My Journal Extracts

Inching closer and closer, he rose up onto his two back legs seeming to claim his dominance. We froze unable to react. Do we just give him our dinner or try to compete in this stand off? He was nearing and it became apparent to us that he is probably only a teenager. All the other kangaroos had fled so why was this particular one so interested?

Out of curiosity, we tried attracting him with some leaves. He timidly hopped over and took the leaves out of our hand but was clearly not satisfied. Now I know you shouldn’t feed wild kangaroos but he was so tame and only young so we gave him some leftover carrots which went down a treat. Over the next few days, Karl (that’s what we decided to name him) grew very comfortable with our company and we became very fond of him too.

Situated in the heart of The Grampians, Halls Gap is the perfect town to set up base to access numerous hikes, countless adventure sports and heavenly coffee shops.

Starting our day fuelled with porridge and several cups of tea, we decide to drive to Mount Zero Picnic Area to begin our hike. It’s a 1.4km hike to the peak of Mount Zero. The beginning is the most intense with a strenuous climb past Bird Rock. The ground finally begins to level out as we pass some eager rock climbers and inquisitive swamp wallabies hiding in the undergrowth.

The next 300m vertical climb is not for the faint-hearted. Scrambling up the sheer rockface, the peak begins to come into sight and we are presented with breathtaking views of The Grampians and beyond.

As we descend, we rejoin the Mount Stapylton route. The last 10km of the hike is very mellow. Meandering through the shrub attempting to avoid the giant bull ants underfoot, we make it back to the van. I waste no time in devouring a pack of digestive biscuits consuming all those calories I just burnt off.

From here, we drive 40 minutes to MacKenzie Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in Victoria. The water flows into the pool below creating a subtle rainbow mist. As mesmerising as it is, take into account the 260 steps you have to hike back up.

Back at the campsite, we pitch our tent and with the appetite of a body builder, we demolish our dinner. It is at this moment that we meet Karl. Not love at first sight but as we spend more time with him, I feel the affection is definitely mutual. 

We sleep well that night and wake to see Karl sheepishly grazing his way to our van. We identify him from the scar above his eye and the fact that no other kangaroo dare come near us.

We drive to Halls Gap Lake to cool off from the scorching 30-degree morning rays. Eager to get in the water, I have a frightening near miss with an Eastern Brown Snake (aka the second deadliest snake in the world). Although a petrifying experience, it is my first encounter with a snake since landing in Australia so at least that’s ticked off the list of things to see.

The aerial wildlife in Halls Gap is also quite entertaining. We watch as some cockatoos stealthily swoop down and steal a loaf of bread from a family enjoying a picnic. After returning to the trees to enjoy their afternoon snack, we make sure to keep a close eye on our bags as we walk to the Venus Baths. These are levels of natural sandstone rock creating impressive pools of flowing water. We spend all afternoon lounging on the rocks, cooling off intermittently in the rock pools.

The following morning, we set our alarms for 5am to watch the sunrise. As we unzip our tent and look up through the trees, the milky way and multiple shooting stars fly across the clear night sky. We sit here for a while enjoying the starlit sky and listening to the nature surrounding us; the soft sound of kangaroos grazing which we could only imagine Karl was among.

Boroka Lookout faces east, therefore it is one of the most spectacular places to watch the sunrise over The Grampians Mountain range. Providing panoramic views above the clouds, this is without a doubt the best sunrise I have witnessed. After a while, my hands feel very numb so submitting to the bitter temperatures, we drive back to the campsite to pack up our things. 

This peaceful yet action-packed getaway felt like we’d landed in a whole new world. Home to a vast array of wildlife and adventure activities as well as breathtaking mountainous scenery.  If you’re looking for a soul-healing or adrenaline filled few days away from the big city, The Grampians is the perfect adventure. And who knows, you might bump into our friend Karl too. Speaking of our famous five-legged friend, as we said a very tearful goodbye to Karl, we noticed that he was getting a lot of flirtatious attention from a larger male kangaroo. Consequently, we discovered that Karl is in fact a girl!

• Getting There: The majority of visitors drive the 260km from Melbourne to Halls Gap.You can also get the train from Southern Cross Station (Melbourne) to Arat then a coach to Halls Gap.
• Staying There: Halls Gap Caravan Park is the most popular camping site, https://hallsgaplakeside.com/halls-gap-caravan-park/. Similarly, there are 12 public campgrounds operated by Parks Victoria. 9 must be paid for in advance on their website https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/where-to-stay/camping and 3 are free. If camping isn’t your style, there are several lodges, cabins, hostels, and apartments that can all be found on booking.com.
• When to visit: March-May and September-November are the best times to visit to avoid the overly hot temperatures and wet seasons. The weather is much milder and more comfortable for hiking however, this does mean more tourists.

Other things to do in the area:

• Absolute Outdoors organises exhilarating adventure sports such as abseiling and canoeing, contact [email protected]
• Enjoy an environmentally friendly journey from Halls Gap to Lake Bellfield and back on an E-Bike, email gapbikes@gmail.au Starting from $35.
• Fancy a quiet picnic or a picturesque spot for fishing? Lake Wartook is a peaceful area just an hour outside Halls Gap.
• The Pinnacle Walk and Lookout is a 9.6km return hike from Halls Gap that rewards hikers with views like no other overlooking the Grampians many peaks.
• Experience the rocky views from above in a helicopter tour from one of Halls Gaps very knowledgeable locals, contact [email protected]. Starting from $125 for 10 minutes.