GRAMPIANS mountains
Digby – Hamilton – Dunkeld 80Again it is sunny in the morning, then it becomes cloudy in the afternoon. Fortunately, in the end it returns sunny. I have some side wind from North today. The road is flat to undulating all way. It goes mostly through eucalyptus and pine plantation forests, with scattered farms with fields, till near Hamilton. Then the countryside changes to fields with groups of trees and scattered farms. There are some trucks, but that is OK.
In the distance, I can see the 2 lines of the Grampians mountains.
Hamilton is a town, noisy and with traffic. I follow the way to Warnambool and Ballarat on road B160 to get off. On this way, after the railway bridge, there is the lake Hamilton, where it seems possible to camp.
The tourist office tells me that it is no way to take the gravel roads in Grampians, as they are very harsh and steep hilly. And also a part of the sealed road is damaged and closed, in the south. Well that turns the Grampians tour shorter. I would follow the road C216 till Halls Gap, and return by the C217. Then I would follow the C178 scenic drive to go till Warnambool.
When arriving near Dunkeld, I see the East lane of mountains, ended by 2 cliffs, of the Grampians, that looks like big waves rolling East.
Dunkeld is a small town with a store, and a tourist office with hot shower, marvellous. Then I go and camp in the recreation reserve on right abroad the railway.
Dunkeld – Halls Gap-10 57
I move in the early morning way to Halls Gap, by the road C216. I immediately enter in the forest, and along the mountains. On right side the mountains looks like hills with steep slopes covered by the forest, eucalyptus, acacias, laurels, and weeds. On the left side are the cliffs, one after other, all high and big, all different. They look like castles, towers, and it is easy to see the slates of stones. At the foot is the forest, which often hides partially the cliffs. But fortunately, there are a lot of windows. It is very impressive, great.
The road starts by a steep short climbing, and then follows undulating to hilly, but easy. It is sunny in the morning, and then by midday the clouds are coming. I make so much stops looking the cliffs, and shooting fotos, that I go very slow. I cross a pass, 424m high, and then on right there is a lookout on a red cliff. There are 3 campsites along the road, all with tankwater.
I decide on 2 pm to stop at Borough huts campsite, I feel tired, and I am not in a hurry. It was the good idea, I have just the time to pitch the tent, and a storm comes. It rains for 2 hours, and then it looks the sun would come back.
Borough huts campsite – Halls Gap – campsite 40
In the morning it is yet raining, so I awake late, and when I decide to take my breakfast, a little group of climbers invites me for a coffe. In the end I move on 10.30 am. I go North, way to Halls Gap, and fortunately, the rain stops and the fog moves away. So when I arrive on the wall of the lake Belfield, I can see on left the orange and red cliffs of the mountains, and on right the grey cliffs of the opposite slope. Then I continue a little, till the indigenous centre, with have some beautiful fotos.
Then the rain comes again, and the fog too. So I decide to turn around and go back to Dunkeld by the same road. The fog hides all the cliffs. I stop at a campsite to lunch, just on time, as all the time I stay under the roof of the toilet, it has heavy rain. Then I continue a little, but it is already 2 pm, so I decide to camp at the next campsite, 30 km before Dunkeld. Here I meet a young Australian guy with whom I chat a long time.
Campsite - Dunkeld – Penshurt 68
Well in the morning it is sunny. So I decide to cross the pass and follow by the road C217. Well there are 2 km climbing, not very steep, and then 4 km downhill. Then it is flat through fields, with scattered big trees and farms. There is a community house with a picnic area under a shelter 14 km before Dunkeld, and a picnic area, with tables, along the fresh water lake, 7 km before Dunkeld. At the end there is a short and easy climbing through the park, to join the C216 and Dunkeld.
In Dunkeld I make some shopping, well the grocery is very limited. I take a shower, I shave, and I lunch.
Then I continue till Penshurst, 30 km more by the C178, undulating through fields with scattered trees and farms. It is very windy from West, and cloudy.
In Penshurst, at the cross, 100m on right, and then on left, is the entrance of the recreation reserve, or sport field. I camp here.
In the distance, I can see the 2 lines of the Grampians mountains.
Hamilton is a town, noisy and with traffic. I follow the way to Warnambool and Ballarat on road B160 to get off. On this way, after the railway bridge, there is the lake Hamilton, where it seems possible to camp.
The tourist office tells me that it is no way to take the gravel roads in Grampians, as they are very harsh and steep hilly. And also a part of the sealed road is damaged and closed, in the south. Well that turns the Grampians tour shorter. I would follow the road C216 till Halls Gap, and return by the C217. Then I would follow the C178 scenic drive to go till Warnambool.
When arriving near Dunkeld, I see the East lane of mountains, ended by 2 cliffs, of the Grampians, that looks like big waves rolling East.
Dunkeld is a small town with a store, and a tourist office with hot shower, marvellous. Then I go and camp in the recreation reserve on right abroad the railway.
Dunkeld – Halls Gap-10 57
I move in the early morning way to Halls Gap, by the road C216. I immediately enter in the forest, and along the mountains. On right side the mountains looks like hills with steep slopes covered by the forest, eucalyptus, acacias, laurels, and weeds. On the left side are the cliffs, one after other, all high and big, all different. They look like castles, towers, and it is easy to see the slates of stones. At the foot is the forest, which often hides partially the cliffs. But fortunately, there are a lot of windows. It is very impressive, great.
The road starts by a steep short climbing, and then follows undulating to hilly, but easy. It is sunny in the morning, and then by midday the clouds are coming. I make so much stops looking the cliffs, and shooting fotos, that I go very slow. I cross a pass, 424m high, and then on right there is a lookout on a red cliff. There are 3 campsites along the road, all with tankwater.
I decide on 2 pm to stop at Borough huts campsite, I feel tired, and I am not in a hurry. It was the good idea, I have just the time to pitch the tent, and a storm comes. It rains for 2 hours, and then it looks the sun would come back.
Borough huts campsite – Halls Gap – campsite 40
In the morning it is yet raining, so I awake late, and when I decide to take my breakfast, a little group of climbers invites me for a coffe. In the end I move on 10.30 am. I go North, way to Halls Gap, and fortunately, the rain stops and the fog moves away. So when I arrive on the wall of the lake Belfield, I can see on left the orange and red cliffs of the mountains, and on right the grey cliffs of the opposite slope. Then I continue a little, till the indigenous centre, with have some beautiful fotos.
Then the rain comes again, and the fog too. So I decide to turn around and go back to Dunkeld by the same road. The fog hides all the cliffs. I stop at a campsite to lunch, just on time, as all the time I stay under the roof of the toilet, it has heavy rain. Then I continue a little, but it is already 2 pm, so I decide to camp at the next campsite, 30 km before Dunkeld. Here I meet a young Australian guy with whom I chat a long time.
Campsite - Dunkeld – Penshurt 68
Well in the morning it is sunny. So I decide to cross the pass and follow by the road C217. Well there are 2 km climbing, not very steep, and then 4 km downhill. Then it is flat through fields, with scattered big trees and farms. There is a community house with a picnic area under a shelter 14 km before Dunkeld, and a picnic area, with tables, along the fresh water lake, 7 km before Dunkeld. At the end there is a short and easy climbing through the park, to join the C216 and Dunkeld.
In Dunkeld I make some shopping, well the grocery is very limited. I take a shower, I shave, and I lunch.
Then I continue till Penshurst, 30 km more by the C178, undulating through fields with scattered trees and farms. It is very windy from West, and cloudy.
In Penshurst, at the cross, 100m on right, and then on left, is the entrance of the recreation reserve, or sport field. I camp here.
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