The scenic drive from Port Fairy to Mount Gambier included a stop at the ‘petrified forest’ on the cliffs of Cape Bridgewater. It is not really made up of petrified trees but trunk-like sand formations. It was really cold and windy.
It was nice to warm up with a cup of tea after hours of driving. The Colhurst House was an old mansion converted into apartments after WWI and then a bed and breakfast.
It was pouring rain when we first woke up. After breakfast, the skies cleared and we enjoyed a walk around Blue Lake and visited two sink holes. Blue Lake (a volcanic crater) got its name because it turns a spectacular blue for a few days in November and again in late March. In the winter, it has a grey-blue hue. The changing weather provided a few scattered showers and a rainbow during our walk.
The two sink holes were fascinating. The first known as the Cave Gardens was in the center of town. The waterfalls are not visible until standing over them, The strangest and most amazing part was that we had dinner across the street and did not even notice the site across the street!
The second sink hole was in a public park and are the remains of the late 19th century garden developed by James Umpherston. After years of neglect, the park and sinkhole were redeveloped by the city with Umpherston’s intentions. We visited in the morning but it is more popular at dusk because the possums come out to eat.
Afterwards we drove to the Grampians with a short detour to see the tree carvings in Dartmoor. We stopped for lunch at the well-known restaurant in the Royal Mail Hotel. Eighty percent of the food is from the restaurant’s garden. It was delicious, especially the beet salad. When we arrived in Halls Gap town center, the cricket field was covered in kangaroos eating grass.
The Boroka Downs Lodge was adjacent to the the Grampians National Park and was one of our favorite lodges in Australia. We had views of kangaroos all day.
Our first day in the Grampians was gorgeous. We hiked from the Wonderland Carpark to the Pinnacle. The track passed the Grand Canyon (small but impressive rock cliffs) and continued on through an area known as Silent Street. Locals told us that the stairs and guardrails were constructed after a devastating fire a few years ago.
After a late lunch we visited MacKenzie Falls. The 260 uneven steps down into the base of the falls were a little slippery but well worth it.
Our final stop of the day was Reed Lookout and the Balconies to look at the views of the Sierra Range from D’Alton Peak to Wallaby Rocks.
It poured rain from earlier in morning until dark our second day. That did not stop the kangaroos or birds! The skies shinned bright with stars that evening. The following morning we woke up for a long travel day that included a drive to Melbourne and flight to Perth for our short adventure into Western Australia.
