Melbourne to Grampians Road Trip

The Grampians road trip is the road trip with it all, but one you’ve probably never done before, writes Phil Hawkes. Melbourne (or Adelaide) to the Grampians is a drive that offers delicious mix of cute historic towns, wineries, luxury experiences and plenty of the great Australian outdoors too.

Looking for a short break from Melbourne or Adelaide? Done the Ocean Road before? Driven Gippsland? It’s time to head to the Grampians.

That was my situation. The result: four days’ and three nights’ touring through Victoria’s Western Districts of flat grazing lands, straight roads followed by curvy hilly terrain with craggy peaks and verdant valleys to admire.

It’s an easy drive, with many options for breaks along the way, and a variety of interesting accommodation choices on offer. There’s much to see and do. Here are my highlights:

Ballarat

1. The ideal first stop if you’re leaving from Melbourne. Well known for its Gold Rush history, heritage-listed Victorian buildings, beautiful parks and gardens, and Lake Wendouree.

2. Great coffee (this is Victoria), many choices. Aim for Lydiard Street and Sturt Street. Try a chilli hot chocolate at Harvest Food Store and Café.

3. Historic Craig’s Royal Hotel for lunch in the Victorian-era Gallery Bistro. Or try the legendary high tea.

4. The Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka for a history lesson, especially if you have kids. They’ll appreciate the interactive displays and the original Eureka flag.

5. Fill up with fuel on the outskirts of town – it’s much cheaper than where you’re going!

Next: Ballarat to Glenthompson 90 mins

Glenthompson

1. This quiet Glenelg Highway town is worth a break from the long, straight road.

2. The murals of St Peter’s Church are described, rather optimistically, as Victoria’s answer to the Sistine Chapel.

3. Try Grampians Pure Sheep Dairy for the best sheep cheese and yoghurt around. Talk to enthusiastic young farmhands Daniel or Ryan.

Haloumi at Grampians Pure Sheep Dairy — Haloumi stop: Grampians Pure Sheep Dairy (photo: Nicole Tujague).

Next: Glenthompson to Dunkeld 15 mins

Dunkeld

1. Be sure to explore the back streets of Dunkeld – you might be surprised at what you’ll find.

2. The Old Bakery serves genuine French pâtisserie and bread baked in the original 1886 oven. The chocolate croissants are to die for.

3. Dining at the highly awarded Royal Mail Hotel is a culinary experience to be savoured, especially the degustation menu.

Next: Dunkeld to Hamilton 30 mins

Hamilton

1. The region’s biggest city, centre of the agricultural industry, was once known as “the wool capital of the world".

2. Ideal for an overnight stopover in one of several B&Bs. Try Mourilyan House in town or Pierrepoint Winery just south of the city.

3. Hamilton Art Gallery is rated as one of Australia’s finest regional collections, including the watercolours of famous English artist Paul Sandby.

4. The impressive William Guilfoyle-designed Botanic Gardens is an ideal spot for a picnic lunch or tea.

Next: Hamilton to Halls Gap 75 mins

Halls Gap – the heart of the Grampians

walking in the Grampians — Walking in a the Grampians wonderland.

Now known by its traditional Indigenous name Gariwerd, the Grampians National Park attracts visitors from all over the world for its natural beauty, plentiful wildlife and adventure sports.

Pinnacle Halls Gap Grampians National Park — Pinnacle eye’s view of Halls Gap, Grampians National Park.

1. Stop at the Brambuk Cultural Centre on arrival for park information, accommodation bookings and interactive displays of Indigenous and Colonial history.

2. Book a tour to some of Australia’s best rock art sites, such as Bunjil’s Shelter, and several other caves.

3. There are more than 160km of walking trails, including a 33km trek with overnight camping facilities. (We managed the 2km walk to Venus baths easily, but our more adventurous friends went on to Mackenzie Falls, which they said was spectacular).

4. Try canoeing, fishing, horse riding, quad biking. Kayaking on Lake Wartook is a special adventure for kids, and there are many abseiling sites for more extreme exertions.

5. A wide range of accommodation is available, from campsites to five-star luxury at Boroka Downs Retreat (in total seclusion, 6km from town, south west along Ararat-Halls Gap Road).

6. Its well-appointed chalets have log fires, spa bath, first-class breakfasts – and inquisitive wildlife at your door.

Next: Halls Gap to Great Western 30 mins

Brambuk Cultural Centre Grampians' — The Brambuk Cultural Centre for all your Grampians’ info needs.

rock art Bunjil's Shelter The Grampians — Preserved rock art, Bunjil’s Shelter, The Grampians (photo: Nicole Tujague).

Great Western

With wineries dating back to the mid-1800s, this pioneer village is known as the birthplace of Australia’s sparkling wine industry. You’ll find many opportunities for local wine and cheese tastings in the area. Top choices include:

1. Best’s Winery, still a family-run business producing classic drops including award-winning Shiraz blends.

2. Seppelts Great Western , with labyrinthine cellars to explore and then taste the famous bubblies.

3. Grampians Estate , voted Best Small Cellar Door for wine and cheese tastings plus great coffee.

Next: Great Western to Beaufort 45 mins

Beaufort

On the Western Highway, it’s a pleasant village dotted with cafes and craft shops.

1. One of the state’s most picturesque wineries is nearby at Mt. Langi Ghiran . Taste the fragrant pinot noir.

2. Overnight in a restored 1850s country manor at Eurambeen Homestead with its three-acre garden designed by Edna Walling. The farmhouse roast dinners alone are worth the trip.

Finish: Back past Ballarat to Melbourne to edit the hundreds of photographs or videos you’ve accumulated…

Exploring Grampians rock formations (photo: Nicole Tujague).

More: Planning you next road trip? See Australia’s best driving holidays

The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.

It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.

Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.

Split point lookout — The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.

This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.

Lorne to Birregurra

Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.

Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.

From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.

You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.

Brae restaurant — Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Apollo Bay to The Otways

Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.

A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.

Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles

The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.

It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.

The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.

Port Campbell to Timboon

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

Warrnambool building — A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.

Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.

The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.

The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.

Eating there

The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.

Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.

How to do the great Grampians road trip