Grandparents in the Grampians

A common theme for us during the past couple of years of our adventures in Australia is that our noteworthy events come in bunches. Weeks go by with very little happening out of the ordinary, and I find myself polling the children for blog post ideas. The camera remains packed away in the cupboard, and then bang, things spiral out of control, and I can't keep up with it all. That is the situation I find myself in this afternoon, as we relax outdoors in northwestern Victoria in a national park known as The Grampians. A more beautiful place we have not seen in Australia, and so I think I will put up a post about it, in spite of the fact that I have several in the pipeline waiting to be published from the past two weeks.

We have had a history of rain following us on our journeys in the antipodean bush, but for this particular trip, the weather could not be better. Clear blue skies, warm sunshine with a pleasant mountain breeze to make it welcome, and bob's your uncle. It's a good thing the weather is perfect, because we bundled my parents into the car less than twenty-four hours after picking them up at the airport in Melbourne. Jet lag is not the easiest thing to overcome after a thirty-one hour journey, but they are very good sports and are doing their best to enjoy this experience to the fullest.

Katie and Cameron are away at camp, and so this is a special time for Sophie and James to spend with their Grandpa and Grandma. James thought our destination was a perfect place to take them based on the name alone, and we have to agree. Our little motel is situated between two mountain ranges, and comes with a mob of roos that live on the property as well as several emus. As a bonus, it also has free wi-fi, an all-too-rare occurrence down under. Add in a swimming pool and trampoline for the youngest two, and everyone is happy.

After a leisurely three-and-a-half hour drive from Melbourne yesterday, we arrived in Halls Gap around 3:30pm. We checked in and decided to give the kids a chance to swim and bounce before an early dinner. My mom surprised us all by ordering kangaroo, something we have not yet had the courage to do. The waiter had assured her it would be tender, and in fact it was. We all had a piece of the slightly gamey meat, and later, with stomachs comfortably full, we headed out to enjoy the evening wildlife we had been promised. There certainly was no shortage.

The next morning we followed the advice of the friendly tourist information agent and drove the scenic road through the Grampians, stopping at each lookout for a short hike and to admire the views.

Boroka Lookout:

Reed's Point:

Sophie begged and begged, but we did not allow her out on the balconies, pictured above. We all stayed well behind the protective fencing, unlike the other crazy tourists.