The Grampians
The Grampians are a spectacular granitey outcrop of mountains lying west of Melbourne. The rise out of nowhere in the middle of an otherwise flat part of the state. It's a place both for the family and for the keen outdoor enthusiast. (I've seen rock climbers stay the night on bare mountainsides with only a sleeping bag!) The great thing about the Grampians is that it's big enough that you could hike somewhere and barely bump into a soul along the way, yet there are tracks where you often see little kids running along. Probably the best thing is that you don't have to go far to be rewarded by some pretty awesome views.
On the weekend of 10 May a few of us drove over to our friend's property near Pomonal, on the eastern side of the Grampians. They were still building their house, so we camped and sat by a fire. We woke up to the sound of a billion cockies (cockatoos). For the birdo's among you, we also saw tawny frogmouth, a few rosellas, a wedgie (wedge-tailed eagle), and a kookabura. The usual suspects! The next day we walked from Halls Gap to the Pinnacle - a lovely walk! The last leg of the walk which starts from Wonderland car park is one of the most popular walks in the Grampians. It was up here that we spotted the wedge-tailed eagle doing his rounds above the valley.
