We rolled into Halls Gap and booked into the NRMA caravan park just outside town — great vibe, great people, and instantly felt like the right base for a proper stay. First mission: head up the main road to Reids Lookout. One walk in and we were hooked. The Grampians are something else.
That night the winds came off the ranges like a freight train. Huge gusts hammering the Ultimate, rocking us around, another night of barely any sleep and getting up to tie on extra ropes. By morning we’d had enough — rang Darren and ordered a storm pole set, express courier straight to the park. Booked five nights and settled in to wait it out.
We hit the National Parks Info Centre — brilliant place, full of history and local knowledge — then wandered the dam wall at Lake Bellfield.
Gave us a whole new perspective of the ranges and definitely whet the whistle for what was coming.
A quieter day followed: Silverband Falls, Venus Baths, and two tired humans after the previous night’s chaos.
Next day was better. Back up to the northern end for more waterfalls and wildflowers everywhere — the place was exploding with colour.
Saturday, we ducked into Stawell for a bit of shopping… dreaming. Everything closed. WT. So we looped back via Bunjil’s Shelter, one of Victoria’s most significant First Nations sites. Bunjil the creator, his two dingoes — powerful, thought‑provoking stuff.
More walks the next day: Clematis Falls, emus on the track, and our first dinner out — the local pizza joint. Yummy. (Still miss my weekly homemade pizzas though.)
Then we got serious. Grand Canyon
and The Pinnacle. What a day. One of those walks that stays with you — raw beauty, big climbs, big views. Huge morning, so we took the arvo off.
Next day: Boroka Lookout, Wartook Lookout, part of the track toward Werdug Camp, and yes… another pizza. Big day. We thought the storm poles weren’t going to arrive, but they rocked up that arvo — which meant our time in the Grampians was suddenly up.
This place was a highlight of the whole journey. Longest stay in one spot, and it left us refreshed, grounded, and a bit awestruck. Our phones recorded over 43 km of walks, but I reckon we did more. So much fun. Short post because the photos really do the talking.
Next morning we headed south. Cold start, rolled through Lake Learmonth on the way to Ballarat. Thought about staying on the lake but it was too open and windy. Maybe I was on a bit of a downer after the Grampians — Ballarat felt too big, too busy — so we only stayed the one night
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