Grampians Peaks Trail Accommodation
Hike in Style
Come stay and explore the beauty of the Grampians Peaks Trail (GPT) in comfort!
Hike sections or the full GPT as a self guided walk. Make Wonderland Cottages your Base. All trail transport included, directly from your cottage!
You drive your own car to the end of your day's walk. We then pick you up and transfer you to the beginning of your hike. After your day walk you return to the comfort of your cottage.
Packages
The Full Monty
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Hike the full length of the GPT as Day-Walks.
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Return every day to your comfortable accommodation in Halls Gap at Wonderland Cottages.
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All trail transport included.
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14 nights 2-bedroom cottage (GET 3 NIGHTS FOR FREE).
from $1280*
Wild South
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Hike the Southern 4-day section of the GPT as Day-Walks.
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Return every day to your comfortable accommodation in Halls Gap at Wonderland Cottages.
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All trail transport included.
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4 nights 2-bedroom cottage
(10% DISCOUNT)
from $520*
Northern Explorer
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Hike the Northern 4-day section of the GPT as Day-Walks.
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Return every day to your comfortable accommodation in Halls Gap at Wonderland Cottages.
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All trail transport included.
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3 nights 2-bedroom cottage
(10% DISCOUNT).
from $345*
Halls Gap Comfort
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Recharge for the two days around Halls Gap by staying in comfortable accommodation at Wonderland Cottages.
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Transport to the beginning and end of your hike plus the two days around Halls Gap included.
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3 nights in a 2-bedroom cottage (10% DISCOUNT).
from $285* **
Central Ranges
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Hike the Central 5-day section of the GPT as Day-Walks.
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Return every day to your comfortable accommodation in Halls Gap at Wonderland Cottages.
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All trail transport included.
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4 nights 2-bedroom cottage
(10% DISCOUNT).
from $360*
*) group of 4 walkers, price per person
**) excluding camping fees in the park, group of 4 walkers, price per person
Walk the Walk
The VERY BEST of the Grampians Peaks Trail | no commentary | just music
Our Offering
What We Provide
Our accommodation features a range of facilities to ensure your comfort and convenience during your stay. From cozy beds and hot showers to stunning views, we have everything you need to make your hiking retreat exceptional.
Comfort
Don't worry about a heavy pack or finding water along the way. Indulge in cozy beds and modern amenities that guarantee a relaxing stay after a day of hiking and exploring.
Convenience
Return every day to your comfortable cottage with NBN, kitchen, shower, bathtub and BBQ. Share and store your photos. Off street parking and massage next door (by appointment, not included).
Food Options
Enjoy the many dining options Halls Gap and the region has to offer. Food storage, fridge with freezer and groceries delivery available.
Transport
All transfers to the trail included (you drive your car to the end of the trail, we drive you from there to the start of your walk). We even have a baby seat.
Trails through space and time
Who We Are
A great location and great value for couples, families and small groups. Grampians Wonderland Cottages comprises six spacious, self contained eco villas in a beautiful, natural bush setting in Halls Gap in the stunning Grampians National Park.
Set on 20 acres of native bushland at the edge of the National Park plus a registered Land For Wildlife site makes the perfect location, surrounded by nature yet just a short stroll into Halls Gap or a short drive to the many attractions of the Grampians region.
We’re Danny and Matt and would love to share our little haven in the Grampians with you. We have visited the Grampians for over 17 years. As avid bushwalkers we don't just talk the talk, we literally walk the walk (and sometimes run it, too). We are dedicated to making your stay unforgettable with our personalized approach and attention to detail.
Contact Us
12 Days - 12 Adventures
Day walk 1: Mt Zero car park - Roses Gap Rd
16.5 km, 6.5 hours, 560 m ascend, 550 m descend, medium difficulty, easy navigation
A day of ridgeline hiking around and under boulders and crossing open rocky slabs. Expect views of Stapylton Amphitheatre, Gunigalg / Mt Stapylton and the magnificent orange wave of Taipan Wall. Watch for the aptly-named Bird Rock and early season spring wildflowers. Marvel at the wind-swept caves of Gunigalg / Mt Stapylton. Later in the day see views of Gar / Mt Difficult, the towering Mt Difficult range and Briggs Bluff at its side.
