Melbourne Road Trip Day 4 – Hike to The Pinnacle in the Grampians

14 May 2019

We came to Grampians National Park to do some hiking and we hiked to The Pinnacle on our second day in the park.

We had already done a hike to a Pinnacles Lookout earlier in our trip. Unlike the Pinnacles Lookout at Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island, the Pinnacle at Grampians is one of the most spectacular vantage points in the Grampians National Park.

The Pinnacle Lookout at Grampians National Park.

Ways to get to The Pinnacle

According to the Grampians travel guide, there are a few ways to get to The Pinnacle.

1. Walk from the Sundial car park.

Distance: 4.2 km return

Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

Points of interest: Pretty views along the walk, Pinnacle Lookout

Easiest walk to reach The Pinnacle, best option if bringing children

Sundial car park has picnic tables and toilets

2. Walk from the Wonderland car park.

Distance: 4 km return

Time: 3 hours

Difficulty: Moderate / hard - steep, rocky areas

Points of interest: Grand Canyon, Cool Chamber, Bridal Veil Falls, Silent Street, Pinnacle Lookout

More challenging walk to reach The Pinnacle

Wonderland car park has toilets

3. Walk from the Halls Gap Botanical Garden.

Distance: 9.4 km return

Time: 5 hours

Starting point: Halls Gap Botanical Garden (Venus Baths walk)

Difficulty: Moderate / hard - long walk, steep, rocky areas

Points of interest: Botanical Gardens, Stoney Creek, Venus Baths, Splitters Falls, Grand Canyon, Cool Chamber, Bridal Veil Falls, Silent Street, Pinnacle Lookout

Most challenging walk to reach the Pinnacle

From Wonderland Car Park to the Grand Canyon

We chose to start our hike from the Wonderland car park since this is the most popular and interesting route. It was 10 AM when we started out, with perfect weather for our hike.

A signboard at the starting point informed us that the distance is 5.5 km return with an elevation gain of 280 m (almost equivalent to climbing a 90 storey building).

Interesting rock formation seen near the starting point.

About 200 metres into the walk, we arrived at the entrance to the Grand Canyon, the first point of interest along this trail.

Hiking through the “Grand Canyon”

We followed a stream and cross a footbridge into the Grand Canyon. This is not the famous Grand Canyon in USA but nevertheless is still a rocky canyon with interesting landscape and hiking trail.

Skipping over rocks to cross a stream.

Towering rock faces in the Grand Canyon.

We saw a group of local school children with their teachers in the canyon on a rock climbing expedition. We stopped to watch two boys scaled up the almost vertical canyon wall while their mates cheer them on. These local kids are tough. 

We continued our ascend along the Grand Canyon. The trek up involves some rock steps, slippery rocks surfaces and some rock hopping.

 

Safety railings and hand-holds are provided at some tricky parts of the trail.

We had to pass beneath these two large rocks leaning on each other….

…and go up some steep metal staircases.

Rocky steps leading out of the Grand Canyon.

We took a flight of rocky steps up and left the Grand Canyon.

We entered into a stretch of open rocky terrain. We followed yellow triangular markers painted on the rock surfaces.

From “Grand Canyon” to “Silent Street"

We passed two of the “attractions” on this trail called the Cool Chamber and Bridal Veil Falls.

The Cool Chamber offers some shade and is supposed to be a cool place on a hot day. 


Bridal Veil Falls - just a trickle.


Some open rock terrain. Good rubber sole shoes needed. These rocks would be slippery when wet.

Some other hikers on the same trail.

 

 

Hiking through the “Silent Street”

The next point of interest along the trail is a narrow gorge called the “Silent Street”. A flight of metal stairs led down to the very narrow gorge.

Entrance to the “Silent Street”.

At some places, the gorge is only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time.

I enjoyed walking through this part of the trail. As times, it almost felt like we were creeping through a cave or crack in the cliffs.

Emerging from Silent Street.

The Pinnacle Lookout

After emerging from the “Silent Street”, there were more rock hopping and steep climbs. We knew we were nearing the top when we felt the chilly winds.

Heading towards the sounds of excited voices, we soon arrived at The Pinnacle’s viewing point. 

Making my way to the Pinnacle viewing platform. It is a rocky spur jutting out from the jagged cliff faces.

Even though I am safely behind the metal barriers, my heart was pounding as I made up way to the tip of the rock spur jutting out of the steep rock cliffs. I am not sure if it was from the exertions getting to the top or my fear of heights or both.

