The Grampians are ancient sandstone mountain ranges located I Victorias west. They are protected on the Australian National Heritage List as they are home to many ancient indigenous rock art sites and because of its natural beauty. The mountain ranges are packed with wildlife, aboriginal history, hiking trails, lookouts, four-wheel drive tracks, wineries and restaurants. Winter and spring are great times to visit, sunny days and cooler weather make it ideal for hiking to the many waterfalls and lookouts in the area. If you're not one to hike, there are lots of smaller trails you can take, or you can drive to many of the amazing lookouts. Halls Gap is the local town, there is a handy information centre which is combined as a cultural centre. There you can find information on tours and detailed maps of the area. It's also important to note the road conditions as weather, particularly bush fire season, may effect the road access. There are great cafe's, a bakery, good coffee, the most delicious hand made fudge and a decent pub with a large deck and a huge grassed area for the kids to run around.
There is a variety of accomodation options to choose from including chalets, bush cabins, caravan parks and campgrounds. We pulled up stumps and set up camp at a site we found on WikiCamps called Plantation Camp Ground. It's a free dog friendly camp on the outside of the National Park, a short drive to Halls Gap and the National Park. The camp has utilities - but they're bush style. Long drop toilets and an old bucket on a chain style shower. The grounds are surrounded by mountain ranges and bushland. Camp fires areas are at camp for your use and if you're lucky enough, youll find some fire wood in the area, but if you can, bring your own, it'll keep you warmer. You'll be greeted by kangaroos at dusk and sunrise at camp so be sure to pack up your food before bed and enjoy your stay!
