterior of the centre is shaped like a cockatoo!
Pizza was on the menu for lunch, so so SO much better than a ham roll! We ate on the green in Halls Gap and then wandered over to the vintage car show that we didn’t know was on – an extra added bonus, if you really like cars that is.
After lunch it was time to go up into The Grampians! Eek! Mackenzie Falls was our first stop. The steps down seemed so easy and the view at the bottom was just incredible. The journey up again however was not so fun, I really need to improve my fitness levels…
The Jaws of Death that overlooked The Balconies was next up. Farley and I walked a lot quicker than the rest of the group so went on ahead to the look out. There was nobody there when we reached the viewpoint, and again it was breathtaking, especially with the silence of nobody around us. If your with a tour group then definitely get ahead, it gives you a better opportunity to get some good pictures before the mad rush!
Our final viewpoint was Boroka Lookout. Another absolutely spectacular view overlooking The Grampians. It was tempting to climb over the barrier and take one of those pictures you see on Instagram where your lying on the rocks, but totally not worth the risk! Plus, Courtney would have probably shouted at me.
I really didn’t want to go back as there was so much more to explore and plus I was not looking forward to the long journey back to Melbourne. Farley volunteered me to sit at the front so he could have extra legroom and Courtney had someone to talk. It was actually great having a chat with her and getting lots of tips for the next part of our adventure.
I would like to go back to The Grampians at my own leisure and have more time to explore because it is so big and there is so much to see! Anyone in Victoria should definitely put this on their list of things to do, trust me it is beautiful!
Speak soon.
Steph
