Come to find your fortune?

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We left the Great Ocean Road and moved further inland. Travelling through brown barren farmland, we came to some extinct volcanoes covered in tall eucalyptus trees. The Grampians National Park is looked after mainly by Aboriginals. There was a strong eerie and wild atmosphere as we entered the forest. The trees were black, marked by a recent bushfire. Hall's Gate was a very touristic town in the middle of the National Park. Apparently it was quieter than usual because of the bushfire that had happened not so long ago. However, people come here not only to see the striking views and go for walks, but to visit the old caves with numerous Indigenous paintings. The information centre there is also an Aboriginal centre, informing the tourists about the surrounding land and its original people. It is also a place for Aboriginals to meet and have conferences.
A couple hours from the Grampians National Park, is the famous town Ballarat. After 200 years, both the Europeans and Chinese continue to flock to this particular area in Victoria. The largest gold nuggets in the world have been found here since 1851, the second largest coming from Ballarat and weighing 69 kg (found by Cornish people)! Gold can still be found here today. We visited Sovereign Hill, a town museum set in the 1850s, which charmingly teaches about the Gold Rush. It is another exciting place one must visit in Victoria! Both adults and children can enjoy going back in time and exploring the 19th century high street with horse and carts driving through, gossiping with the 'locals' (actors and actresses dressed up), as well as visiting the gold mines. There was a stream that teemed with people of various ages, desperately panning for flecks of gold, which are put into tiny bottles of water. One can also watch a smelter pour glowing gold into a bar mould and cooling it in water. The 99.99% pure gold bar left everyone staring in wonder and awe :D
Check out www.sovereignhill.com.au

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Photos

black eucalytpus trees
A walk through the Grampians National Park

At the top of a mountain
In the Grampians National Park

On the way to Ballarat
Some of the brown landscape that we saw a lot in Victoria