Halls Gap is a village, popular with tourists, nestled in the Grampians in western Victoria about a 3 hr drive from Melbourne. The Grampians are a series of rugged sandstone mountain ranges rich in beautiful scenery, forests, wildlife, waterfalls, bushwalking tracks, lookouts and also nearby wineries. It’s also a very popular rock-climbing destination and great in spring for the wildflowers.
McKenzie Falls
From our place, Halls Gap is about a 3.5 hour drive away so we left reasonably early and got there just before midday. Absolutely stunning weather, sunny skies and an expected maximum of 27⁰C – win! Quickly grabbing a map and some sandwiches we headed up to one of the most popular attractions in the area – Mackenzie Falls, about a 30-40 min drive away. The walk to the bottom of the falls is quite steep with lots of steps but with a good track, although very crowded on the day we were there. There is a good lookout to view the falls not too far into the way down to the base which would be good for anyone not too able.
I have had an annoying Achilles tendon issue and so just visited the higher falls just above the main ones which was were very nice and we entertained ourselves watching some teenagers climbing up the rocks and jumping off and I practiced using my new tripod. Will visit the main falls at the bottom of the walk when my Achilles heel has recovered! There are some nice picnic areas around too.
Lookouts
Keen to make the most of the nice day (which wasn’t to last over the weekend), we quickly made our way over to Reid’s Lookout and the Balconies. This was a great spot! Fantastic scenery and views everywhere you looked. And a great 1km walk to the Balconies (see pics 2 and 3 below). The Balconies are rock formations that look like – you guessed it – balconies! And along the walk are other great viewing spots and rock formations too. Really loved this spot and the walking tracks are not steep. Probably the best views in the region.
Last stop for the day was Boroka Lookout which has stunning views over Halls Gap, its reservoir, the Wonderland Range and Mt William range and plains to the east (see the first pic above). This lookout is situated next to the car park is so ideal for anyone not very able. There is also a 5km track back down to the Halls Gap village. Seeing as the road to this lookout is about 15 windy kms from the village, you probably won’t arrive in the township much after anyone that drives back down!
Halls Gap food and accommodation
After our explorations, we booked into our accommodation at the Pinnacle Holiday Lodge. Typical country-style accommodation in that it was quite big and comfortable if somewhat dated décor. We had a bedroom with king size bed and bathroom and a large living area with kitchenette. Literally our room was just a few metres from the main street. So morning coffee/ breakfast or evening meal just metres away. Also kangaroos all around the grounds! We would stay there again.
We had a nice meal at the restaurant next door – the Quarry restaurant. Meal took a while to come but it was very nice once it arrived. Clearly the wine was very good too as we polished off the bottle quite quickly! And then just 45 steps to our room afterwards (yes I counted!). So today was really good start to our long weekend.
Venus Baths and Rock Pools
Next morning was my birthday. Unfortunately the weather gods did not see fit to bless me with great weather. It was fine and overcast for most of the morning which was great because we went for a short walk to the Venus Baths and Rock Pools. Such a pretty area. In times of high rainfall the little pools all link up to be a sort of water slide!
After this the weather deteriorated rapidly with high winds and heavy rain. So suitable time for eating, sleeping and reading! About 4 o’clock the sun came out, so off we went again to the Venus Baths and rock pools to see it in sunshine. Far too many people though this time so I’m glad we went in the morning. Bit of a general rule for anything really – go early!
Had my birthday dinner in a place that was not really very nice. Little disappointing. But the Halls Gap is packed for the long weekend and hard to get in anywhere and really you don’t go to Halls Gap for the food. So I’m pretending that the night before was actually my birthday dinner!
Time for a Halls Gap Winery
Following morning, weather OK. Overcast with a few spots of rain, with the sun peeping out every now and then. So we thought we would finish off the day our holiday visiting one of the local wineries: Halls Gap Estate with the Fallen Giants Vineyard. Apparently they had a big day yesterday with hundreds of people and entertainment and caterers but today it was quiet and we were the only ones there about 11am or so. Which was great because we actually got to have quite a good chat to Keith (looking after the cellar door) and Ian (one of the owners).
I really like going to smaller wineries sometimes because you get to chat to people whereas some of the big cellar doors can be a bit like a factory line and quite rushed with the tastings. We finished off our time there with a glass of Shiraz (which was very good) and a cheese platter, watching the birds trying to get through the netting on the vines. It’s just about harvest time so the bundles of grapes are looking pretty good.
So overall really enjoyed our time here and will not leave it so long before we come again. Hopefully my Achilles tendon will be better next time and we can do a bit more. There really is a lot more to do than is mentioned above and the area is just so stunning and beautiful. For overseas visitors coming to Melbourne I would really recommend coming to stay for at least a night, hopefully two if you have the time.
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Great post Jenny in one of my favourite spots in Victoria. The Grampians should be on everyone’s to do list when visiting Oz.
Thanks so much Miriam! Yes it really is a special area. And big enough so that there is more for us to discover on our next trip too 🙂
Hi Jenny
Thanks for this very inspiring post . While we have travelled broadly throughout Australia, we have not been to the Grampians. In recent times we have spoken about wanting to visit. We don’t know a lot about the Grampians, but we have heard that it is a must visit place in Victoria. Reading this blog post certainly has cemented my intention to visit. Loved your pics. The area is so beautiful, particularly the Venus Baths & rock pools. 👏👏👏
Thanks so much Estelle. I’m so glad my post has inspired you, as that is my aim! And the Venus Baths and Rock Pools are only a short walk from the main street.
What a wonderful adventure you have had, Jenny! I have never visited Australia but the more I read about this country from travel bloggers such as yourself and others , I am inspired to visit!
I hope to, one day” Enjoyed reading this. 🙂
Thanks very much Georgina. I’m glad to hear that! It’s a big country – something for everyone!