Off to the Pinnacle Lookout – To the mountain top

We start the day in Halls Gap with another excursion. This time the Pinnacle Lookout is just around the corner here in Grampians National Park, at least in terms of the starting point.

According to the description, it’s advisable to start early as parking is very limited and you might quickly find yourself without a spot. The early bird indeed finds a place for the car and off we go.

We set off in Stoney Creek and follow the signs to the Grand Canyon. It's not comparable to the Grand Canyon we know, but it's certainly stunning in its own right...

Once again, we have to master a height difference over a relatively short distance, which gets us sweating a bit. The path is well-maintained. The many stones and rocks here have been perfectly shaped into flat steps. We admire the fact that this has been done for almost the entire trail.

After the Grand Canyon, we continue and make our way through the gorges. Passing Lady's Hat, a rock formation that looks like a woman's head with a wide-brimmed hat on it. Along the way, we find cute pointers such as “Almost half way” or “Half way seat.” A nice indication of how far the path to the Pinnacle Lookout still is.

Next, we continue through the “Silent Street,” a part of the path to the lookout. You walk through a narrow rock gorge. At times, with a backpack on, you can barely squeeze through without scraping against the rocks. Also, you shouldn’t suffer from claustrophobia.

Once you’ve worked your way through this hollow alley, you’re rewarded with a wonderful view of the valley, where Halls Gap and Lake Bellefield are located.

We take a break and recharge with a granola bar. After some of the additional visitors are finally done with their photos on top of the lookout (the space is very limited up there), it’s Thorsten’s turn to climb up, enjoy the view, and take a few pictures.

I stay down and we’ll later take a fake photo in an Insta-style, showing me on a rocky outcrop that is only about 1 to 2 meters off the ground. But from the right perspective, you might think I’m super brave... :-) ... nope, I wasn’t ...;-)

After the descent, we spend the rest of the day on the terrace, watching and listening to the (screeching) wildlife around the house ... because tomorrow, we head to Melbourne ... the last days in Australia.