So two things you should note: Never revist places you thought were awesome once upon a time. Never revist places when you're 27 years older.
So I actually slept relatively well considering how hot it was and how thick the pillow was. I ended up putting in ear plugs because the aircon was so loud.
Had a little bit of leftovers from dinner last night for breakfast. I planned out an itinerary for the day. It was going to be fully loaded. And then some.
We went into town first to get some croissants for breakfast and pick up a map of the area from the tourist information centre. But then I dripped a big gob of cheese down my front, so went back to the motel to quickly change.
Cockatoo in Halls Gap
The Grampians from Halls Gap
Then we headed all the way out to MacKenzie falls. I wasn't really quite sure where all our photos were from 1994, so it was a bit of guesswork which lookouts to go to. In the end the ones we went to were correct BUT there was one lookout that was still on their brass map at the car park, but wasn't there anymore. So after I walked ALL THE WAY DOWN to the bottom of one falls (which we did last time as well but I have no memory of), I realised there *must* have been another lookout. So on the way back I kept a lookout, and sure enough there was a very unmarked tracked that obviously used to be a track with cut stones and the stumps of hand rails. This was definitely a spot we went to in 1994, but it was no longer a lookout, which is a shame because it has a nice view.
Mackenzie Falls - Broken Falls
The view over the lower Mackenzie Falls
Small falls at the side of Mackenzie Falls
Mackenzie Falls
Mackenzie Falls
I had to search hard for the spot to take this photo of Broken Falls. The lookout that used to be there is no longer there, only a slightly beaten path, and the remnants of stairs and railing posts.
That done, and it was getting very very late in the morning by now, we headed back down to Wonderland carpark to do the Pinnacles walk. It said 2.5-3 hours return. Hrmmm. So off we went. A hundred metres in there was a sign saying the Grand Canyon track was closed at the end due to a structural issue with the stair case. But you could still go into the Grand Canyon from the bottom. I decided we could leave that, and I'd go back at the end. So we went around and climbed up and up and up and up. For the next hour and a half or more. We nearly died. Also of note, pretty much all the locations such as Cool Chamber and Echo Cave and Lady's Hat are no longer marked. Bridal Veil Falls was still labelled, but of course there were no falls today. In fact they've basically given up on Lady's Hat. I could see where it was (because I was looking for it) but there's no easy way to get to it - they couldn't be bothered keeping the scrub around it clear.
The top of the Grand Canyon from the Pinnacle walk
Rock formations on the Pinnacle walk
Cool Chamber on the Pinnacle walk (no longer labelled)
Stu and a pretty tree and rock formations on the Pinnacle walk
Rock formations on the Pinnacle walk
Bridal Veil Falls (one of the few things that is still labelled)
Northern end of Silent Street
Walking through Silent Street
View across the top of the Grampians from near the Pinnacle
We *finally* made it to the top, and the weather was spectacular, as was the view. But we were too exhausted to enjoy it.
Me on top of the Pinnacle
Photo by Stu
View north from the Pinnacle
View of Halls Gap from the Pinnacle
View towards Lake Bellfield from the Pinnacle
Halls Gap from the Pinnacle
Australian raven at the Pinnacle
There were some workers on top having lunch, so I asked them about the Nerve Test. One of them said it was 150m down the hill (confirming where I suspected it would be), but he looked me up and down as if I was mad. So we went and found it. And I'm like WTF. There's no way I'm doing that. I mean I did it in 1994 (as did my Mum who was the same age then as I am now) but I'd probably fall off if I tried it now. Once again, there's no label for it now, and I can understand why. This one is actually dangerous. But there's no fence and you could do it if you had the nerve.
Me on the nerve test. I had the nerve twenty seven years ago. I no longer have it.
Photo by Stu
The Nerve Test. This is no longer labelled anywhere. They want people to forget about it.
Everything else in Victoria is fenced off. But The Nerve Test, the most dangerous, isn't.
Got a few more photos back at the Pinnacle.
Stu near the Pinnacle
So then we trudged down the hill again. It was pretty miserable and my feet/ankles were hurting. When we finally got to the bottom I went up into Grand Canyon. But before it actually got good there was another fence at the bottom cutting off access. The sign was September 2020. They've had nearly eighteen months to fix it but still haven't. Epic lame.
Heading back down into Silent Street
Lady's Hat. Not only is this no longer labelled, but they've let scrub grow up around it so you can't get anywhere near it.
The Grand Canyon from the north
The Grand Canyon from the north
By this point we were both completely wasted, but there was still heaps to see. We headed out to Boroka Lookout (which is better in the afternoon). You can drive to this one thankfully, but there's now great big fences cutting off access to the rock everyone used to stand on for photos. Still, the view was spectacular.
Boroka Lookout is fenced off so you can't stand on the little bit of rock anymore
Spectacular view from Boroka Lookout. I stood on that rock twenty seven years ago. That tree was alive in 1969 but a stump in 1994.
Me and Stu at Boroka Lookout
View south along the ridgeline of the Grampians from Boroka Lookout
View south along the ridgeline of the Grampians from Boroka Lookout
Halls Gap from Boroka Lookout
Spectacular view from Boroka Lookout
Then we headed out to Reed Lookout. I convinced the sweetie to walk the kilometre out to the Balconies with me by assuring him it would be the last time he'd need to get out of the car. Once again, there's great big fences everywhere blocking you from going and standing on the Balconies. So frustrating.
View north towards Wartook Reservoir from Reed Lookout
The Balconies are fenced off so you can no longer stand in the "jaws"
The Balconies
The Balconies
View across the southern Grampians at The Balconies
Tried to get a shot of the "Elephant's Hide" but really needed to go further back into town to get the shot at the same place as last time.
Then to Sundial carpark to find Mushroom Rock (it was 600m+ to go out to Lake View Lookout and I didn't have the energy for that). I did eventually find the rock, but as is now a running joke in the Grampians, there was a fence blocking you getting anywhere near it (and there's no labels anymore for it either, the only way I knew where it was was from an old map in the motel).
Mushroom Rock is no longer labelled on any maps, and is fenced off
Mushroom Rock
There was definitely no energy for Silverband Falls, so just onto Lake Bellfield to have a look at the dam.
Wallaby on Grampians Road near Lake Bellfield
Lake Bellfield
Lake Bellfield
Dam at Lake Bellfield
So as noted at the beginning, never to back to places you thought were awesome back in the day. You're old, and it will hurt. And the remotest chance of anyone falling off a cliff or looking sideways at a rock formation will mean the whole thing will be fenced off and ruin your memories.
Then back via the supermarket to pickup more tv dinners. Had a couple of beers while watching the mountains, did some washing in the sink, had dinner, then photo processing and blogging and now it's very late...
View from our motel room
See also my panoramas from Day 6.
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