The views from viewing platform were stunning. It is one of the very best vantage points in the Grampians National Park for terrific scenic views over a vast expanse of western Victoria.

View of Halls Gap below the steep cliff.

View to Lake Bellfield which is a local water supply source and is about 5km from Halls Gap.

The steps leading the Pinnacle viewing platform.

Once again, we saw people risking lives just to get a photo to show off to their friends.

We seek shelter from the cold wind behind a large rock and ate our rations of Snickers and water. There were many groups of hikers around the Pinnacle.  Most was enjoying the views, taking photos or getting a well-earned rest.

Was the views worth the effort?

Definitely yes for us. We enjoyed the journey to the top as well.

Returning to the Wonderland Car Park

We returned via the way we came. Going down was easier on the lungs but not our aging knees.

Somewhere near the Bridal Veil Falls, my wife realised that her Ray-ban sunglasses was not with her. We reckoned it was dropped while we were resting at the peak. We reckoned that chances of finding it would be slim, even if we made our way back up to the top.

It was a good thing we stopped to watch a man doing rock-climbing.

Soon thereafter, a couple on their way down caught up with us and asked if we had dropped a pair of sunglasses. They told us they had been checking with everyone they met on their way down.

Hurrah!

The sunglasses was reunited with the owner. My wife was the most relieved and could not thank the kind couple enough.

We ended our hike at the Wonderland car park and spend the rest of the day in a happy mood at Halls Gap. 

Where we stayed in Grampians

The best place to stay when visiting the Grampians National Park is at Halls Gap, the village at heart of the park. It is best to book the accommodation in Halls Gap early, especially during the peak summer period.

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Melbourne Road Trip Day 4 – Free and easy in Halls Gap

14 May 2019

After a morning hike to the Pinnacle, we returned to Halls Gap. At Halls Gap, we stopped by a field with loads of wild kangaroos.

These kangaroos, although wild, are used to humans that thronged through Halls Gap. We kept a safe distance to watch and photograph them while they grazed, napped and fed their young.

After viewing the kangaroos, we rewarded ourselves with a late lunch at Paper Scissors Rock Brew Co. Besides beer and ales, this restaurant serves excellent Asian-inspired pub food.

We ordered the slow braised pork cheek with Asian Herbs, crispy shallots and prawn cracker powder (AUD 16) and Beer Fried Chicken on Mac and Cheese waffle, bacon crumb and sriracha sour cream (AUD 18).

The beer fried chicken is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Yum.  However, the mac and cheese crepes was a bit burnt. Hence some bits were hard.

The pork cheek dish was excellent. Highly recommended.

We spent the afternoon strolling around the village of Halls Gap. Halls Gap is a quiet place during the weekday afternoon in May.

There were quite a lot of wildlife to be seen and photographed. We saw flocks of noisy cockatoos flying overhead but they were too quick and far away to be photographed.

The birds in Australia are pretty. We saw pigeons with spiky feathers on their head. Even the ravens looked different from those we had seen back home.

A pair of Kookaburras.

Duck by the stream in Halls Gap.

This handsome Samoyed is someone’s pet. Could not resist taking a photo of it.

There was a pair of emu, grazing with some wild kangaroos and deer.

Free ranging deer at Halls Gap.

Autumn foliage at Halls Gap.

Even the ravens in Australia looked kind of pretty in black and white plumage. These guys were hoping for hand-outs as I enjoyed by afternoon tea outside our hotel room.

While wandering around Halls Gap, we checked out a few restaurants and made reservation for dinner at the popular bar and bistro called Kookaburra Hotel. Located right in the centre of Halls Gap, the Kookaburra Hotel offers fabulous food, great local wines and a relaxed atmosphere with a fireplace by our dining table.

I was tempted to pre-order their baked duckling that takes 45 minutes to prepare. The duckling is baked until crispy and served with a cream, brandy and green peppercorn sauce. There is also kangaroo fillet in the menu.

Instead of duck or kangaroo, we ordered the 250g Angus eye fillet (AUD 41) and stewed beef cheeks (AUD 34).

Angus Eye Fillet Steak with garlic butter. Served with baked potatoes and vegetables.

Beef cheeks slowed cooked in red wine, celery, carrots, onion and star anise. Served with garlic mash and vegetables.

