Guide at a glance: the Grampians

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This was published 11 years ago

Guide at a glance: the Grampians

Victoria's gem ... MacKenzie Falls in the Grampians.

Victoria's gem ... MacKenzie Falls in the Grampians.Credit: Getty Images

The volcanic plains of western Victoria will help settle your appetite for beauty, writes Lee Atkinson.

Why go?

The combination of wilderness and fine dining makes the rugged Grampians Range in western Victoria, between Dunkeld and Halls Gap, a great spot for a short break. After all, what's not to love about a place where you can eat absurdly good food guilt-free, knowing you'll walk it off the following day?

What it's known for

Most of the densely forested mountain range is part of Grampians National Park, also known by its indigenous name, Gariweed. The 167,000-hectare park is made of four spectacular tilted sandstone ridges that rise gently on the western side and fall away in ragged overhangs and rocky bluffs on the eastern side. The photographic ridges are criss-crossed with walking trails, lookouts and clear streams that cascade down some of Victoria's largest waterfalls and provide good places for rock climbing, abseiling and other adventure activities. In spring, vast areas are blanketed in wildflowers.

What you didn't know ...

The southern Grampians sits atop one of the largest volcanic plains in the world and Mount Napier, just south of Dunkeld, is Victoria's youngest volcano. The last activity was about 8000 years ago, making it dormant rather than extinct. You can trek to the crater's edge, explore lava tubes near Byaduk and climb tumuli, or lava blisters, in nearby paddocks.

What's new

Halls Gap Zoo is Victoria's largest regional zoo. It exhibits more than 150 native and exotic mammals, including monkeys, meerkats, red pandas, bison, newborn pygmy marmosets and, most recently, Sumari the giraffe, with another giraffe arriving in the next few months. It's on the Ararat-Halls Gap Road and is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Adults $22, kids $11, family $55. hallsgapzoo.com.au.

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Don't miss

The national park has more than 50 walking trails, but if you have time for only a short one, choose the half-hour descent to MacKenzie Falls: 265 steps later, you'll emerge at a beautiful waterhole at the foot of the falls. The road from Dunkeld to Horsham via Halls Gap, called the Grampians Tourist Road (65 kilometres), cuts right through the heart of the Grampians National Park alongside the Serra Range. It takes in most of the highlights of the park, such as Boroka and Reed lookouts, several Aboriginal shelters, numerous picnic sites and MacKenzie Falls. The Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre has information about the national park, a bushfoods cafe and a range of activities that are great for kids. They also run guided tours to many of the indigenous sites in the park. The centre is on Grampians Tourist Road, 2.5 kilometres south of Halls Gap, and is open daily. Entry is free.

Where to eat

The Royal Mail Hotel at Dunkeld is a true destination diner, with people visiting from as far away as Melbourne just to eat at The Age Good Food Guide's 2011 Restaurant of the Year. Chef Dan Hunter, whose experience includes a year as head chef at one of the world's best restaurants, Mugaritz in the Basque Country, prepares two degustation menus each day, one for meat eaters and one for vegetarians ($170 and $140, respectively). They are based on produce harvested from the kitchen gardens, collected from the wild and sourced from local artisan producers, and eating here is an event that will take between three and four hours. The restaurant is open for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday and you'll need to book. If you can't secure a table, try the bistro, which is open for lunch and dinner daily. (03) 5577 2241, royalmail.com.au.

Where to stay

Boroka Downs offers luxury accommodation in one of five "residences" seven kilometres from Halls Gap. Each one has polished wooden floors, wall-to-ceiling windows, full-size circular spa bath, fully equipped kitchen, an espresso machine and views of the Grampian Mountains, although the resident mob of kangaroos tend to get in the way of a good photo. Two-night packages start at $990 a couple. borokadowns.com.au. In Dunkeld, you can stay at the Royal Mail Hotel (doubles from $180) or at nearby Mount Sturgeon (also owned by the Royal Mail) in historic bluestone cottages built by Chinese workers during the gold rush. Rates start at $230 a couple. royalmail.com.au.

How to get there

Halls Gap is 250 kilometres north-west of Melbourne and Dunkeld is 262 kilometres; both are about a 3½-hour drive. visitvictoria.com/regions/grampians. iPhone app http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/explore-grampians/id559599678?mt=8

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