Grampians National Park is beautiful and most famous for its massive sandstones ridges that reach more than 3,830 feet tall. Two hundred thousand hectares of this parkland combine mountain ranges, with cliffs, an array of wildflowers, wildlife, and Aboriginal artwork. The park offers some incredible hiking with awe-inspiring views, scenic excursions, and excellent rock climbing.
How we ended up at Grampians National Park:
As I mentioned before, during this road trip nothing was planned. Every location happened spontaneously, and the bookings were made the night before. Grampians National Park was no exception. The reason we picked this particular park, was the sheer beauty and the overwhelming amount of positive reviews. I’ll tell you what they are all true! I wish I could have done a better job at showing how magical this place was through the photos I took.
The Hotel we choose:
To enjoy this park as much as possible we decided to spend one night at a hotel. Booking a cottage through airbnb.com at The Rocks Apartments, Halls Gap, Australia. It was everything we had hoped it would be. Located in the village of Halls Gap, viewed as the heart of the Grampians National Park. Conveniently, there are few shops, cafes, restaurants, a bakery, and a pharmacy near the apartments. What more could you want from a one night stay? As well as visit the Halls Gap Hotel, which is only a 3-minute walk from the apartments, serves as a perfect location to enjoy a delicious meal while watching the sunset over the picturesque Grampians mountain ranges. Love everything about the Australian hotels, they are all so clean and tidy and well equipped with everything needed. It feels great to be out and about in the wild prepared for anything.
First hike before heading to the hotel:
Arriving at the park by late afternoon, we didn’t have much time to explore. Quickly we decided to do a short hike, before the sunset. MacKenzie waterfalls of Mount Victoria Road ended up being the closets and the shortest walk to us. The falls have a few viewing points. The first is a one-kilometer path to the viewing platform at the Bluff (wheelchair accessible). The second and the most breathtaking is a steep trail full of steps to the base of the falls (30 minutes one way), although going back up is more enduring. Looking at the waterfalls at the bottom made everything that much better.
The second hike has the best viewing point of the valley:
Not doing a hike, round this part of Australia was not an option. We truly wanted to see the valley from above and the mountain ranges up close. Pinnacle is one of the most popular viewing points that offers a sweeping view of the valley below and an unbelievable sight of mountains. It does require a bit of hiking to be exact a 3.5 miles or 5.5km one way. From the Wonderland car park, flow the signs leading to the hike (Pinnacle). In the beginning, you will have a choice to hike through the Grand Canyon or around it (which is much faster). However, I recommend walking through the canyon, because it’s beyond amazing. The rocks look unreal, beautiful and something out of this world. Like a movie should be filmed here, or maybe some already did, and that is why everything so perfect because someone made it that way.
Tips before you hike any of the trails:
Use the toilet before heading for a walk. All the routes are out in nature, that means no bathrooms. The more popular hikes have loads of tourists and no opportunity to hide in the bushes to pee. Of courses If you’re a guy, then you’re in luck pee away.
Bring lunch with you. If your hiking to the base of the waterfall or doing a strenuous walk to the top of a mountain the view will be unbelievable and food will make it that much better.
To see a herd of kangaroos, drive down to the town center and go to the playground before the sunset. When the animals feel that the sun is almost gone down, they come out to eat, feed their little ones and hop around.
