Blogs from Halls Gap, Victoria, Australia, Oceania

Halls Gap in the very heart of the Grampions and recognised the world over as a great place to base yourself whilst exploring the area.Only a small town with tourists adding greatly to the local revenue, it has all that is required for visitors and locals alike. Forestry and some agriculture are the mainstay for the local population which number just 700 people.Nestled at the foot of the Wonderland and MT William Ranges the town is within easy walking distance to some wonderful scenic tracks.Drive a little way out of town and you are in high country with stunning walks and cascading waterfalls. A drive up to the Mackenzie Falls reaches a car park where a short walk takes you to the viewing platform overlooking these majestic falls which are Victoria's largest and probably the most ... read more

Den gesamten Fahrtag über regnet es Bindfäden, und erst als wir gegen 15 Uhr an den Toren des Grampians Nationalpark ankommen, klart es etwas auf, sodass wir an der Visitor Information zum ersten Mal trockenen Fusses den Camper verlassen können. Okay trocken ist es jetzt.Aber verdammt kalt ist es auch. Wir sind im Hochland angekommen. Die Grampians bilden das westliche Ende der Great Dividing Range und erheben sich ziemlich unvermittelt aus der sonst flachen Ebene Victorias. Es gibt ein paar tolle Wanderwege, die wir gerne machen würden, aber dazu wäre natürlich Sonnenschein ganz nett.Optimistisch wie wir sind, holen wir uns also im Park eine Camping-Permit für 2 Nächte, und suchen uns einen schönen Stellplatz im Süden des Parks. Der Campground ist ziemlich einfach und so wird zum ersten Mal der Campingkocher angeworfen. dabei stellen wir leider ... read more

Geo: -37.1414, 142.519This morning we had a bit of a sleep-in as we have planned to have a relaxing day. Although we were still woken up early by the noisy birds who wanted to be fed. We got up at about 8, layered up and went outside to feed the birds. Like yesterday, there were a variety of birds waiting outside our cabin to be fed. We gave them a little bit of food and then made our breakfast. Just before 9am we left our cabin and drove the very short distance to the Brambuk Centre. From here we did a loop walk that went along Fyan's Creek. We saw so much wildlife - kangaroos, wallabies, emus and kookaburras. It was a slow walk and we stopped to take so many photos and enjoyed the close ... read more

We are actually in Victor harbour, not sure why blog wants to have me in Normanville ! Anyway, has a nice ring really doesn't it, 7, 9, 11...how good were they and how great it is to beat Collingwood in a Grand Final. Too Old, Too Slow that is what they all said at the beginning of the season, but in the end they were Too Good ! So we are under way. Leaving Woodend on the Sunday after the GF we are being accompanied by very good long time friends Neil and Faye Gronow, basically because they wanted to see us over the border and gone ! 'Absolutely' says Neil sitting beside me having the second of his morning coffees! We headed off up the Calder past Kyneton which was an emotional moment for both ... read more

The excitement today was an incredible hike in the Grampions National Forest to a place called the Pinnacle. It is a steady climb of 280 m over a distance of 2 km, but fortunately the weather was great - sunny and about 12 to 15C. The local area has "old" hills, with lots of errosion on the rock, so the views and terrain are incredibly interseting to walk through. Rock formations are similar to the Alberta badlands, or Arizona, but on a smaller scale. The starting point for the hike is a parking lot which you get to by driving up a steep winding mountain road, about 1 km west of Halls Gap. We hiked/climbed through a steep ascent portion called the Grand Canyon, and another small gorge called Silent Street. The trail in these areas ... read more