luvtravl

We are flying into Sydney and connecting to Melbourne and then spending a week driving to Kangaroo Island via Great Ocean Road. After KI we will go to Flinders Ranges and Wilpena Pound for a couple of days. At end of trip we will fly from Adelaide to Sydney and spend 6 days. Just found out we may get to add a few more days to our trip and trying to decide between either Grampians or Blue Mountains. Which would you choose?

TravelSarah

I haven't been to the Grampians yet, but I can definitely recommend the Blue Mountains! You can easily spent 6 days in this area... do the Grand Canyon walk and visit Jenolan Caves. The easiest way is to rent a car, since public transport can be a bit of a hassle out there.

northie

if you do Grampians which I love you would need to go to the area on your way to KI. IMO the grampians are wilder than Blue mountains-more towns etc around the BM. Both are great but depends on your time line.

luvtravl

Thanks for your replies. Does one have more wildlife spotting opportunities than the other?

Songdoc

Gosh, both areas are so beautiful.

I saw two kangaroos in the Blue Mountains.

I saw so many kangaroos in Hall's Gap (Grampians) it was crazy! We saw entire herds of them.

For pure scenery, I'd go for the Grampians. If you also want to shop and have a wider variety of restaurants ... then the Blue Mountains. But the Grampians won hands down for wildlife.

luvtravl

Thanks Songdoc! We're in it for the wildlife and scenery so Grampians - shopping doesn't really matter to us. We had originally planned maybe one night at the Grampians but with some extra days we can slow the trip down and spend a few days there.

northie

agree with Songdoc's comments

peterSale

You will probably get more wildlife viewing in the Grampians. Be aware that all our mammals are nocturnal. You may see the odd roo or wallaby during the day as well asa koala.

The grampians quite big so limit yourself to the area around Halls gap and be sure to do the pinnacles walk. Try the nerve test. I will post directions and a photo in the next day or two.

Make sure you take lots of water with you. The tracks can be a bit steep and rough.

When are you coming? It can be very hot in Summer.

Allow yourself plenty of time for KI. The roads are a bit rough and made out of ball bearings (iron oxide pisolite to be exact, but amounts to the same thing) BRAKE gently if you are driving. Plenty of wildlife on KI, great caves, lovely honey and sheep cheese.

luvtravl

We'll be visiting in late November. We'll be staying 3 nights on KI.

Songdoc

Below is an excerpt from my trip report. I hope it helps.

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We’d seen some amazing coastal scenery and now it was time to head to the mountains. Next stop: Hall’s Gap in the Grampians—estimated to be a four hour drive—but we were learning that if there were scenic lookouts or places to hike, we’d have to double our estimates ;-). The fog made driving a bit tense and our GPS took us on a route that had my stomach clenching.

We drove at least an hour on a “2-lane” road that was barely large enough for one car. It was reminiscent of Ireland’s worse country lanes—but in Ireland I wouldn’t have been going 110 km/hours (around 70 MPH). When that road ended I was relieved to say the least. I hadn’t killed anything—including us.

We stopped to do about a thirty minute walk on the Piccaninny trail and got some great shots of a wallaby. The scenery was quite different from anything we’d seen up to this point. More like brush—with lots of “kangaroo tail” plants. Beautiful!

We continued on to the Grampians where we stayed at the Kookaburra Motel. It was a cute, inexpensive, little basic motel run by a sweet, older couple. I fear I traumatized them when I insisted that DP and I would prefer one queen bed—but they were friendly and it wasn’t a problem once they grasped the situation.

Our patio overlooked a field where kangaroos grazed and hopped by. Cockatoos did a little dance, begging for food—and I was in bliss. The views of the mountains were so beautiful and I was feeling profoundly grateful as we ate our breakfast looking at that scenery.

We drove to all the “must-see” lookout points in the Grampians. The Boroka Lookout was breathtaking. The Balconies was also beautiful. We enjoyed a walk to MacKenzie Falls—pretty, but it couldn’t compare with Erskine Falls that we’d seen a few days earlier. But it’s a beautiful area for nature lovers.

The following day was cool and cloudy and we hiked several hours. The scenery was unique and unearthly and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We figured that after that intense hike we’d earned a treat—so we had a delicious pizza and shared a massive Greek salad at the Black Panther restaurant.

peterSale

November will be good as it will not be too hot - mid twenties. Wild flowers will be out as well. Still, take plenty of water and insect repellant.

On KI do the ravine des casoars walk. The guides say 6 hours but it is about half that. At the end is a small set of cave with fairy penguins.

Just a reminder November 2nd is Melbourne Cup day and a Public Holiday in Melbourne and most of Victoria. Most shops will be close but restaurants etc. should be open.

peterSale

Here is a link to my photos of the view from The Pinnacles and The Nerve Test. It is a narrow strip of granite you can walk or crawl out onto. It is not advertised for safety reasons but is easy to find. It is about 100 yards to the right of The Pinnacles.

When I went there as a child I saw Canadians jumping from the end of it to the nearest cliff.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersale1/

Have a great trip and let meknow if you want any other information.

luvtravl

Thanks everyone!