The trail starts at Mt Zero picnic area with a steep climb up aptly named flat rock (flat, but not horizontal). Once at the top you already know this trail will be worthwhile with grand views of Taipan Wall and the Mt Stapylton amphitheater ahead. The trail winds through this oasis among stone before climbing again to below Gunigal / Mt Stapylton. Here we highly recommend leaving the official GPT for a short, steep and breathtaking detour to Gunigal / Mt Stapylton. The trail never reaches the difficult summit but the views just below are expansive. There’s also a fantastic cave you will come across and can’t miss. Back on the GPT the trail heads south over exposed ridges to Coppermine Track (water tank, 4WD only). From here the trail climbs again onto more ridges before descending steeply to Barigar Hike-in Campground (toilet, shelter, rain water tank) via mostly dry waterfalls. A last climb up onto a ridge offers excellent views of the Mt Difficult Range and Roses Gap. The day ends at Gar Trailhead on Roses Gap Road.
Day walk 2: Roses Gap Road - Mt Difficult Rd
20 km, 9-10 hours, 960 m ascend, 520 m descend, very hard difficulty, hard navigation
One of the hardest day-walks on the GPT with a lengthy car shuffle to Mt Difficult Rd (gravel). Highlights include the ascend to Gar / Mt Difficult past towering waterfalls (only after rain), a bewildering array of wildflowers, the summit of Gar / Mt Difficult with 360 degree views and Lake Wartook perched in a high valley. The walk from Gar trailhead to Beehive Falls via Gar summit could be a great alternative.
From Gar Trailhead a steady hike follows Dead Bullock Creek up the imposing Mt Difficult Range escarpment. Enjoy stunning waterfalls after rain. The trail gets harder as it steepens, zig-zagging upwards on steep rocky steps, close to cliff edges and below massive rock walls before reaching a plateau with some of the best wildflowers on display in spring. After more climbing to exposed ridges and through gullies Gar Hike-in Campground is reached (toilet, shelter, rain water tank). Gar = ‘big mountain’, is the highest in the north of the Grampians. From here it’s another 30 minutes to the summit itself, which is an out-and-back detour from the GPT. A strenuous hike around the horseshoe shaped mountain range encircling the Lake Wartook basin follows. The trail rises and falls over highpoints, dipping through saddles and crossing bare rocky slabs on its way to Long Gully Creek. What makes this particularly hard is not just the uneven, rocky surface but the off-camber nature of much of this section of the GPT.
Day walk 3: Mt Difficult Rd - Halls Gap
13.5 km, 5 hours, 290 m ascend, 750 m descend, medium difficulty, easy navigation
After one of the hardest walks on the GPT, here we have one of the most pleasant ones. Highlights include views of Lake Wartook, rocky gardens and a descent through tall wet forest and winter/spring wildflowers. To top it off, here’s one of the best views in the Grampians and expansive views to the farmland to the east. Towards the end of the walk you can climb Chautauqua Peak or visit Clematis Falls, one of the tallest in the Grampians (but only after heavy rain).
From Mt Difficult Rd climb first gently climb to Werdug camp (toilet, shelter, rain water tank) for fantastic views over Lake Wartook to the west. This makes a great spot for breakfast. Continue to Lake Wartook Lookout, at 829m this is one of the highest points in the Mt Difficult Range. Meandering across the escarpment passing rocky gardens and descending steep stone steps. They herald the first major vegetation transition as you leave the dry, open rocky northern area and move down through the wetter eastern slopes. Listen for birdlife in this area as you hike through tall forest and an open understorey with ferns, grasses, wattles and tea trees. Chautauqua Peak gives views over the town of Halls Gap before the final descent past Clematis Falls (seasonal rains) and through the Botanic Gardens on the approach into Halls Gap.
