Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Grampians National
Park (Gariwerd)
The four greatest mountain ranges of the Grampians are the
Mt Difficult Range
in the north,
Mt William Range
in the east,
Serra Range
in the southeast and
Victoria Range
in the southwest.
They spread from Ararat to the Wartook Valley and from Dunkeld almost to Horsham.
Halls Gap
, the main accommodation base and service town, lies in the Fyans Valley. The
smaller
Wonderland Range
, close to Halls Gap, has some of the most splendid and accessible
outlooks, scenic drives, picnic grounds and gum-scented walks, such as those that go to
the Pinnacles or to Silverband Falls.
There are more than 150km of well-marked
walking tracks
, ranging from half-hour strolls
to overnight treks through difficult terrain, all starting from car parks, picnic grounds and
camping areas. For longer walks, let someone know where you're going (preferably the
Parks Victoria rangers).
One of the most popular sights is spectacular
MacKenzie Falls
. From the car park the steep
600m path leads to the base of the falls and a large plunge pool (no swimming). Other
popular places include
Boroka Lookout
, with views over Halls Gap and Lake Bellfield, and
Reed Lookout
with the short walk to the
Balconies
and views over Lake Wartook.
Zumstein Reserve
in the western Grampians is named after Walter Zumstein, a beekeeper
and naturalist who settled in the area in 1910 and developed it into a wildlife reserve.
There are picnic facilities, free electric barbecues and short walks.
Mt Stapylton
and
Hollow
Mountain
in the north are renowned as abseiling and rock-climbing spots.
During a ferocious heatwave across Victoria in mid-January 2014, a series of bushfires
swept through the Grampians region. Embers rained down on Halls Gap but an earlier-
than-expected wind change spared the town. The northern Grampians region was particu-
larly hardest hit with homes lost around Wartook and Brimpaen, while large swaths of
forest turned to ash in the areas around Mt Difficult. In spite of the fires, the Grampians
remains very much open for business - check with the various visitors centres and Parks
Victoria to see which, if any, trails are closed.
