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Roughing It Out In The Grampians, Australia
Updated on 22nd July, 2023
This road trip was for a duration of eight days and to start camping in The Grampians makes for the easiest place to start the day exploring.
I’m writing this now two days after I arrived back in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, I meant to be back 3 days ago (12th October) but I missed my return flight.
There’s really no other explanation other than I totally neglected the date and time. Perhaps, the strong inertia from living out in a tent for eight days got to me so quickly that I didn’t feel the need to go home.
Some people don’t fancy roughing it out. I love it. Although I still love having a home to come back to, I still need to eat, sleep, relax, and unwind in the wild amongst nature once in a while.
Every time I have this urge of being in a different place, I often look for books to read or films to watch. I mean, it’s a good way to get things started but there’s really no substitute for just going there. And that’s exactly what I did. I just went.
Yes, I lost some money just to get my return ticket but sleeping, eating, walking and driving in the Australian cold and windy spring outdoors is something I know I will have for the rest of my life. And the money I lost? — Well, I’ll just work to get it back again.
Setting Up Camp at Halls Gap Caravan Park
Camping at the Grampians was the last campsite of the 8-day road trip. My ever so cool travel buddy from Outrex Adventure, Hafi and I have traveled nearly 2,000 kilometers starting from Melbourne before reaching Halls Gap. We decided to stay for 3 nights here starting from 9th of October.
When we arrived at the caravan park, we thought we were settled. The park lady instructed us to collect our access card at the late check-in box outside the office. But when we got there no access card, no key, nothing, zilch!
We slept in the car for one night in the cold — illegally by the roadside which was close to the caravan park. You’d be surprised how a tent can be warm. In Australia, you’re not allowed to camp anywhere you like and sleeping your car is illegal. They have signs everywhere reminding you of it.
We later found out that the park lady thought we were checking in on the 10th of October instead of the 9th. I suppose shit happens. The next day we manage to settle in and make up for our uncomfortable sleep from the night before.
The Pinnacle
Halls Gap Caravan park is at the base of the sandstone mountain range. It’s at the heart of the Grampians National Park also known as Gariwerd in the Aboriginal language.
We can see the rocky spurs jutting out from the jagged cliff faces looming over Halls Gap town. It may seem like The Pinnacle is unnervingly high and difficult to walk but it really isn’t.
It’s a 4.1 km walk. About one and the half hours to two hours walk for a return trip. It was a cold, windy and rainy day. The rocks were slippery but I loved every minute of it. Rain or shine, I was going to reach that edge.
The wind was strong. I’ve never felt more like an ant in my entire life sitting on the edge. The wind could have easily blown me off the cliff.
So if you ever get here, take a minute, breath, sit down, stand, feel the wind, and in my case get soaked. Just don’t jump, because you still have lots to see.
Lake Bellfield
Before we came to walking up this cliff, we were just from Lake Bellfield. The lake saves 103 billion liters of water a year and provides constant water supply to about 9,000 farms and 34 townships across the Wimmera and Mallee.
That’s a lot of water!
The Balconies
From Halls Gap, it takes about 20-30 minutes to reach Reeds Lookout. We started a 2km walk from Reed’s lookout to reach to The Balconies. They say the best time to go to The Grampians is when the skies are clear and the sun is out.
I can only imagine how beautiful it would look like. Despite the weather not being in our favor, I still appreciated the grandeur of this place. Precarious, misty, cloudy, and just the way it should be — magnificent.
Tips to know before exploring the Grampians
- Generally, you can’t camp or sleep in your vehicle anywhere you like. It’s always wise to make reservations at least a day or two before you arrive at Halls Gap. There’s plenty of campsites and caravan parks. The cheapest campsite is for those who have tents. One night cost $30 AUD.
- With $30 AUD you have access to all basic needs such as shower with hot water, toilet, camp kitchen, laundry and a place to dry your clothes.
- Most campsites are family friendly. It’s not a good idea if you and your friends are looking to party at night. Campsites have curfews and noise policies.
- If you feel like getting some work done, no worries. $30 AUD comes with wi-fi up to 100 mbp per day. The connection is reasonably strong too.
- If you forget your basic necessities, there are plenty of convenient stores near the campsite. Just a 5-minute walk. If you’re cooking, you can get groceries too.
- Before exploring The Grampians, always check the weather forecast. It helps when you need to decide what to wear while doing the bushwalks. The weather can get pretty unpredictable in the mountains.
- Wear comfortable and proper shoes. My Adidas training shoes did its justice.
- If you plan to explore the Grampians in spring like I did, it’s best to bring clothes that can keep you warm. I wore my dry-fit Nike tights. I didn’t have warmer pants because I didn’t prepare for the cold. I also had a jumper and my beanie.
- Personally, I like bringing a bottle of water and snacks in my jog sports bag. It keeps me hydrated throughout the walk and not feeling too hungry.
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The Best 4 Places to Eat in Okinawa
Spend a handful of days on this tropical island and you’ll quickly be struck by how laidback the beach atmosphere is. Okinawa provides the perfect vibe for the cafe culture to bloom and in fact, there is no shortage of quaint coffee shops and seaside eateries to enjoy a relaxing day in on the island. Here are four of the best places to eat in Okinawa that I highly recommend you try.
