Grampians National Park

You just can't beat a good road trip. This weekend we decided to get away from the city for a couple of days of relaxation so we headed up to the Grampians (about a 3-hour drive northwest of Melbourne). We had read that the springtime blooming of wildflowers was quite beautiful in addition to the spectacular views and hikes the area has to offer, so we were keen to check it out.

We packed up the car to the brim and managed to head out of town by 4:45 on Friday afternoon - a sheer miracle based on our track record and the fact that we had to pack everything and the kitchen sink so Josh could continue his training on the road. There were no dramas with traffic and we easily made it out of the city and to Ballarat, where we stopped for a swim (there are no public swimming pools of a reasonable size to swim laps in the area of the Grampians where we were headed, so Josh modified his training schedule and swam his Saturday morning workout on Friday night - Kristi had a swim too, so she wouldn't feel left out).

After an hour and a half of swimming we were back on the road and on our way to Halls Gap, which is the only town actually located within Grampians National Park. We decided to push ahead an try to find dinner once we got to Halls Gap, but unfortunately luck was not on our side and all food establishments were closed up when we rolled into town at 9:45 (on a Friday night mind you!) However, a nice lady at the Kookaburra Cafe took pity on us and made us some beautiful spinach crepes and a vegetable stack for take-away so we wouldn't go to bed with empty stomachs. Take-away in hand we found our accomodation for the weekend - a beautiful self-contained chalet within walking distance of Halls Gap. With full tummies we crawled straight into bed and had a very good sleep.

We awoke Saturday morning bright and early to the sounds of nature, and looked out of our chalet to find hundreds of kangaroos enjoying their morning meal. Josh took off for a couple of hours of cycling around the countryside and Kristi walked into town to explore (everything was still closed). Back at the chalet we had a quick brekki of eggs on toast and then were off to see the sights.

As recommended by the visitor's centre, our first stop was The Pinnacle (pictured here). It was a fair hike, but we were rewarded with beautiful views on a very warm and sunny spring day. Then we headed for vistas at Boroka Lookout, followed by another walk for views of MacKenzie Falls. We stopped for lunch and a much deserved ice cream treat, and then made our way to Reed's Lookout and walked to The Balconies for our final excursion of the day. After all of the driving and hiking we were beat and ready for a shower and quiet reading time back at the chalet before dinner at The Balconies Restaurant, where we were treated to a 3-course meal with live jazz music.

Sunday morning (the start of Daylight Savings time) came too early and with massive amounts of wind and rain. It was impossible for Josh to consider completing his workout, so we decided to sleep in and enjoy breakfast in bed before heading back to Melbourne - what a lovely way to start the day! Unfortunately now that we are back home Josh is spending the afternoon/evening completing the workout he could not do this morning, but all is well as it is giving Kristi time to clean up the apartment, do the laundry, and get everything ready for the week. With the work completed, we're now off to enjoy a Sunday evening Date Night - yay for more adventures!