#TripBlog: A walk into the Jaws of Death in The Grampians

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We have never had a balcony with a view back at home. But if we did, we would want it to look just like this. After a long drive, we arrived at in The Grampians in Victoria late in the afternoon from the flat agricultural fields of the state’s north-west. It seemed a matter of minutes before the pancake flat landscape transformed into giant mountains. We were headed for a little town nestled in the heart of this mountainous area, Halls Gap, where we set up camp for the night in a great campground in the middle of the village.

The next morning we decided to visit the most popular tourist spots, starting with The Balconies. You may not know it, but it is likely you would have already seen many photos of this rocky formation without knowing where it was. Apparently The Balconies were once called the “Jaws of Death,” and you can see from this photograph why. I don’t know why the name was changed to The Balconies as I personally think the Jaws of Death sounds much more exciting and would be more likely to make me take the turn-off to the attraction. Maybe it was considered overly dramatic or unpleasant. After all, they changed the name of the Sow and Piglets to the more dignified Twelve Apostles on The Great Ocean Road. 

To see the picture map of where we have been (click here)

The typical tourist snap of The Balconies is of a person on a rock ledge (the balcony) over a giddying drop dramatically staring out at the exceptional views of the Victoria Range and valley. However we were to discover that tourists are not exactly encouraged to take fate into their hands and clamber into those rocky jaws. There is now a barrier between you and that must-have picture, which we jumped to get the shot. 

If you don't like the idea of putting your life in nature's hands, the view from behind the barrier and Reid Lookout in the car park is also spectacular.