Grampians

The Grampians are in North West Victoria, located 260km west of Melbourne.The Grampians are home to the Grampians National Park which is Australia's third largest park.The Grampians consist of four main ranges which are of about 100km's in distance. The Grampians offer stunning ranges of grey rock faces, hiking trails, waterfalls, native flora and fauna and sacred Aboriginal sites. The main centre of the Grampians is Halls Gap, with surrounding towns being Great Western, home to many wineries, Stawell and Ararat.

Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre
This centre offers a lot of information on the history and layout of Gariwerd (Aboriginal term for the Grampians).The focus is on active displays so tours and hands on activities are often organised throughout the week. There is a cafe here and souvenirs to purchase. (03 5356 4452).

Grampians National Park
This series of craggy,grey cliff faces interspersed with forest and water features is a great park to explore. There are many spectacular viewing points but, most require a fair bit of walking effort to get to. The park is also the best place to view Victoria's largest variety of wildflowers, with the best viewings being September and October.

Halls Gap
This is the only town located within the boundaries of the National Park and is a very popular holiday spot. It sits at the base of the Wonderland and Baronia ranges so the rock crags and bluffs seem to hang over the town. It is here you can access a lot of the walks, picnic areas and hill climbs. However if you don't feel energetic there are plenty of arts and crafts boutiques and cafes to enjoy.

Mount Abrupt
As the name suggests this mountain just pops out of nowhere. A popular climb in the Grampians area, it is an 827metre single peak, that is climbed on a steep winding track. It is likely to take two hours to climb so make sure you take a drink. Once at the top the 360 degree views are worth the climb. Mount Abrupt Road

The Wonderland Range
This area is to the west of Halls Gap and is great for hiking as it has long and short walks. The Pinnacle has panoramic vies and there are plenty of picnic areas to rest at.

MacKenzie Falls
These lovely falls are on a short, steep trail going down, they cascade over rocks and can be accessed off Mt. Victory Road

Zumstein Recreation Area
This area has plenty of walks, falls and picnic areas. It's a good one for all the family as the trails good and there are often plenty of kangaroos to see.