GRAMPIANS CHAMPIONS!!!

Last weekend, our friends Brian and Meghan invited us to join them for a weekend away to Victoria’s largest national park, The Grampians. They were going Friday to Monday, but since we were busy Friday and working Monday, we decided to take the train up to meet them for one night.

Saturday morning we were up at 6, packing lunches and heading to Southern Cross station to take the 2.5 hour train to Ararat. From there, we hopped on a coach to Stawell. Brian and Meghan met us at the station in their rental car and drove us back to the YHA hostel in Halls Gap. Meghan had picked a put a few hikes that interested them, and asked me to take a look. I immediately vetoed “Mt. Difficult,” purely due to its name. Flipping through the pamphlets, we agreed to tackle “Brigg’s Bluff.” Here is the blurb from the pamphlet:

BEEHIVE FALLS …spectacular after rain
Distance: 2.8 km return Time: 1 – 1½ hours
Elevation Change: 110 metres Grade: medium
A gently undulating walking track follows Mud Hut Creek upstream, to a series of rock steps and on to Beehive Falls (best after rain). Enjoy the pretty rock pools and ferns. The base of the falls makes a peaceful resting spot. Return by the same route.

BRIGGS BLUFF …grand views and a rich diversity of flora
Distance: 10.6 km return Time: 4½ – 5½ hours
Elevation Change: 419 metres Grade: hard
Start: Beehive Falls Carpark, Roses Gap Road
Warning: Do not embark on this walk on a misty day, when visibility near cliffs is poor.
This walk, suitable for fit and energetic walkers, can involve water crossings, slippery track surfaces, rock hopping and rock scrambling. Follow directions to Beehive Falls (see notes for Beehive Falls). From Beehive Falls, the track immediately becomes steeper. An unrelenting scramble over steep slopes and rock outcrops brings you to a plateau with splendid views. The track, flanked by low vegetation, then cuts a large arc across the plateau to the base of an imposing cliffline. Signs and track markers guide you on a steady climb through massive boulders and over windswept terraces to the summit. The view from the plummeting cliff edge is unrivalled. Return by the same route. (emphasis added)

Seemed like a good option at noon on a 30-degree day!

Once we’d filled up our water bottles, we headed straight to the mountains to get started on the hike.  A half hour drive along a gravel road finally brought is to the carpark in question, and we were off.

As the hike to Brigg’s Bluff begins with the Beehive Falls route, it began quite pleasantly. A wide path curved through some lovely Australian flora, eventually leading to the falls. Unfortunately, a heavy rain had not just fallen, and as such, the falls were far from spectacular! They were peaceful though, and a nice place to stop for some photos. It only took 20 minutes to get there, so the estimated time was a bit off. But these falls were not our goal and we had to press on!

From the falls, the hike immediately became more challenging. The rock scrambling had begun! We climbed up steep rocky outcrops, stopping to admire the view along the way. It was such a good feeling to be out in the wilderness, far from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. We stopped for snacks and water breaks before pressing on. It was a long and arduous hike, compounded by the temperature and our limited water supply. We wished the waterfall had been a bit more robust, so that we could have topped up our bottles!

About halfway up, we reached a plateau that we had to follow for quite some time to make a loop around to the second summit. The good thing about this hike is that there were a lot of flat bits in between the extreme verticals. None were as long as this plateau, however, and once we had to go vertical again, our legs were getting a bit shaky!

Finally, we reached a junction that some hikers we met on their way down told us about. From here they said, we had to turn left and the bluff was another 20 minutes or so. Perhaps their estimate was a bit short, but we were close!

Just a little further!

Some last scrambling over the steep rocks and we reached the summit of Brigg’s Bluff! Woo hoo! We had beautiful views across the whole valley as we looked over the sheer drop of the cliff edge. It was a beautiful vista after the three gruelling hours spent climbing to reach it. We rested at the top for a while before returning via the same route. We were much faster on the descent, despite it being more awkward to scramble down the rocks than up them. Only our knees were a bit unhappy about it!

Brigg's Bluff

We finally arrived back at the carpark at 5:30ish, longing to refill our water bottles and craving some celebratory beer! Some quick showers at the hostel and then we were on our way, walking along the quiet road to the local pub. We saw HEAPS of kangaroos in the fields, some beautiful bright birds in the trees, and felt pretty good about our adventurous day in The Grampians! After a pub dinner, we walked back to the hostel to enjoy a rousing game of Balderdash over some more celebration brews. A winning combination to ensure a night of hilarity!

Sunday morning, we were up early for breakfast. We wanted to fit in another hike before Bri and I had to catch the 2:30 shuttle from Halls Gap to Stawell and on to the Ararat train. After the hike we chose turned out to be down a closed road, we opted for the Clematis Falls hike. When we reached it in 15 minutes, we decided to carry on up to the Chatauqua Peak. The flora and scenery here seemed vastly different from that which we saw the day before, so it was a nice contrast. This hike was less than an hour round trip – just enough to keep our muscles from seizing up J. The views from the peak were gorgeous. Another beautiful day in the great outdoors! On the way back down, we spotted an echidna, capping off our good dose of Aussie flora and fauna this weekend! Heading into town with just enough time for an ice cream treat, we hopped on our 2:30 shuttle, saying goodbye to Brian and Meghan and getting ready for the journey back to Melbourne. Two good books made the journey fly for both of us, and soon we were back at home. An excellent and revitalizing weekend in the country!

At Clematis Falls

Chatauqua Peak