Wonderland

Friday, December 29, 2017

Alice found herself down a rabbit hole in Wonderland, so it seemed fitting that Anthony and I follow suit. With no expectations and little research of the area, we found ourselves parked at the Wonderland carpark and ready for an adventure. A short hike through the Grand Canyon lead us into a ravine lined with a wall of rocks with unusual texture. From above where we perched on a large boulder, you could clearly notice the vertical and horizontal lines on these formations as if someone carved a plaid pattern into them. If the view here enticed us to stay for so long, then the scenery must really open up in another short climb. “Let’s just keep going and see what we find!” On our right we passed a small cave and to our left, the path to didn’t look so steep. Curiouser and curiouser.

Inside the Grand Canyon

Above the Grand Canyon

“Well, we’ve already come this far. Might as well see what’s at the end!” Little did Anthony and I know that we were well on our way to one of the greatest sites in The Grampians. Someone in the carpark mentioned that this hike was worth doing, but at the time it seemed such a long way to go. That hardly bothered us now as the scenery continued to pique our interest and the landscape suddenly greeted us with open vistas of rocky terrain. Once we arrived at Silent Street, I knew something majestic must be waiting for us.

Silent Street

Descending Silent Street

Our fellow hikers and we formed a single file to ascend narrow stairs smooshed between large boulders. Once we exited Silent Street, one final brief climb stood between us and The Pinnacle. Shallow unique rock formations created 360 degree views and the summit made me feel as if I entered another world. A lack of trees and overgrown vegetation offered us views for miles of the surrounding peaks and uninterrupted views of Halls Gap below. We had arrived at one of the most iconic views in The Grampians and one of the highlights of our visit. I climbed and clambered over a playground full of rocks and if it weren’t for the unpredictable weather, I could have explored here the rest of the day.