The Grampians

They're not far from Melbourne, you can fit them into a long weekend, and they're recommended. The Anzac day weekend was ideal, as Melbournians all stayed at home being far more patriotic than the Brits - well actually watching the Anzac Day matches. Unfortunately the Long Weekend weather was like a UK Bank Holiday and turned for the worse just in time.

3.5 hours later and one Devonshire cream tea stop later we arrived in Halls Gap, and drove slightly out of town to our Eco Cabin. The Eco credentials I think extended to snaring the customer, but it was clean, nicely laid out and made a good base. The wood burning stove wasn't quite the roaring log fire Shaz wanted, and due to certain idiosyncrasies, Caitlin got far and away the best room.

We had been guaranteed 'Roo's here, but the same guarantee at the Red Centre had delivered nothing but road kill in various states of disrepair. However 2 mins on the road into town, 2 large Grey's leap out from the bush and proceed to charge down the road in front of us. We slowed a little watching as they continued to bounce madly down the road at 40kph. 2 large bouncing legs with big claws are great for the bush but not wet and greasy roads, and twice trying to run back into the bush they came crashing down onto the road. Eventually both managed to leap off into the trees and undergrowth somewhere. In retrospect I think I may have actually hounded them down the road, and Ciara was disappointed and not having two 'Roo's to eat.

Driving into town we saw it for the tourist trap it was and took the winding road up into the mountains to look at the views. We were driven back in dismay as each view stopped ten feet in front of us at a wall of cloud. Back to the Eco lodge for wine and wait for Sunday.