Tag 40: Grampians National Park (Pinnacle & Silverband Falls)

Today we have a hiking day. We have breakfast at the campsite and then head to the Sundial Carpark. From there we go to the Pinnacle.

It's cloudy and the temperatures are optimal for hiking. Today we unpack our hiking shoes for the first time (until now it has always been too hot or unnecessary). We thought we had taken them for nothing. Before we left, we also got hiking shoes for Samuel and he is very proud of them. He enthusiastically tackles more than half of the distance on foot. The rest he spends in the carrier like Maxima.

The hike to the Pinnacle via Sundial is not very difficult. There are only a few passages that require a bit of surefootedness. The trail is 4.2 km long, you climb 110 meters in altitude, and the pure hiking time is about 1.5 hours. Along the way, we take some photo and rest stops. We also take a longer break at the summit, which we use for photography and refreshments. In total, we spend 3 hours on the hike. Highly recommended hike with beautiful views along the way and a great panorama at the summit.

For today's overnight accommodation, we decided to follow the recommendation from our travel know-how and head to the Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park. On the way there, we make a stop at the Silverband Falls. A very easy walk (you could even do it with a stroller) through the forest leads to the beautifully located waterfall in about 30 minutes. Samuel is happy about the many stones and the fact that he can rearrange them as he pleases.

Since the clouds have cleared and it has become significantly warmer, we want to get to the campsite quickly so that we can enjoy the pool a bit. The Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park is a really top address (you can tell by the occupancy, it's the busiest place so far, but it's also the weekend). Great well-kept facility that leaves nothing to be desired. There are many cockatoos on the site and in the evening, lots of kangaroos graze on the lawn next to the pitches. Some of them wander onto the campsite and hop around between the motorhomes and tents.

We go swimming, cook, finally eat in peace and without many pests outside, and observe the animals.

Today we're tackling the bedtime story differently. I put Maxima to bed at 7:30 pm while Michi and Samuel explore the playground. When darkness falls, we put the little troublemaker to bed and it's done in 10 minutes.

We had a perfect day today. We only traveled 20 kilometers (just as little as on our first day in Darwin), we loved the hike, and the campsite is the icing on the cake. We spontaneously change our plans and will stay one more day/night in the Grampians and only leave for the Great Ocean Road the day after tomorrow.

2.12.2016

Accommodation: Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park (1 night 33 AUD, great place, nicely laid out, lots of greenery & trees, pool, playground, and plenty of kangaroos & other animals around the site in the evening)

Weather: cloudy & sunny in the afternoon, 23 degrees

20 kilometers for the day, total 6,814 km