Albom Adventures

Inspiring travel through photography

Grampians to Melbourne: Kangaroos, Skinks, Waterfalls and More

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Bobtail Skink seen in the Grampians, Victoria, Australia
I have no idea how hubby spotted this Bobtail skink just on the side of the road.

Waterfalls and wildlife, our days in the Grampians region were filled with natural beauty. Inland from Victoria’s southern Australian coast, Grampian National Park is a perfect base for exploration. Best shared in photos:

Bobtail Skink seen in the Grampians, Victoria, Australia
I have no idea how hubby spotted this Bobtail skink just off the side of the road.
Boroka lookout in the Grampians offers180 degree views of Halls Gap and Lake Bellfield in Western Victoria. To get up we drove up the aptly named Mt Difficult Road.
Boroka Lookout in the Grampians offers 180-degree views of Halls Gap and Lake Bellfield in Western Victoria. To get there, we drove up the aptly named Mt. Difficult Road.
Boroka lookout in the Grampians in Victoria Australia
Another view from Boroka Lookout.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos in Brambuk Cultural Center, Halls Gap, Australia
A Sulphur Crested Cockatoo in Brambuk Cultural Center in Halls Gap.
Broken Falls in the Grampians in Victoria Australia
This is Broken Falls. One can take a long and impressive hike to get here, or drive to the nearby carpark.
Kangaroos in Halls Gap
Kangaroos lounging in the sun, seen in the field from the back deck of our hotel room. Oddly, these are more kangaroos than we saw when we visited Kangaroo Island in South Australia. 
One of four watch towers at J-Ward
As we drove through Ararat, we stopped for a tour of J-Ward, a former lunatic asylum for the criminally insane. 
Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre in Ararat, Australia
Also located in Ararat, and worth a visit is the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre highlighting the incredible history and difficulty of the Chinese immigrants who came to work in the gold fields.
Aww. We had to stop to enjoy these ducks and ducklings in Halls Gap.
Aww. We had to stop to enjoy these ducks and ducklings.
Ballarat Australia
The provincial town of Ballarat was our final stop on the way back to Melbourne.

Read Next: Kangaroo, Koala, Platypus and Other Australian Animals

Practical Information:

  • The Grampians National Park is located in Victoria and is comprised of rugged sandstone mountain ranges and forests.
  • We barely touched on all the things to do in the Grampians. It is a popular holiday destination for camping, climbing, scenic drives, and bush walks.
  • We stayed at the Kookaburra Motor Lodge in Hall’s Gap. Clean and tidy, it is centrally located, but the highlight for me was the kangaroos that were sunning themselves in the field just behind the hotel. Apparently, this is a normal activity for them.
  • For more information on the Grampians visit the official national parks site.
  • We used Lonely Planet – Australia to help guide our travels.

This is the fifth article in a series as we drove a loop from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road to Port Fairy, then up to Halls Gap and the Grampians before heading back to Melbourne.

  1. Melbourne Street Art: Explore Australia
  2. Highlights of our Great Ocean Road Self Drive in Australia
  3. A Convent Turned Luxury Hotel Along the Great Ocean Road
  4. J-Ward: Inside a Lunatic Asylum for the Criminally Insane
Map of the Great Ocean Road and Grampians loop that we drove
Map showing the route we drove over five days. The marker is in Hall’s Gap in the Grampians. The bottom map shows what a small portion of Australia this covered.

Kangaroos, skinks, birds, waterfalls or hiking, which part of the Grampians is your favourite?

If you enjoyed this photo tour of the Grampians, please share it on social media including Pinterest:

This Bobtail Skink is one of the many interesting wildlife we saw whilst hiking and driving in the Grampians in Australia

Disclaimer: We are frequently provided with a complimentary entry or other benefits. However, the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

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About Rhonda Albom

Capturing the essence of travel through photography, Rhonda Albom is the primary author and photographer at Albom Adventures. She is an American expat based in New Zealand. She travels the world with her husband.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MARIANNE FERNANDEZ

    I really like your article, it is really great 🙂 Thank you for the pictures too.
    I also visited the Grampians and it was amazing !

    Reply

  5. Stefanie

    Skink? Cool, but a little creepy! I actually said “Aww” before my scroll got down to where you wrote it for the ducklings! Beautiful photos as always!

    Reply

  6. kim Marie Ostrowski

    aww the little duckies look so cute.. but the adult ones look weird, like sort of part duck part goose (at least our sort here)

    and I heard of Skinks before.. saw them on the Aussie Outback show with Tim Faulkner! Those were Wild ‘roos? or part of something at the hotel?

    Reply

    • Rhonda Albom

      Yep, those were wild kangaroos. They just hang out in the field but are free to come and go as they please. The fence in the back keeps them out of a different property, not into the one they are on.

      Reply

  8. stephanie jefferson

    What a great trip you are having. I’ve not done the Grampians road trip, another one for one day! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

    Reply

  9. Mimi

    Absolutely beautiful! What great scenery. I could do without the skink though. hahahaha I love the name of the road you had to take to get the view.

    Reply

  10. Travelera

    Wow Such a beautiful post, your photos are always awesome, my favourite this time are the ducks and ducklings, super cute! 🙂
    Have a wonderful Christmas Rhonda!
    xxx

    Reply

  11. Deb Nance

    What great wildlife you saw!

    I have a blue-tongued skink in my school library and she is the most gentle scary-looking animal you ever saw.

    Reply

    • Rhonda Albom

      Australia is an amazing place to look for wildlife as so much of it is indigenous to the country and fascinating to the rest of us.

      Reply

  12. Kathy Marris

    Being a former Victorian (I grew up in Bendigo), your photos brought back wonderful memories of travelling around Victoria when I was little. It was nice seeing a bit of greenery in your photos as Victoria can be very brown and dry. 🙂

    Reply

  13. Patrick Weseman

    What great pics and what a wonderful place to visit. Very nice. I do want to go there.

    Hope you have a Merry Christmas.

    Reply

    • Rhonda Albom

      Hubby is a reptile fan. So much so he had two huge (4-foot) iguana’s when I met him, so I would never publically agree with you.

      Reply

  18. Comedy Plus

    What a fun adventure. I love anything with a view. Boroka Lookout jumped right out at me, so that’s my favorite.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    Reply

    • Rhonda Albom

      This part of Australia would be completely opposite London. The cities would be more similar. It was settled by the Brits.

      Reply

  21. Nancy

    Wonderful photos, each and every one. And you have a great eye to have seen that skink – they’re rather shy, at least here in the States.
    Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  25. Hilary Melton-Butcher

    Hi Rhonda – I’d love to take that route .. and isn’t that skink amazing. Incredible landscape too … my father made contact with a war colleague who lived in Ballarat … and I should have visited him – but never got down under … I think I’ve got his details, so if I ever do … I could perhaps catch up with the family … cheers Hilary

    Reply

    • Rhonda Albom

      That skink was such a cool find. As for family friends, I do hope you make it down under to meet them. And when you do, you have a map all routed out for you.

      Reply

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