We arrived at Boroka Downs at 8.30pm so couldn’t see the surrounds but were warmly met by owner, Bob, on arrival who welcomed us and took us inside our amazing accommodation for the next couple nights & showed us how everything worked, etc.
The private luxury cabins at Boroka Downs are amazing, everything has been thought of and you really do feel like you’re a million miles from everywhere. We unpacked the car, lit the open fire inside, poured a red wine and sat back on the comfortable couches, this was the life!
It was a beautiful clear night, stars everywhere and no lights around making the stars even more incredible! I had to make the most of the night and spent half an hour playing with my camera and getting some great photos of the night sky!
As we sat back enjoying the local Grampians red wine (some great reds in the Grampians & Pyrenees region), and admiring the fire crackling away, we turned our attention towards our future plans of traveling, camping & enjoying the great outdoors.
After another big week, a couple red wines & a warm fire, we were getting a bit exhausted and retired for the night in the incredibly comfortable King sized bed…
I woke the next morning getting our first glimpse of the incredible view outside our room of the Grampians mountain range & kangaroos everywhere feeding on the grass outside… We were definately in nature! Boroka Downs is also part of Trust for Wildlife, ensuring that the diverse array of wildlife on the 300 acre property are given priority.
As the sun slowly rose the incredible colours reflecting on the mountains was extraordinary, oranges, pinks, yellows, it was great to lie in bed & watch this visual display.
After a while I was too excited to stay in bed and went out exploring the crisp morning outside with my camera. Kookaburras, blue wrens, parrots, kangaroos in abundance, a family of emus, wildlife everywhere. It was a great way to start the day.
I arrived back and we enjoyed breakfast & coffee on the balcony with the amazing view of the Grampians and the mob of kangaroos feeding and playing on the grass nearby. As we chatted away and had a second coffee, our conversation covered the Grampians, nature, parenthood and traveling, it really was an amazing morning together.
Before we knew it was midday and we thought we should explore a bit more of the Grampians, so we got organized & went for a drive ending up at Mount Zero Olives. Mount Zero Olives, as the name suggests are well renowned for their olives & olive oil but also they have a great little cafe made out of an old school building in the middle of the olive grove & a great outside courtyard area, perfect to relax in on a nice sunny day!
We ordered the pumpkin soup and fresh bread & got some olive oil, dukkah & bread also. A perfect lunch and so pleasant sitting outside chatting & enjoying the winter sun.
After lunch we continued on our journey through the Grampians, driving down new roads and exploring campsites and walks for future weekends. So many great places and in a lot of cases with hardly anyone else around.
After exploring for a couple hours we decided it was time to head back to Boroka Downs and enjoy our amazing accommodation. We decided to eat in rather than heading out somewhere and instead organized through the hosts, Bob & Steph, one of their ‘easy to cook’ menu options of which they bring all the ingredients to your lodge for you to cook, BBQ options, pastas, pizzas, and much more are available on the menu, using in most cases local produce. We decided on the spaghetti with pesto and smoked chicken, which was delicious!
Another couple of reds in front of the open fire and yet again it was another relaxing night after what had been a great day together.
After another leisurely breakfast on the balcony, we checked out, sad to say goodbye to our little home for the weekend and vowing to return again one day to again enjoy the beauty and comfort of Boroka Downs.
We continued our journey exploring the Grampians, driving up to Boroka Lookout and enjoying the stunning view looking back over Halls Gap valley and the mountain ranges either side and across to Lake Fyans and Lake Lonsdale. Although it was a chilly 5 degrees up at the lookout, it was great to relax up there and take in the view while photographing the changes in light as the sun peaked through the clouds.
Boroka Lookout is a must-do while you’re in Halls Gap or the local area – you won’t be disappointed!
Then it was onto Reed’s Lookout, but on the way we encountered som thick fog which was just rolling in, on reaching Reed’s Lookout, all we could see was white, no sights or stunning views, just fog and a few nearby trees and rock slopes, still a quite incredible sight.
Then it was back to Halls Gap for lunch at the relaxed Livefast Cafe, a great little cafe with very good coffee. After a quick lunch it was time to make our way back home.
It really is an amazing place to spend a weekend (or longer) both for couples and families, we certainly had a fantastic time getting away and enjoying each others company.
Visit www.borokadowns.com.au