A GREEN GETAWAY IN GARIWERD
To make this trip a truly green one, hire an electric vehicle in Melbourne before driving 90 minutes on the Western Freeway to reach Ballarat. Stop for Seven Seeds coffee at Hydrant Food Hall, then continue north-west towards the Grampians (Gariwerd). Got ‘range anxiety’? Ararat’s many charging stations have got you covered.
Drive slowly and watch for roos when you reach the hiking hub of Halls Gap. Hit the ground running and tackle the 90-minute ascent to The Pinnacle lookout from the Wonderland car park. Staggering views await. Unwind at dusk with a locally brewed ale at Paper Scissors Rock Brew Co.
The next day, drive to meditative MacKenzie Falls (Mikunung wira) for a cruisey morning walk infused with birdsong. Next, don your hiking boots and drive north to the less-visited Hollow Mountain (Wudjub-guyan) Walk, where scrambling up rocky terrain will test your fitness.
Before driving home, stop at Mt William (Duwil) car park to take on the steep ascent to the highest point in the Grampians National Park. After a 50-minute slog, you’ll be rewarded with panoramas worth sweating for. DISTANCE: 655-kilometre round trip. Book a private room at STAY: the award-winning Grampians Eco YHA in Halls Gap. Rainwater tanks, grey-water recycling, solar hot water, a compost system and herb garden make for a low-impact stay. After a day hiking, get toasty by the wood-fired heaters. In the morning, use the communal kitchen to cook eggs fresh from the resident chickens. You can also enjoy an eco-conscious stay at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld (pictured), known for its fine diner, Wickens.