Grampions and Portland

---

Yesterday we had the most fantastic weather. Just a beautiful day. We had camped at Hynes Reserve. A good cheap camp with power and showers( the hot water did not work) We booked for 2 nights as a base for the Grampions. Set out the morning north and then east through a gap in the mountains and over a saddle to Halls Gap. Stopped on the way at a lookout point - Reeds Point - and took some wonderful photos looking down on the basin between the ranges. Quite spectacular. We moved on to Halls Gap and had out sandwich lunch there before doubling back about 10km to turn north to a lookout point we had missed. The photo of Liesel and I is taken from there. Very high up looking down on the valley. Amazing how you can still hear the cars down in the valley from way up there. Reminds me of looking down at a passing train in Switzerland in the same situation and being able to hear it clearly. From Halls Gap it was over 120 km back to our caravan on some very back roads.

This morning we packed up and departed early for Portland. Stopped along the way for a coffee at Cavendish. A very small place with the most expensive coffee so far - $5.50. In Portland our first stop was at the Information. Just across the road was a stop for their local tram, which we took for an introduction to the town. The coach is an original from the old Melbourne Tram days. It was found being used as a chicken coop and lovingly restored. The power is now a Cummings Diesel and not the cable system used originally in Melbourne.

After parking the van in a small caravan park in the centre of town we set off to see the lighthouse at Cape Nelson and then the petrified forest and blow holes at Cape Bridgewater. The blow holes were not so spectacular - would have been better if it were high tide. But the forest was interesting. It is not petrified wood but limestone and sand caused by erosion of the limestone combining with the surrounding sand and forming the "pipes."

---

Photos

WP_20160616_16_08_36_Pro
Petrified Forest

WP_20160615_Halls Gap - Copy
View looking down on Halls Gap

WP_20160616_11_50_34_Pro - Copy
Portland Tram

WP_20160615_09_02_52_Pro
View from our camp at Hynes

WP_20160615_10_16_02_Pro
View from a lookout on the Grampions

Comments

[Cecile]

Portland
Fantastic view from Halls Gap it is pretty damn high. Quaint tram, so it does not run on tracks ? Thanks.