The Grampian Mountains

A short, two hour drive from Portland took us across miles and miles of flat grasslands covered with sheep to the Grampian Mountains.The Grampians are known for their steep rock cliffs, unique plant species and Aboriginal rock art. These mountains seem highly out of place in this landscape. We spent three days driving and hiking to spectacular viewpoints. The first night we camped at the remote Smith Mill campground. It was a scenic spot, but there wasn't much there except for picnic tables, fire pits and outhouses. Craig reverted to Boy Scout mode and cooked our lamb dinner over an open fire. We were excited about the possibilities for wildlife viewing. Sadly, it was not until the next morning when we were leaving that we saw one lonely kangaroo on the side of the road. After our second day of outdoor adventure, we stayed just outside of Halls Gap at the caravan park beside the Bellfield Dam. It turned out the wildlife was plentiful. It seems the kangaroos, emus and feral deer love the easy pickings of the fresh green grass shoots, much to our delight and the dismay of the campground manager. On day three we hiked to the top of Mt. William. Admittedly, we drove 10 km to the carpark and walked the final 2 km to the 1168 metre summit, but the final ascent was very steep and the wind was blowing us about. Craig was not deterred and went off the path to get the best camera angles. It is evident now that he is going to be researching cameras when we get home as our little digital is becoming inadequate. We spent the rest of the day driving to the other side of the park to view Aboriginal rock art. We saw a variety of objects, including hand prints, stick figures and animal tracks. Although no one knows the exact age of the paintings, Aboriginal people have been camping in these shelters for the last 22,000 years, so anything is possible. Yet again, our time here was inadequate. We could easily have spent a lot more time trekking and exploring the area.

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