Spotlight: Grampians Parkgate Resort

“I’ve never seen that in a caravan park before!”

It was our first night at the Big4 Grampians Parkgate Resort, and a large crowd had gathered around our rental motorhome to get a closer look at the friendly echidna scurrying among the Happy Hour set.

The excited lady was right about it being a rare opportunity to get close enough to an echidna to pat its spikey back (if I had dared!).

But as we would discover during our week-long stay at this peaceful RV resort, located in the foothills of spectacular mountain ranges, regular brushes with native flora and fauna are just one of many attractions in these parts.

 NATURE WONDERLAND

Located 270km, or about a three hours drive west of Melbourne, Halls Gap is the most popular gateway to the Grampians National Park in Victoria. Not surprisingly, it's a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, with spectacular walking trails, waterfalls, and amazing rocky vistas around every corner. Not to mention mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing and other daredevil pursuits for the more adventurous.

And with two children aged seven and nine in tow, we squeezed in at least one bush walk a day, from 1km strolls through wildflower strewn trails to gushing waterfalls and slippery precipices, to more strenuous and awe-inspiring 5km hikes to rock-strewn summits with sweeping views.

We hardly roughed it though. Most days we grabbed a coffee or ate lunch at the Stoney Creek shops in town, which offer a first-class bakery, stylish cafe, and icecreamery among many tasty treats.

And when we had done enough trail tramping and latte sipping, it was nice to know we could return to a welcoming park that had enough entertainment options to while away the rest of the day.

ROOM TO MOVE

One of at least six caravan parks in the tiny town of Halls Gap, the Grampians Parkgate Resort is set back well off the main road on a spacious 32 acre reserve, all just an easy stroll from the town centre.

With 40 powered and 10 unpowered sites, 8 ensuite sites and 42 cabins, all well spaced throughout the park, over-crowding is never an issue, even during peak season.

The access roads are wide, allowing plenty of room to back our 7.3m long by 3.5m high motorhome into our large, $55 a night, powered site every afternoon. We had a shady grassed site, but slab and ensuite sites are also available.

There’s plenty of open space and grassy areas for the kids to run and play, as well as a playground and basketball and beach volleyball courts. The park even has its own ‘mini’ sandstone rock (with obligatory ‘climb at own risk’ sign!).

Another difference is that many of the cabins, which range from basic ensuite units to spa cabins and fancy three-bedroom/two bathroom family units, are made of brick. This is because the facility was originally established in the 1970s as a retreat for members of the Australian Natives’ Association (ANA) before being converted to a caravan park.

About four years ago, experienced caravan park operators the Woolman family, bought the property to add to their latest list of BIG4 parks, and have been steadily upgrading the facilities since.

According to Warren Woolman, recent improvements include building two new plexipave tennis courts beside a new resort pool, located near another smaller heated pool. Some of the brick units have also been refurbished.

During our stay, we also saw workman resurfacing part of the entry road damaged by major flooding in 2011, and erecting a shade shelter near the pool.

A second amenities block and BBQ area was about to go up near the area reserved for unpowered sites, catering to the needs of school groups and clubs.

A new office and reception area with convenience store is due to be built early next year, next to the managers’ residence that currently doubles as the reception.

The heated pool is also set to be turned into an indoor facility with gymnasium to appeal to winter travellers, and a flying fox for older kids is also on the cards.

TICKS THE BOXES

Even though it's a work in progress, the park ticks most of the boxes, with a clean, spacious amenities block (with underfloor heating, family bathroom and disabled access), laundry facilities and clothes lines, on-site sullage as well as communal dump point, games room, camp kitchen, jumping pillow, and free BBQ facilities.

There’s a function room which plays in-house movies on a big screen, and which hosted a pancake breakfast one morning as part of the annual Big4 Camp and Care charity initiative.

We also found all office and ground staff super-friendly and always ready for a chat or just a wave and a smile.

For those with bikes, it’s an easy five minute ride to town along a bike path, or 15 minute walk. With a couple of general stores, a servo, information centres, bottleshop and pub and the aforementioned Stony Creek shopping and eating precinct, Halls Creeks has most of the essentials covered.

The supermarket is a little pricey though, so best bet is to stock up on supplies (including hayfever medication if like me the abundant Springtime wildflowers trigger an attack) at nearby Stawell, 27km away.

Even during the off-peak period of early-November when we visited, the park was reasonably busy with mostly grey nomads and families with pre-school kids. Not surprisingly, it’s fully booked over the busy summer holiday period, with many return visitors, according to Warren Woolman.

While it was hard to top our echidna sighting on Day One, we did have close encounters with countless local wildlife, including wallabies, kangaroos, and many species of birds (the resident emu population must have been on holidays!).

Whether you’re a city-slicker seeking a tree-change, or grey nomad who enjoys relaxing with a glass of local shiraz and watching the sun set over the Grampians, this Big4 park is worth dropping by...

BIG4 GRAMPIANS PARKGATE RESORT

Proprietors: The Woolman family
Address: 2372 Grampians Road, Halls Gap, Victoria
Phone: 03 5356 4215
Website: parkgateresort.com.au