Day walk 4: Halls Gap - Mt Rosea car park
10.5 km, 5 hours, 610 m ascend, 230 m descend, medium difficulty, medium navigation
This is the busiest walk on the GPT, and for good reason. Highlights include Stony Creek, Grand Canyon, Silent Street and the Pinnacle. See fascinating sandstone gorges and gnarly, weathered rock formations in the Wonderland Range. Near Venus Baths are views of Elephant Hide and, in the background, Chautauqua Peak. Surprisingly, the Wonderland Range wasn’t named for its amazing stone formations but for its variety of wildflowers.
This walk starts right in Halls Gap, at the trailhead opposite the shops. Personally, we like the northerns side of Stoney Creek better but both trails converge at Venus Baths. From here, follow the rugged trail upstream past cascades and rapids. The short detour to picturesque Splitters Falls is recommended. The sculpted rock shapes in the Grand Canyon and Silent Street will intrigue you before you exit up and out towards the Pinnacle Lookout. Deep inside Silent Street, surrounded by rock, it is worth waiting for a quiet moment to listen for the sounds of water. Hike from the Pinnacle over rocky ridges towards Sundial Carpark. Lakeview Lookout is another worthy detour and the trail later joins the GPT again. Past Sundial Carpark, arrive at Bugiga Hike-in Campground (toilet, shelter, serviced water tank), looking up towards the rugged cliff-line of Bugiga-mirgani/Mt Rosea. From here it’s a short walk to Rosea car park through tall, wet forest in the saddle.
Day walk 5: Mt Rosea car park - Borough Huts
12 km, 5.5 hours, 550 m ascend, 840 m descend, medium difficulty, easy navigation
An amazing walk through everything the Grampians have to offer with a rocky steep climb through boulders and caves to the Bugiga-mirgani / Mt Rosea ridgeline. Cross the bridge at the Gate of the East Wind. Enjoy expansive views all around from the summit. First climb, then meander through tall, wet forest down to Borough Huts.
Start the walk at Rosea car park surrounded by tall wet forest. Climb through forest and onto the slopes of Bugiga-mirgani / Mt Rosea. First, enjoy views west towards the Victoria Range. Once on the ridge, views to the east over the Sundial and the Wonderland Range open up. From the summit, views south towards Duwul / Mt William and peaks along the Serra range can be had. After reaching the summit, a long descent through tall forest begins. The initial section is steep and rugged. From the lush saddle between Bugiga-mirgani / Mt Rosea and the D’Alton Peaks the trail becomes a pleasant descent and finally leads to a footbridge over Fyans Creek next to Borough Huts, a great place for a cool-off. Workers lived at Borough Huts and maintained Stawell’s water supply in the late 1800s. There’s no reception at Borough Huts. This walk ends here at the Grampians Tourist Road.
Day walk 6: Borough Huts - Mt William car park
14.6 km, 5-7 hours, 1050 m ascend, 450 m descend, hard difficulty, hard navigation
A hard walk over Redman Bluff with the biggest elevation gain on the whole GPT. Highlights include the best views of Lake Bellfield and the summits and ridges surrounding it; rocky outcrops on the Seven Dials; the chance to see wedgetailed eagles close up and the first expansive views south to Duwul / Mt William and beyond to almost the southern end of the National Park.
The walk starts at Borough Huts (or the Redman Rd trailhead for a slightly shorter day) and climbs over a little ridge to Redman Rd. The turnoff to Barri-Yalug Hike-in Campground can be ignored. Climb toward the Seven Dials passing a section of historic raised water-fluming held up by dry stone pillars. This was Stawell’s water supply in the late 1800s. It carried gravity-driven water along the Mt William Range before passing through a hand-hewn tunnel and on into Stawell. Slowly climb over large open rock-covered areas and moss beds. The views to the north are second to none, especially early in the morning. The Seven Dials can be challenging both in walking (read rock scrambling) and navigation. Descend the Seven Dials and climb towards Redman Bluff (1017m high), marked by an historic rock cairn. Walk down from Redman Bluff and watch for a picturesque tea tree surrounded pond located at a small plateau. This section of the trail is very technical and requires good fitness and surefootedness. Hike a small corridor between the Mt William Road and the cliff edge before reaching Duwul Hike-in Campground (toilet, rain water tank). Not long after, the Mt William car park is reached (paved road).
