Luxury and boutique hotel destinations

Why book with Smith?

  • Guaranteed best rates at time of booking, member or not.
  • No booking fees.
  • Hotels are hand-picked and reviewed anonymously.
  • Gifts when you show your Smith membership card at check-in.
  • Earn money back on every booking to put towards your next trip.
Become a member

Boutique hotels in The Grampians

The Grampians, Australia

Self-catering properties in The Grampians

The Grampians Overview

Australia

Countryside
Ethereal mountains, cliff-faces and bushscapes
Country Life
Hiking boots and sparkling wines

The Grampians National Park is known as Gariwerd to the local Jardwadjali and Djadjawurung Aborigines and has been a sacred place for many millennia.

It's a magic region of craggy mountains and waterfalls that's rich in wildlife and physical drama, and home to ancient Aboriginal rock-art sites, many of which are open to visitors. Bushwalking, rock-climbing and abseiling are popular here, but there are also many superb short walks, a brilliant local food and wine scene and some delicious boutique lodgings in and around the region. Tiny Halls Gap, the centre of activities, can get busy on weekends, but it's a delightful place where kangaroos and wombats mingle with picnickers in the foothills of the mountains. Dunkeld is the gateway town to the southern Grampians.

Typically The Grampians

The Grampians is one of the best and most accessible areas of Australia to experience native flora and fauna in the wild. The air rings with kookaburra songs and shrieking galahs, and kangaroos hop through Halls Gap grazing on the sports fields and greens. Brooding mountains and cliffs change with the daylight and season, and waterfalls roar after recent rain. For eons Aborigines have left their indelible marks as extraordinary rock art, and to this day celebrate their stories and knowledge at the Brambuk (www.brambuk.com.au) cultural centre. But, ultimately, it's the splendid bushwalking and hiking – on more than 150 kilometres of trails – that brings people to the Grampians. That and the après-walk gastronomy and lovely boutique rooms for bunking down in.

Local knowledge

Taxis
Taxis are few and far between in the Grampians. Distances are significant so cab fares will be considerable. In Halls Gap itself, Halls Gap Taxi Services (+61 (0)3 5356 4774) might be useful if you've imbibed too much local wine with dinner. And nearby taxi operators include Ararat Taxis (+61 (0)3 5352 2283), Stawell Taxis (+61 (0)3 5358 4207) and Horsham Taxis (+61 (0)3 5381 1223).

Tipping culture
There are no requirements or expectations for tipping in Australia. If, however, you're so disposed, a 10 per cent gratuity is gratefully accepted in restaurants.

Siesta and Fiesta
Businesses – shops, wineries, activities providers – tend to trade between 9am and 5pm with extended hours on weekends and busy periods. In low season (winter, from June to August) opening hours may be reduced.

Packing tips
High-tech designer-label outdoors apparel is the clobber of choice in the Grampians, even for the less strenuous types. Hiking boots, Gore-Tex and polar fleece are everywhere and you can wear your thermals with pride! Walkers, hikers and rock-climbers should be properly prepared with all-weather clothing and water, and a map, compass and food are essential for longer campaigns.

Recommended reads
Most publications are based around activities, like Walking the Grampians, by Garry Van Dijk, and Discovering Grampians-Gariwerd, by Alistair Paton. Grampians – Selected Climbs, by Simon Mentz and Glenn Tempest, is one of several excellent rock-climbing books.

Cuisine
The region has a wonderful food and wine culture, with Western District cool-climate wines consistently winning awards; see www.grampianswine.com.au.

Regional specialities
Nearby Mount Zero Olives (+61 (0)3 9315 1410; www.mountzeroolives.com) is Australia's premium olive producer with a café and farmgate sales. The local foodie scene features superb Western District beef, lamb and dairy products that is prepared artfully at gastro-pubs and high-end restaurants by some of the country's best chefs. Another regional speciality of the Grampians is tricked-up gourmet bush tucker – kangaroo, crocodile, barramundi, bush tomatoes and dessert seeds and limes.

Currency
Australian dollar (AU$).

Time zone
GMT + 10.

Dialling codes
Country code: +61; Victoria (0)3. When dialling internationally the leading zero of the area code is dropped.

Do go/don't go
Spring (September to November) and Autumn (March to May) are the best times to visit the Grampians. Spring brings the blooming wildflowers and orchids, while Autumn provides long mild days for walking. Summer days can be oppressively hot, while Winter tends to be cool and wet, with nighttime temperatures sometimes falling to zero.

Don't go home without

Walking the Nerve Test. At the end of the Pinnacle Walk is this unsigned lumpy sliver of narrow rock that falls away perilously on each side. Whether you're testing your machismo or showing off your beam-gymnastics sure-footedness, there are no second chances.