VICTORIA'S
GREAT DRIVING TOURS AND HERITAGE TOWNS
WEEKEND DRIVE... Grampians National Park
Where: take Western Fwy/Hwy to Ararat and turn off at the Pomonal Road. It's three hours drive to Halls Gap village.
What to do: From the scenic undulations of Ararat-Pomonal Road the Grampian’ rugged peaks emerge from the background, a deep blue eucalyptus haze imparting a deceptive two-dimensional, cardboard cut-out appearance. The road passes through Hall’s Gap, the village in the heart of the Grampians.
An iconic gem of western Victoria’s scenery, the Grampians are a range of sandstone peaks tall enough to create their own micro-climate and weathered over millennia into dramatic shapes bursting with unique botany and myriad wildlife. Bushfires in early 2007 burned out a large tract of the forest, but since winter rains have fallen in the region, natural regeneration has commenced and a green tinge has returned.
The first European visitor to the region was Major Thomas Mitchell, the Surveyor-General of NSW. In 1836, he climbed and named the highest peaks in the ranges, discovering ample fresh water in the Grampians’ lakes and rivers. These reliable supplies were pivotal to settlement of surrounding farmlands a few years later.
While Mitchell named the range after the Grampians in his home country of Scotland, today they’re also known by their traditional aboriginal name, Gariwerd.
The 167,000-hectare Grampians National Park is perhaps best known for the variety and beauty of its wildflowers, seen at their best between August and November. More than a thousand species of ferns and flowering plants can be found here; at least eighteen species are endemic to the region. Within minutes of leaving Halls Gap, bushwalkers can plunge into dense rainforests on trails that lead through ferny glades to waterfalls and scenic lookouts.
The village is within easy driving and hiking distance of the Wonderland Forest Park, Boroka and Reeds Lookout, McKenzie Falls, Lake Bellfield and Zumsteins Park. Taking a daypack with water and food to picnic amid the birds, flowers and animals of Wonderland is a memorable experience. There are over a hundred species of birds here, and scores of animals commonly spotted are kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, snakes, possums and platypus. The rare brush-tailed rock wallaby is sometimes seen near water at the end of a hot day.
There are a number of year-round dirt roads open to conventional vehicles in all but the wettest weather, when a 4WD is essential. Maps are available from the general store in Halls Gap. Accommodation here ranges from camping grounds to five-star villas.
Significant aboriginal art sites are dotted around the Grampians; as an insight to the region’s earliest inhabitants, visit the fascinating Brambuk Cultural Centre. Some art sites are readily accessible – as long as you’re prepared to drive, map-read and walk a few hundred metres.
A trip to the Grampians wouldn’t be complete without driving south towards Dunkeld. The ranges are 95km long and 55km wide and the road follows a beautiful stretch of the Southern Grampians called the Serra Range. Take the winding Victoria Valley scenic road along the mountains, past towering Mount Abrupt to the quiet little town. Dunkeld has accommodation, and walking trails extend into the ranges from here.
Stay at:
Marwood, Halls Gap, s/c luxury for couples, spa, plus small restaurant and room service!.
Boroka Downs, Pomonal Road, luxururious s/c cottages for couples, spa, kangaroos.
The Grampians National park is located 260km north-west of Melbourne, off the Western Highway, a three hour drive. Halls Gap has supermarket, general store, shops, bakery, fuel. Driving on Grampians roads at dusk can be hazardous due to wildlife numbers. Return to Melbourne via Hamilton Highway through Mortlake and Geelong. Further information from DCNR Halls Gap on (03)5356 4381, or Stawell & Grampians Tourist office (03)5358 2314.
©PETER ROBINSON 2007
see my images at www.australianplaces.net
For the past
25 years Peter Robinson has travelled far and wide but Australia,
being home, is his first love. As an experienced travel writer
and professional photographer, his wealth of knowledge is revealed
in travel and accommodation reviews that have freelance integrity
and honesty. The main focus of this site is to present brief reviews
of a select group of places to stay for the weekend. Each place
has been visited at least once and evaluated for high standards
before inclusion - and after reviewing over 600 places Peter has
done the hard work so you can enjoy Great
Weekends Away.
