So for those of you who do not know, Jules and I have been together for 4 years this November, so we decided to celebrate and take ourselves away for the weekend to the Grampians.
The Grampians are a series of five spectacular sandstone ridges, formed from earth movements lifting and tilting the hard sandstones to create an impressive landscape of peaks and valleys.
Nestled beside the Wonderland Range is the town of Halls Gap, which is where we stayed, in a place called Grampian Chalets. A perfect base for walks and wine.
Day 1:
We arrived just after lunch, and given the 130km gusts of wind, we thought we best not go for a walk on the first day. Instead, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and did a quick drive to a series of lookouts in the ranges including the Boroka lookout and the Reed lookout. After looking at the views, we headed to Halls Gap Estate for some wine tasting and nibbles, before heading to our abode for the night.
Day 2:
We got up early and decided to walk up Baronia Peak. A 6km steepish climb, with a 10 minute scramble up some jagged rock faces at the end to reach the summit, which offers super b 360-degree views.
After the walk, we did an afternoon vineyard drive to some iconic wineries in the area. First up was Mount Langi Ghiran, where there Shiraz is considered by many to be Australia’s best cool-climate Shiraz.
After Mount Langi, we headed to Seppelt. Seppelt have been making wine for over 160 years and have a rich history. They were the first vineyard to produce Australia’s first sparkling wine, as well as pioneering the iconic sparkling Shiraz. We had a sample of all the Shiraz and one of their sparkling Shiraz’s, but unfortunately their most iconic Shiraz, named ‘The Original’ was not on tasting that day.
After our tasting we went on a tour of The ‘Drives’. The ‘Drives’ refers to the elaborate labyrinth of excavated tunnels that lie hidden beneath the Seppelt Winery. Gold miners began excavating the Drives cellars in 1868 and ever since, generations of wine have slowly matured underground here.
After the tour we headed back for cheese and wine. Little did I know but Jules had only gone and purchased a famous bottle of the sparkling Shriaz I was unable to try. How did I not realize this? He is so sneaky. It definitely lived up to its reputation.
Day 3:
Another early start to the day. Today we decided to walk up Mount Rosea – which is hand down the best walk I have ever been on. Mt Rosea is 1009 metres high and gives 360 degree views at its summit. To get there, you have to hike though winding through rock formations, tunnels and caves. When we eventually got to the top, we saw nothing but cloud… Unfortunately the clouds came rolling in and everything was very overcast. The human eye could unpick some outlines but the camera struggled somewhat.
After the 4 hour trek, we ate a shed load of food at the local cafe and made our way back to Melbourne. A great weekend.
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