This restaurant served excellent Australian beef dishes - a must-eat while in Australia.

Where we stayed in Grampians

The best place to stay when visiting the Grampians is at Halls Gap, the village at heart of the national park. There are caravan parks, campgrounds and the usual motels, lodges and hotels.

We stayed at the Kookaburra Motor Lodge (not the same as Kookaburra Hotel where we had dinner). Room Tip: The Kookaburra Motor Lodge has mountain-view rooms that face a large field with wild roaming kangaroos and views of the mountains. Try to book these rooms although it may cost slightly more.

It is best to book the accommodation in Halls Gap early, especially during the peak summer period.

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Melbourne Road Trip Day 5 – Driving the Great Ocean Road near Port Campbell

15 May 2019

The Great Ocean Road, one of the world's most scenic coastal drives, extends over 200 km between Torquay and Allansford near Warrnambool.

Many visitors to Melbourne visit the Great Ocean Road as a very hectic day trip with one of the many bus tour companies. I think the best way to appreciate the Great Ocean Road is to do a multi-day self-drive road trip and go at our own pace.

There are many itineraries for a self-drive road trip. We chose to do a 2 to 3 days road trip starting from Warrnambool and proceed down south and east towards Torquay, with overnight stays in Port Campbell and Lorne before heading to the Melbourne International Airport on the 3rd day for our flight home.

Getting to the Great Ocean Road

After 2 nights stay in Grampians National Park, we drove southwards towards Warrnambool via Dunkeld and Penhurst. 

The day started with a cool and misty morning in Halls Gap, the village centre in the Grampians where we stayed. 

Misty morning at Halls Gap, where we stayed in the Grampians National Park.

View from our bedroom in the morning.

We had breakfast in our room. While enjoying the peace and serenity of the Grampians, I was also thinking about the drive ahead from the rocky mountains to the blue ocean. It would mostly be on scenic country roads and passing through forests, farms, small towns and villages.

We enjoyed clear weather once we left the valley in the Grampians and drove along the C216 towards Dunkeld. It was a scenic and enjoyable drive through the C216 to Dunkeld and C178 all the way to A1 highway that runs parallel to the southern coast.

Lunch at Warrnambool

It started to rain slightly as we approached Warrnambool along the A1. Warrnambool would be our rest and lunch stop before hitting the Great Ocean Road. We figured there would be more options and eateries in a large town like Warrnambool than along the Great Ocean Road.

The first place to that we picked for our lunch, a pizza place called Standard Dave Pizza, was not opened. We went to an Italian Restaurant called the Bottega Toscana Italian Pizza and Pasta instead.

This restaurant serves authentic Italian food. We were their first customer for the day and we were told that we had to wait for about 20 minutes while the owner/chef starts up the oven for the pizza. 

We ordered a pizza and a pasta dish. The regular sized pizza and small pasta was just right for 2 persons to share.

The garlic prawn pizza is northern Italy style with thin crust. The cheese and fresh rocket salad were added after the pizza was cooked.

Pork belly cooked in peas, cream and own-made Tagliatelle pasta. This dish tasted better than it looked.

I almost got fined for unpaid parking in Warrnambool, the largest city along the road. After a few days of free parking in Phillip Island, Dandenong and Grampians, I forgot that parking along the city streets in Warrnambool is not free. It was halfway through my meal when I noticed the parking meter outside the restaurant. I stopped feeding myself and rushed out to feed the parking meter instead.

The friendly owner of the Bottega chatted with us and recommended that we go to Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve where koalas are often spotted. After checking the time and distance, we decided to give Tower Hill a miss since it was not on the way to Port Campbell.

Once lunch was done, it was time to hit the Great Ocean Road. There are several attractions along the Great Ocean Road that we planned to see before staying the night at Port Campbell. They are:

• The Bay of Islands
• The Grotto
• The London Bridge
• The Arch
• The 12 Apostles

The Bay of Islands

Our first stop along the Great Ocean Road was the Bay of Islands, near Peterborough. Arriving at about 1 PM, there were few other tourists at this place. In fact, most bus tour groups would not come to this site.

There are a few viewing platforms at the Bay of Islands Coastal Park giving us different perspectives of the islands in the bay.

The sun peeped from behind the clouds just as we were at the viewing platforms. The views of the red and beige sandstone coloured islands and rock stacks in the blue water bay were impressive. A rainbow could be seen in the horizon. A sign that some rain was imminent.







