Halls Gap Victoria {Caravan Park}

We have arrived in VICTORIA!  It really didn't take long at all, and we almost missed the important sign picture. Proof that we had arrived.

Our plan was to find a nice spot in The Grampians National Park to spend a few nights while we explored the national park but at $38 per night for nothing we ended up picking Halls Gap Lake Tourist Park which was not that much more for a powered site & hot showers! Parks Victoria have got something out of whack here, no day costs {when they have bucket loads of day visitors to places like this} and charge ridiculous fees for the use of a drop loo!

After setting up the kids did a little schoolwork while watching all of the birdlife that came in around the camper.  After this e popped into town to have a quick look around and have a treat of ice-cream.

 

With a full day to explore the national park we got up early to only be disappointed by the terrible weather.  It was going to rain but we decided to brave it, fingers crossed we could at least see some of The Grampians.  Our first point for the day was Boroka Lookout, way up in the mountains and with a lovely view.

 

 

Next stop was Reed Lookout and The Balconies.  When we arrived we could barely see one step in front of us, oh dear here goes our day of exploring was the first thought but we decided to get out of the car and have a look around anyway.  This was the view:

It started to rain so we stopped our walk and figured we would try further up and around, hoping the weather would improve for us.  So off to Mackenzie Falls we headed and as you will see from the pictures below the weather turned around and we climbed more stairs than the kids could count!

 

 

  

What a beautiful set of falls, with so much more to explore but given we had little water {no food for the ever hungrer Kaleb} and Kyla was over walking we decided it was best to climb the stairs back to the top.  The national park also had three spots on the otherside with Aboriginal Art that we decided to drive around and explore, sadly however they had remained closed still after a fire early last year.

We traveled around the outside of the national park and happened to come across, randomly one very large & scary looking Koala.

With the need for lunch high on everyone's list we actually ended up driving around to Stawell, a lovely town on the side of a hill and surprisingly it even has a functioning mine.  We got a lovely lunch from a bakery in town before going for a drive around to explore a little before heading back to the caravan park.

The kids had fun when we got home playing with a few other children and even feeding the birds.  They had birds landing on their heads and eating from their hands, they loved every minute of it.

  

  

Given the weather was still nice and we still had plenty of day light we decided to head into town to take in one of the other smaller walks.  It was a great walk up past the swimming pool that went around in a loop.  Nice and easy for all of us and a great way to end our day.  I am glad we went as we even found a little art.

   

 

Another night watching the wild life fly and hop in before heading to bed ready to head towards the cost tomorrow.

Karijini {National Park}

FINALLY we made it!

After being so close last year, I would have been disappointed to get this close again and not actually make it but we did and just before the mad school holiday rush {thankfully}.

We arrived after grabbing what we needed in town and first stop was the visitors centre in the National Park.  It was a lovely building full of heaps of details regarding the local people, area and the park it's self. After having a wander around and double checking we headed to Dale's campground, saw the hosts and found a nice spot with afternoon shade.

After setting up, some lunch and a little relaxing we decided to head down and have a swim at Fern Pool as it was a fairly warm afternoon & the smalls were itching to get a look at what was around.  We drove down to the carpark for Fortesque Falls {as that extra 40 minutes walk would have meant cranky children} and then started heading down the very long set of stairs which take you to the falls and then to the right to the pool.

The walk from the carpark to the top of the falls was really easy & the view from the top over the falls and pool was breath taking.  It really does never get old looking at such natural beauty and it is simple hard to believe that when you look out over the plains when driving in it can't be seen, this gorge is something that if you went for a walk across the plain you would literally fall into it if you didn't pay attention.  I wonder how many people back in the day did just that?

 

 

After taking in the sites it was time to trek down the rather large number of stairs.  Kyla attempted to count them on the way {and back up again} but lost count after around 50.

We decided, as it was so warm to head straight to Fern Pool to take a look.  The gentleman at the Visitors Centre had told us to head right at the top of the falls as there was no signs marking the track.  It was easy to find and was a lovely shaded walk full of lovely big fig trees coming out of all the rock formations.

Then we found it.  A beautiful pool which had a nice decked landing go right to the edge.  Now it was a lovely warm day, I was very hot but the water most certainly took my breathe away when I jumped in.  It was freezing for the first five minutes at least, after that it was nice to simply float around and take in all of the beautiful scenery that surrounded us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After cooling off some, we sad and had a snack before walking back to take a closer look at the falls themselves.  They must look even more amazing when there is more water, but nonetheless it was still a beautiful site and nice to be able to get so up close and personal to them.  The colours of the rocks changed the more steps you walked down and I guess also dependent on how often they actually have water running over them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday saw us head out to Circular Pool for a look and it was a wonderful site looking down to this seemingly isolated pool of water.

 

 We then trekked across the top to Fortesque Falls to walk down those wonderful stairs again and take a wander up Dale's Gorge.  What an ever changing environment that was to explore, even better that we didn't see one person on our walk up to Circular Pool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Justin and the smalls had a swim at Circular Pool, which I decided against as the pool was all but fully shaded and it was far to cold for me to do in the morning.

 

 

 

After snacks and swims it was time to trek back out of the wonderful pool.  The stairs back up at Circular Pool where evil, but I am glad that we went up them and not down them.

We had a relaxing afternoon back at the camper.  We did some reading, the smalls did the activity book that they got about the national park and they also had a nice cool 'bath' in tubs to cool off.

Wednesday morning we packed up, hooked up the trailer and headed over to Weano Gorge for a walk there and a look at the others in the area. We headed down 'backwards' compared to most, taking the stairs down, exploring the gorge at the bottom and then headed back the other way.  We would have liked to have headed to handrail pool but sadly it required a swim and with the smalls it was not going to be possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead we trekked back out and went for a walk around the corner to checkout all of the lookouts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop is Tom Price for the night so that Justin could finish of some work he did for someone in town.