Day walk 7: Mt William car park - Jimmy Creek Rd
21 km, 6-8 hours, 700 m ascend, 1400 m descend, hard difficulty, easy navigation
The walk across the Major Mitchell Plateau is Matt’s favorite part of the GPT. It has the biggest descent on the whole trail but its ascent must not be underestimated either. Highlights include Duwul / Mt William, the park’s highest mountain with views of the Serra Range and Victoria Ranges; the steep climb out of Boundary Gap via many steps; a close-to-the-sky feeling on the windswept and wildflower strewn plateau; unforgettable views from Banksia Hill.
The walk starts at Mt William car park and climbs to Duwul / Mt William (1167m) via a paved road. The detour north, around the fenced-in area and a few 100 meters beyond via unmarked foodpads is well worth it for grand stand views of Redman Bluff. Then head south to Boundary Gap (878m) separating Duwul / Mt William from the Major Mitchell Plateau. A challenging ‘big dipper’ down a technical trail and up a wondrous staircase. The Major Mitchell Plateau undulates across rocks and steel mesh walkway, passing First Wannon Creek and reaching the highest point on the plateau, Durd Durd (1167m), marked by a rock cairn. Continue south to Banksia Hill (1103m), across the banksia ridgeline where the trail rock-hops across large boulders before descending via a boulder field to an open grassy woodland, reminiscent of an alpine meadow. Soon afterwards, Durd Durd Hike-in Campground (toilet, rain water tank) is reached. Beyond that, the trail continues via many more steps and meanders between smaller hills before reaching Jimmy Creek Rd.
Day walk 8: Jimmy Creek Rd - Yarram Gap Rd
10.7 km, 5 hours, 540 m ascend, 520 m descend, very hard (unfinished), easy navigation
One of the more challenging walks in the GPT, and not because of distance or elevation but because it simply has sections that are not fully built yet. This means unbenched, slippery slopes and bolder fields. Highlights include wildflowers and fantastic views of the Serra Range to the west.
A new landscape unfolds after the mountain peaks as you walk in sheltered woodland valleys. The walk starts from Jimmy Creek Rd (gravel). Passing through previously untracked areas of the lower Mt William range, it offers up some of the most rugged ridgeline rock walking and jagged Serra Range views. This section is fantastic for late winter and spring wildflowers. Watch for the red “spider flowers” of Flame Grevillia, typically in bloom between April and November. To the east is the area’s farmland and scattered lakes and wetlands – important habitat to wildlife, including threatened species such as Australia’s largest flying bird, the Brolga. Once you reach Yarram Hike-in Campground (toilet, shelter, rain water tank) the trail gets much easier and maintained. The walk ends on Yarram Gap Rd (paved).
Day walk 9: Yarram Gap Rd - Griffin Trailhead
13 km, 4.5 hours, 400 m ascend, 450 m descend, medium difficulty, medium navigation
One of the biggest surprises of the GPT, this walk has stunning views of the Serra Range and interesting, often pleasant hiking. The curved valley between Serra Range and Mt William Range comes to its full effect here. Highlights include expansive views, and old farm and swampy river flats with grass trees.
The walk starts at Yarram Gap Rd (paved). Climb and descend knolls and saddles passing through ancient old growth forests and lower swampland plains with stands of native Oyster Bay Pines along the way. Take in views of farmland to the east and south-east that reveal a myriad of swamps, lakes and wetlands and the dramatic Serra Range to the west. Continue hiking the ups and downs of the most southern ridgeline of the Mt William Range, which undulates like a roller-coaster. Wannon Hike-in Campground (toilet, rain water tank) sits scenically in a reclaimed farmland gully. Imagine life back then, when there was no road between Halls Gap and Dunkeld; how isolated this little farm must have been. After the meadows of the old farm the trail climbs a rocky ridge before descending to the swampy plain of the Wannon River. The river is crossed via a metal foot bridge which can be under water after heavy rain. Travel over open grassland, across steel boardwalks, through Austral Grass-trees, swampy river flats and open heathy forest. to Grampians Tourist Rd. Continue to Griffin Fireline (4WD).