1. Teahouse By The Beach (Hamabe no Chaya)
Looking for a relaxing evening with a sunset ocean view? Then you need to drop by ‘Hamabe No Chaya’ also known as Teahouse by the Beach in English. Hamabe No Chaya is one of my favourites and I highly recommend dropping by this cafe and sampling their menu.
Getting to Hamabe no Chaya
True to its name, it literally is a teahouse by the beach. I recall the drive to finding this cafe was a very long one and it’s only because it is located in the northern region of the island, and that it was an hour away from where I stayed (central region). Before reaching to this cafe, you would have to drive through various narrow roads, and as you drive deeper, you will pass by several small towns, where eventually you’ll arrive to a mix of winding uphill roads.
The road will then lead you into an area to which seemed like an electrical appliance waste dump which could leave you wondering if you’re going the right way, but don’t despair because just a few meters away, you’ll find the cafe entrance hidden by overgrown plants on the left side of the road. On the opposite side is the parking area.
As you walk down the steps, the cafe sits under the trees on strong stacks of rustic stones and further down, are paved stone steps which were engraved on dried coral reef leading down to the beach. Guests usually hang around and take pictures there while waiting for their seats. Reservations are not available here, so my friend and I had to write our names on a board hanging by the entrance door of the cafe and wait for our turn to be seated.
On the drinks menu, you are spoiled for choice of hand-dripped coffee, Okinawa herbal tea, pineapple juice, passion fruit juice and much more. The cafe serves brunch sets too, like a grilled sandwich, scone set, and buttered toasts. They even have vegetarian pizza. If you fancy some sweets, they serve tofu gelato, handmade scones, chocolate cake, baked cheesecake and lots more.
Price ranges from 300 yen to 1,000 yen.
Get Directions to Hamabe No Chaya
2. A fusion of Thai – Vietnamese cuisine at Saai Roang, Yomitan
If you’ve had your fair share of tasting Okinawan speciality dishes and are looking to sample something different, Saai Roang is a place you might want to check out. This cosy and cute restaurant offers a fusion of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine with some of the best-recommended dishes being the pad thai, coconut milk pudding, coconut milk pudding with mango sauce, and spicy green papaya salad.
If you fancy something more filling, they serve fried rice with spicy fried chicken together with cashew nuts. I ordered rice and chicken with tom yum gravy and a hot Vietnamese coffee.
What I love about this restaurant is that all dishes are freshly cooked and served by the restaurant owner himself, which makes indulging in the meals even more special and knowing that they were made with care and passion.
When // Opens 6 days a week from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm except for Sundays. It’s easy to plan your day including Saai Roang as your lunch stop after a nice visit to major attractions in Yomitan such as the Zakimi Castle Ruin. Although Saai Roang is only about a one-minute drive from the park, best to reserve a seat at Saai Roang in advance so you can be sure to grab lunch here after you’re done visiting all the attractions.
Get Directions to Saai Roang, Yomitan
Know // While this post is about my most highly recommended eateries in Okinawa, I’ve shared recommendations on 5 wonderful things to do in Okinawa.
3. Savor Authentic Italian Food at Mintama
Mintama is an Italian restaurant that welcomes customers in a traditional-styled Japanese building located on a side street alley, which looks like a cosy home. As you walk to the entrance, a “target” sign hangs on a tree and invites you through wooden sliding glass doors where you’ll see wooden panel ceilings and wooden tables and chairs. It is the perfect place for dinner with the family, girlfriend’s night out or date nights. This is another restaurant in Yomitan-Son that I love and would recommend you to try.
Image credit: Hotomi and Love Satoyoma
Straight out of the menu, I ordered Balsamic Glazed Mahi. I loved that they made sure the fish was cooked to perfection. It was easy in the mouth, soft and large tomatoes drizzled with balsamic glazed was placed on top of the fish. Mintama served pastas, salads and other traditional Okinawan dish too.
How to Get to Mintama Ristorante, Okinawa
Use the Google Maps below to get directions to Mintama.
4. Have Tea at Suien Bakery
A reason to linger for longer in Okinawa is to have a casual evening tea, coffee and bread at cute eateries like Bakery Suien. Tucked in the back of a residential area and with the tomb and Zakimi Castle ruins just slightly beyond, this bakery is famed for its soft vegan bread and lunch set which includes salad, soup and a yummy sandwich. All breads and pastries are freshly baked and prepared upon placing an order.
The menu only offers two vegan lunch sets and after stealing glances at what was already on other guest’s plates, I decided to settle with soft bread, red pepper soup and tea. The only difficulty here is choosing the right time to drop by. It seems operational hours change frequently at Bakery Suein; according to several Tripadvisor reviewers. My experience was different from the reviewer’s in that, I was able to grab a seat when I arrived.
However, I must note that other seats quickly filled up as soon as my order arrived. Totalling out at 1,200¥ per set, the bakery proved to be one of my favourite eateries for a casual evening with the perfect setting.
Get Directions to Suien Bakery
Planning a trip to Okinawa soon? Find out everything you need to know before visiting Okinawa!
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If you enjoyed this travel guide, you can buy me a virtual coffee!