Roaming Potato: Grampians (Mt Williams, Boroka Lookout, Reeds Lookout, the Balconies, the Pinnacle)

Mount Williams Summit

Following Boronia Peak, we made our way to Mount Williams Summit, the highest point within the Grampians National Park. We drove to Mount Williams Carpark, then proceeded on foot for 1.8km to the summit via a sealed road.

Strenuous walking involved. I repeat…..strenuous walking involved.

The path started off with a steep inclination and trailed off into a plateau towards the end.

See the whitish tree brunches with blackened spots, I reckon they’re part of the remains from the 2006 major bushfire which burnt a large section of the area.

Panaromic view of the eastern vantage from Mount William, towards Ararat.

We made a few idiotic poses for the camera from push-ups to martial art poses to filming a parody of the scene from Lion King where Rafiki presents Simba to the Pride Lands. I shall include this in a separate post, which I’m dying to put together – “Idiotic Stuff to Do in Grampians”. We could have stayed longer and continue to act like fools on the summit but the chill of the weather urged us to hustle back to the car and make our way to Boroka Lookout.

Boroka Lookout

The walk to the lookout point from the carpark was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. I shall cherish this moment. Take a mere 10 seconds walk and you’ll find yourself overlooking the spectacular 180 degree views out over the the north and east regions and over Halls Gap and Lake Bellfield to the south. After spending ~15 minutes admiring the awe inspiring view, we proceeded to Reed Lookout/ The Balconies.

Did I mention it is beautiful? Because it is!! You can even point out Lake Lonsdale and Lake Fyans from a distance.

Reed Lookout/ The Balconies Lookout

To get to the Balconies, take a relatively easy 1km stroll along a gravelled trail where you’ll come across wooden chairs carved out from tree trunks and mini stone henges resting on rock outcrops.

After what felt like forever into the stringybark (Eucalyptus) forest, I finally laid eyes on this beauty.

I saw people clambered pass the steep edges of the rocks then balance on their two feet like a stork at the tip of the cliff, posing for the camera. Something in me wanted to scream: “Are you out of your freaking mind?!”. Anyone that knows me, knows I crave adventure and an adrenaline spike. Yes, it would be exhilarating to tempt fate but for me, I crawled to the edge, looked down, snapped a quick photo, then quickly scurry back to safety before the wooziness kicks in. Better safe than sorry, one misstep and it’s hasta la vista.

By the time we returned to Reeds Carpark, the time displayed on my watch was 3:45pm. Signs of exhaustion were beginning to show and our knees were starting to feel ancient. However, we still yet to make a 20 minutes drive to Wonderland Carpark and complete another hike to the Pinnacle.

The Pinnacle via Grand Canyon

The Pinnacle is a popular attraction for day trippers. From Wonderland Carpark, it’s an alleged 0.1km walk to the Grand Canyon and a 2.1km hike to the Pinnacle. Note that I mentioned “alleged”, because it feels like much longer and an effort of a 10km run. Despite the fact that it isn’t the most challenging trek, by the time we reached the end of Grand Canyon, we were laughing at the distance. They must have gotten the signage wrong. Another option is to bypass the Grand Canyon but I must say that it is one of the most unique and inviting site of the Grampians. You wouldn’t want to give it a miss.

Like most walkers, we veered left towards the Grand Canyon track; veer right and you’ll ascend directly to the pinnacle bypassing the Grand Canyon. Following the small yellow arrows painted on the rocks we began the uphill walk.

Half an hour in and I found myself panting away, hopping from one rock to the next. The trail ahead seemed like a never ending series of ragged sandstone formations.

The Grand Canyon houses massive stacks of rocks, neatly balance precariously on top of one another. This hard sandstone nature was formed after thick layers of sediments were intensely folded and thrust up from under the earth dating back to 430 million years ago, making human existence on earth seem tiny in comparison.

As you can see, there are metal railings and stairways along the gorge at various section, however most sections involves rock-hopping and uneven surfaces. All you need is yourself and a pair of good gripping shoes. Ironically, I was surprised at how many people were in sandals and worse – dressed up as if they’re heading to the mall.

Once we approached the Pinnacle, instead of heading to the strategically placed fenced platform, I immediately head to the massive cliff situated adjacent to it, clambered to the edge of the cliff, well nearly and set there for what felt like eternity.

After perching on that cliff for 15 minutes or so, I finally clomped my way up the the Pinnacle lookout. Again amazing view.

Having taken various shots at the top, we finally made our descend and head back to Halls Gap.

Last stretch of sandstones for the day

First order of business: A much needed shower

Second order of business: A well deserved hearty dinner at the View Restaurant. How good is the food? I shall elaborate in detail in another post. For now, I would say it’s a MUST GO.