Day walk 10: Griffin Trailhead - Cassidy Gap Rd
11.5 km, 5 hours, 440 m ascend, 400 m descend, medium difficulty, easy navigation
Stunning views north along the jagged Serra Range and over the Wannon Valley to the Mt William Range and to the Major Mitchell Plateau. This fairly easy walk leads through the Serra Range for the first time since Bugiga-mirgani / Mt Rosea via a newly built trail. Highlights include abundant wildflowers, jagged mountain peaks and excellent views from Djardji-djawara campsite which makes a great sport for a picnic.
The walk starts at Griffin Fireline (4WD only but only 500m walk from Grampians Tourist Rd). Climb through forest onto the Serra Range. Old growth saddles, forested eastern slopes and expansive views to the western Victoria Range will bring you to Djardji-djawara hike-in campsite on a small rocky knoll (toilet, shelter, serviced water tank). Expect to see an extraordinary array of spring wildflowers in this day section including a range of heath, orchid, grevillea and bush pea species. Watch carefully for the star shaped flowers of the low-growing Blue Tinsel-lily. Continue for 10 minutes to Cassidy Gap Rd (gravel).
Day walk 11: Cassidy Gap Rd - Victoria Valley Rd
14.5 km, 5-6 hours, 725 m ascend, 800 m descend, hard difficulty, easy navigation
The last tall mountains in the southern Grampians are scaled on this walk with views that will take your breath away. This new section of trail passes through stunted eucalypt forest and over the rocky mountain summits of Signal Peak and Mud-Dadjug / Mt Abrupt. Other highlights include an old-growth grove of stringybark trees and incredibly scenic Mud-Dadjug Hike-in Campground.
The steep track to Signal Peak starts from Cassidy Gap Rd (gravel) and alternates between rock steps and jumbles of boulders passing small cliffs and ledges that provide excellent vantage points. From Signal Peak (short detour) the trail descends then climbs south towards Mud-Dadjug / Mt Abrupt through a series of small heathy, forested saddles, rocky slabs and steps. Mud-Dadjug / Mt Abrupt is an exposed rocky summit marked by a steel trigonometric station. Descend through a grove of old-growth stringybark via a series of very steep rock steps and finally reach Mud-Dadjug Hike-in Campground (toilet, shelter, rain water tank). From here the trail descends further, past a windswept cave and over rocky, dry ridges before finally leading into open, grassy forest. The walk can end at Picaninny car park or 30-45 minutes later at Victoria Valley Rd (paved).
Day walk 12: Victoria Valley Rd - Dunkeld
8.2 km, 3-4 hours, 400 m ascend, 415 m descend, medium difficulty, easy navigation
Uninterrupted views north over the Victoria Valley to the Victoria Range and the Serra Range with imposing Mud-Dadjug / Mt Abrupt. Views south to the township of Dunkeld and the volcanic plains beyond. Other highlights include the newly built descend off Wurgarri / Mt Sturgeon via incredible metal staircases attached to sheer rock walls.
The walk starts at Victoria Valley Road and undertakes the final climb over Wurgarri / Mt Sturgeon. Take in stunning views out over volcanic plains and the impressive peaks of the southern Grampians. To the north are the sedimentary sandstones of Gariwerd; to the south, basalt lava flows. Mt Rouse and Mt Napier can clearly be seen. They are part of a volcanic field stretching all the way to Melbourne. Volcanoes nearby at Budj Bim National Park and Mt Gambier are only 5000 years old, while the oldest dated Aboriginal rock shelter in Gariwerd is 22,000 years old. Imagine living in a landscape of active volcanoes! Skeletons buried in layers of ash near Warrnambool, and Dreamtime (creation) stories speak to this. Complete your journey by steeply descending into farmland below and wandering through open old-growth Red Gum woodland to arrive at Dunkeld for a great meal.