Gramps

OK. An American, a German, a Chilean, a Mexican, an Australian, and an Irish woman go camping. . .

I know what you're thinking: here comes the odd, long-winded joke making fun of ethnic stereotypes. Nope - just another holiday weekend spent with friends in the Grampians National Park of Victoria.

The six of us hit the road early Saturday morning in two of the more improbably recreational vehicles on the road: a Getz and a Lada - certainly not what any outback guide to Australia would recommend. However, we ended passing even more modest autos in transit. We stopped off at The Vines in Ararat for second breakfast and arrived in Halls Gap around mid-day.

We pitched camp at the Lakeside Caravan Park (or some of us did - Rodolfo appeared to erect something that looked more like a Hyatt than a tent), ominously set at the base of the dam, but since the reservoir doesn't have any water in it, I suppose the consequences of dam failure were minimal. We spent the afternoon around Brambuk cultural centre and took a quick stroll to see some of the roos, deer, and emus. By nightfall, temperatures were dropping rather quickly, so we bundled up, cooked up some Gluehwein, and enjoyed a barbie by the fire. Then we beat a hasty retreat to the sleeping bags to insulate ourselves against the cold, with temperatures overnight dropping to just above freezing.

We had a lazy breakfast Sunday morning before heading out to check out Zumstein (skip it), followed by Mackenzie Falls (where we ran into some folks that we knew - as one does in Australia) and the Balconies. We ended the hike over coffee in Halls Gap. We headed back to camp at dark, cooked up more Gluehwein, and commenced with a chili cook-off, accompanied by a raucous Aussie family reunion/birthday (we scored some cake!).

Monday morning, we broke camp and headed for the Pinnacle for a final trek over rocks and around the charred remains of trees (still standing after the 2006 bushfires that swept through much of the park and almost claimed the town).

Thanks to the Queen and the Commonwealth for giving us an opportunity for a day off.

Photos here.