Unparalleled sunset views on your mind? How about sitting back with an award-winning wine? Perhaps you’re dreaming of a luxurious retreat surrounded by the grounding vista of Australian bushland?
Eastern Grampians is the hidden gem of Victoria that really has it all.
Made up of the local towns of Pomonal, Ararat, Moyston, Willaura and Lake Bolac, the Eastern Grampians region is the perfect base to kick off your next Grampians adventure.
Eat, sip, play and stay in Eastern Grampians with our guide below
EAT
Eastern Grampians has several fantastic dining experiences featuring locally made produce.
For a coffee pit-stop, Fred & Bet’s Café and Foragers Café in Ararat specialise in homemade food and delicious coffee. Between Pomonal and Halls Gap, visit Red Rock Olives for tastings and delectable grazing plates featuring their locally pressed extra virgin olive oil and table olives.
Afterwards, be sure to pop over the road to Five Ducks Farm and pick up organically grown, handmade preserves featuring their fresh farm produce. We highly recommend taking home some jumbleberry jam to spread on your morning toast.
You’ll find warm country hospitality and a hearty meal at Barney’s Bistro and Bar, an old, renovated shearing shed that oozes old world charm. Or The Barkly Bistro Bar in Ararat serves up a mean parma or steak, paired with a local wine or beer.
SIP
Home to some of the region’s most spectacular wineries, wine-lovers can taste award-winning wines in the Grampians. Sample bold and creative wine blends at ATR Wines or enjoy a tasting of some of the region’s finest wines at Miners Ridge Wines.
Sip and savour a wide range of wine, handcrafted beer and cider at Pomonal Estate or visit Mount Langi Ghiran for a picnic of wine and delicious local treats.
A trip to the region wouldn’t be complete without visiting the birthplace of AFL, Moyston. Here, you’ll also find boutique winery and cellar door Clayfield Wines, specialising in 100% estate-grown Shiraz.
If all that tasting has you working up an appetite, pair your next glass with a bite to eat at Mountainside Wines, located in the eastern end of the Grampians wine region. Mountainside Wines is surrounded by some of the most beautiful sites in the Grampians, including views of Mt Cole, Mt Buangor and Mt Langi Ghiran.
STAY
Want to truly immerse yourself in the region? Consider extending your stay. With an array of motels and camping options available, there’s something to suit every traveller. If you’re looking for a nature retreat head to Lake Fyans Holiday Park, Pomonal Cottages or Acacia Holiday Park where you’ll be surrounded by restorative bushland and native animals. For a stay closer to the bustling town centre, Ararat Motor Inn offers modern accommodation within walking distance to local cafes, restaurants, pubs and shopping.
For a unique experience, try luxury camping with Wanderlust Glamping or revive the soul with a farm stay at The Shearer’s Quarters on Mount William Station, an exceptional 1860’s converted shearers quarters with a sun-soaked courtyard, a large communal kitchen and living room, a barbecue, fire pit and private lake access.
If you are in need of a luxury treat, try the Homestead, featuring rose gardens, tennis courts, pool, sauna, private chef, cinema and more. You could even go all out and host a private dinner with fresh herbs and vegetables picked from the garden with delicious local wine and produce as you tell a story, or hear one, in the warmth of the homestead.
DO
Explore the spectacular natural attractions Eastern Grampians has to offer, including Mount Langi Ghiran, Mount Cole, Mount Buangor and Ararat Hills Regional Park. From Ararat, take the short drive to One Tree Hill Lookout for unparalleled views of the town and beyond - be sure to snap a photo at sunset.
Eastern Grampians is also the perfect base for exploring the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park. Take the Tunnel walking track in Pomonal over the Mt William (Mount Duwil) Range where you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the Serra Range.
Those fascinated with dark history will love stepping back in time at the iconic J-Ward Gaol, once home to the criminally insane. Test your bravery even further with a haunting ghost tour of Aradale Asylum.
If art and culture is your thing, marvel at the stunning collections housed at Ararat Gallery TAMA. It’s a truly unique and one-of-a-kind experience in the Eastern Grampians. Afterwards, take a stroll in the lakeside sanctuary, Alexandra Gardens.
Finally, discover outdoor adventure at Green Hill Lake, just 4km east ofArarat. In addition to camp sites there are walking tracks, boat ramps, a playground, fire pits, picnic tables and chairs, covered Picnic Pavilions, gas BBQs, an exercise machine and fishing pontoons from which to try and hook a feed of trout. A concrete walking and cycling path also runs all the way to and from Ararat, perfect for exploring.
