How to do the great Grampians road trip

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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

Old Bakery Dunkeld Photo Nicole Tujague
Old Bakery Dunkeld: chocolate croissants to die for (photo: Nicole Tujague).

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

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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).

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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

Eurambeen Homestead, Beaufort
Homeward-bound accommodation option, Eurambeen Homestead, Beaufort (photo: Nicole Tujague).

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
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From coast to bush: these are Gippsland’s best hikes

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
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    Video credit: Tourism Australia

    From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

    I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

    For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland, and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

    Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

    The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

    sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

    Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

    a couple on Mount Oberon
    Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit, which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

    a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

    You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk, even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

    the George Bass Coastal Walk
    George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)

    Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk, usually done over seven days.

    the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland
    Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    The best bush hikes in Gippsland

    the Baw Baw National Park
    The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

    Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

    Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

    Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

    The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

    the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland
    Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

    As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park, along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

    the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park
    Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail, a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

    the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park
    The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

    Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park, known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the WildernessRetreats in The Prom
    Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

    Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

    Eating there

    the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

    Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

    a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.

    Video credit: Tourism Australia