Cosy fires, veggie gardens, chooks to collect eggs from, and wallabies jumping around outside – the Grampians Eco YHA is definitely a place you could linger a while.
We loved it so much we extended our stay an extra night.
The Grampians YHA has a communal feel to it – the kitchen and dining room is open with natural light and buzzes with strangers swapping their stories of the day’s hiking adventures.
A group of about 30 elderly walkers were in town for the weekend on one of their regular hiking getaways. I kind of dropped the elderly description after one regaled me of their adventures hiking 14 kilometres that day up and down a few peaks.
“It was probably the most beautiful hike I’ve ever done,” she said.
We, on the other hand, had conquered the summit of the 4km Pinnacle’s Walk with our two young kiddies.
Hiking the Pinnacles was one of my most favourite days of our trip so far. Watching the girls walk up a mountain on a trail labelled moderate was pretty damn impressive.
The Grampians National Park is rugged mountain range located in Western Victoria and is renowned for its breathtaking rocky views, rich culture and stunning wildflower displays.
Needless to say, we all collapsed on the couch by the fire after it.
The first I heard of the place was from a Swedish backpacker in Thailand who said it was his favourite place in the world to rock climb. It’s just another beautiful place in Victoria that rarely gets talked about.
It’s an outdoor lovers paradise and we think the YHA is the perfect accompaniment to it. The YHA is situated in Halls Gap, the main town of the Grampians.
The managers of the Grampians YHA, Stuart and his wife Rebecca, have had a lot of experience travelling around Australia and they’ve chosen to stop for awhile here and raise their newborn son.
We enjoyed listening to their stories and getting lots of great tips for them for the journey ahead of us in the Top End. They’re passionate about travel, the Grampians area, and helping their guests have a great time.
On our last night they had a BBQ for a guest who was finally leaving after extending their stay in the Grampians by a month or so – it kinda has that pull.
It was lovely to see how they welcomed us and other guests to the barbie. I know a young backpacker who was struggling with the cost of life in Australia sure appreciated it!
Savannah and Kalyra loved staying here. DVD’s to watch in the common room, animals roaming freely, and chooks to collect eggs from of a morning.
We loved cooking them up straight away for brekkie and the girls were able to see (and taste) first hand the difference between a fresh, organic egg and one you get from the supermarket.
Like the Apollo Bay YHA , The Grampians also had a herb and veggie garden you could pick from. Grampians Eco YHA is eco-certified and utilises green initiatives including solar hot water, rainwater collection, recycled greywater and waste recycling.
It’s clean and tidy and although the family style rooms are a little small, they’re hostel size so what you expect and nothing to complain about.
Read more tips about the Great Ocean Road here.
The Facts:
Prices:
- 4-bed dorms from $26 p/p
- Double rooms from $80
- 4 bed family rooms from $89
Location: The Grampians YHA is in Halls Gap, approximately a 3 hour drive from Melbourne. There is onsite parking available.
Book a stay: Make a booking for the YHA Eco-hostel Grampians here .
Tripadvisor: Read what others are saying about this hostel
We stayed at Grampians YHA in partnership with YHA Australia.
