Gariwerd has been shaping water for millions of years. Some waterfalls run year-round. Others arrive after rain and vanish just as quickly. All of them are worth finding. Mackenzie Falls The biggest waterfall in the Grampians, and one of the few that runs properly year-round. The walk to the base is short enough to be […]

There’s a sourdough culture in your hamper that has been alive considerably longer than your booking. It crossed Australia in a car, ended up in Pomonal, and became the foundation of a bakery that we’d back against most of what’s available in any city. Blue Wren Bakery is Nick and Jackie’s project. It’s been part […]

Dunkeld sits at the southern end of the Grampians, about forty minutes from the Nook. It’s the kind of town that rewards slowing down — small enough to be genuinely quiet, specific enough in its pleasures that you leave having done something rather than just having driven somewhere. Make a day of it. Walk Mt […]

There’s a version of Gariwerd most people never see. It arrives between May and September, settles in quietly, and stays for months. The visitors thin out. The trails open up. The mornings get cold and bright and worth waking up for. The off-season here isn’t a compromise. It’s a different trip. What Changes When the […]

Some guests arrive carrying more than a bag. A long week, a longer drive, the low hum of too many decisions and not enough stillness. For that, we’d suggest Liana. Liana is the heart of The Solar Outpost. She brings her practice directly to the Nook — no spa, no booking desk, just her arriving […]

When we first moved to this hill, it was a cleared paddock. Open sky, dry ground, a blank slate that didn’t know what it could become. We had a rough idea, and a good nursery not far away. Half an acre of native garden later, we have our answer. Vaughan’s Native Nursery Almost everything in […]

Pomonal is about ten minutes from the Nook. It’s easy to miss if you don’t know to look for it — a quiet village in the shadow of the ranges, unhurried in every season. Pomonal Estate sits right in the middle of it, producing wine and craft beer and cider with the kind of care […]

The waterfalls are worth it. Nobody’s disputing that. But Gariwerd has been here for millions of years and has a great deal more to say. Here are ten things to add to your time in the Grampians — some well known, some less so, all worth your while. 1. Walk up to the Pinnacle The […]

There’s a particular kind of magic that settles over Gariwerd in spring. It arrives quietly — first in the low scrub along the ridgelines, then spreading across the valley floor in waves of colour that are almost impossible to name. Orchids. Trigger plants. A dozen shades of yellow and violet that no paint chart has […]

THANK YOU Undoubtedly I couldn’t have achieved this without the unwavering support of one person, Holly. Endlessly patient and immensely compassionate, her hundreds of pep talks, thousands of cups of tea, countless bear hugs and beautifully deep belly laughs dragged me out of some significant holes and inspired me to keep going. Thank you Madam […]