I have only seen pictures of the 12 Apostles but I think this place more than matches the more famous 12 Apostles in terms of beauty and awe. In addition, there were no busloads of tourists to be seen.

The Grotto

Continuing eastwards along the B100 or better known as the Great Ocean Road for another 10 km, we arrived at the Grotto’s car park. 

Donning our weather proof jackets, we braved the light rain to walk to the Grotto.

An information board explained how the grotto was formed by erosion from the coast and from inland and not due to the ocean waves. The cliffs in this part of the coast were mostly limestone. Weak acidic water dissolved the limestone over millions of years to form a sinkhole and then eventually a grotto or cave.

A wooden boardwalk ran parallel to the coast and then downwards into the sinkhole.

Boardwalk leading down to the Grotto.

Another sinkhole and crashing waves outside the Grotto.

The rain god blessed us by stopping the rain as we arrived at the Grotto. We were the only persons at the Grotto. 

Part archway, part cave. The Grotto is a surprisingly peaceful little hideaway despite the crashing waves on the sea-cliffs outside.

It was amazing how this place felt so peaceful and isolated while the ocean waves were crashing on the rocks just a few hundred meters away.

London Bridge

London Bridge has fallen down!

What used to be a headland with double arches is now an island with a single arch when the main arch collapsed suddenly in 1990. A reminder that the cliffs along this coast are unstable due to erosion and constant battering by the sea and weather.

We read that no one was killed or hurt when the arch collapsed. However, a couple was trapped in the newly formed island. They were successfully rescued by helicopter.

Viewing platforms to observe the waves and beautiful seascape. A nice place to sit and relax.

The Arch

The Arch is a naturally sculptured piece of rock that stood at 8 metres high. It is a matter of time before the wave action erodes the rock further and makes it crash into the ocean.

The Arch - an attraction along the Great Ocean Road.

A short track from the car park leads to the viewing platform where we could see waves pounding the rocks below.

This was the last attraction we saw before driving to Port Campbell. We did not stop at Port Campbell as we wanted to see the 12 Apostles in the hours before sun set.  

The 12 Apostles

The 12 Apostles is one of the most famous attractions along this stretch of the Great Ocean Road. Only 8 of the rock stacks remained standing, four have fallen since their discovery.

Compared to the other attractions, this place was full of people. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful place to visit, especially during the hours before sunset.

The sun was playing hide and seek behind the low clouds. Although the ever changing lighting condition was a challenge for photography, it also provided some nice opportunities.

The sun showed its face momentarily to light up the surf hitting the beach below.

A boardwalk offers a scenic walk to a large promontory called the Castle Rock. Castle Rock is one of several seaside formations within the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park. A viewing platform on Castle Rock offers an extremely beautiful view of the coastline eastwards.

Along the coastal boardwalk in the 12 Apostles National Park.

The misty spray from the ocean backlit by the low sun was quite nice.

Castle Rock. One of several seaside formations within the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park with a viewing platform. Look at the number of people on the boardwalk!

View of the coastline along the Great Ocean Road from Castle Rock in the 12 Apostles Marine National Park.

The 12 Apostles was the last attraction we visited on our first day along the Great Ocean Road. There was no point waiting till sunset since there were low clouds in the western sky and we did not want to drive in the dark. We headed back to Port Campbell while there was still light.

Dinner at Port Campbell

After checking into the Port Campbell Motor Inn, we drove to the Port Campbell jetty which is the focal point of this small coastal town. There are a few eateries in town. We went to one of the largest restaurants called the 12 Rocks.

We ordered draught beer, seafood pasta and a beef burger. Service was fast, prices were reasonable and food was surprisingly good. Highly recommended place to eat while visiting port Campbell or the Great Ocean Road.

Excellent Linguini Marinara (AUD 28) that was made with fresh seafood ingredients at the 12 Rocks, Port Campbell.

Rocks Burger - Traditional juicy beef burger with fries.

Where we stayed along the Great Ocean Road 

Port Campbell is a small coastal town along the Great Ocean Road. It is an excellent location to explore the nearby attractions along the Great Ocean Road, namely Bay of Islands, Grotto, The Arch, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, Tom and Eva Lookout, 12 Apostles and Gibson Steps.

Accommodations along the Great Ocean Road are generally more expensive compared to other parts of Melbourne. It is wise to book as early as possible to get great value-for-money lodgings as they will be snapped up first.

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