australia:vic:greenhill
Table of Contents
Green Hill Lakes Camping Reserve, Ararat
see also:
Introduction
- Green Hill Lakes camping reserve is a free camp (donation box provided at toilet block) with flush toilets, hot showers and on the southern shores of a large lake
- main toilet block closed for cleaning 9-10am usually
- 1km away to the north-east there is a second area popular with the caravan crowd further around the lake “Jaycee Park” which also has a toilet block with flush toilets and a shower ?cold
- it has a 5 night restriction (permits must be sought for longer stays)
- no bookings needed
- mainly used as an overnight stay for travelers, especially grey nomads in their vans, but also for tourists going to or from the The Grampians or north-west Victoria
- in summer school holidays, the two main areas are generally full of either families or grey nomads - both mainly in caravans - there is plenty of room even in peak periods if you don't mind being more than 500m from toilet blocks
- large area can accommodate hundreds of sites although camping directly on the shore is not permitted according to the sign but many still do
- very few bushy wind breaks so is quite exposed to the wind and a strong northerly wind coming off the lake will tend to create a lot of dust, while a strong southerly is not easy to find protection from either (southerlies also blow dust from the gravel roads - an option is to set up on the south side of the gravel road overlooking farmland and Langi Ghiran mountain - the ground is flatter here)
- much of the area closer to the shore has sloping sites
- there is a boat ramp
- dogs on leash only
- there is a usually a coffee van over the summer school holidays (closed 11am-2pm usually)
- ~280m elevation
- beware that, as with most lakes, toxic algae is likely to be growing so don't drink the water and personally, I wouldn't be swimming in it if the blue-green algae is there
- Lake Burrumbeet is supposedly nicer for swimming but does not have the picturesque appeal of Green Hills
- it can get quite dusty in peak periods from caravans and 4WDs passing on the adjacent gravel road
- there is not a lot of wind protection
- there is some road noise from trucks on the nearby highway but this is tolerable
sunset overlooking the lake from near the toilet block
Getting there
- 2hrs from NW suburbs via Western Freeway
Nearby amenities
- only 5min or so drive from the major regional town of Ararat (~1hr walk from Ararat train station)
- train station
- various supermarkets, pubs, cafes, petrol, golf courses, etc
- 30min to the major regional town of Stawell
- gold mine tours
Nearby attractions
- in Ararat:
- day tours of decommissioned Aradale psychiatric facility - ghost tours at night?
- tours of the J Ward Ararat Gaol and museum
- Gum San Chinese heritage centre
- Alexandra Gardens and Lake
- 15 minutes drive to Mt Langi Ghiran winery
- 15-30min to hiking areas in Mt Buangor / Mount Cole / Langi Ghiran campgrounds and hikes including waterfalls and great lookouts
- 45 minutes to hiking areas around Halls Gap and The Grampians including waterfalls, fascinating rock formations and great lookouts
- many wineries in the Great Western and Pyrenees regions - especially famous for their red wines
Nearby campgrounds
- 15-30min will get you to a range of campgrounds at Mt Buangor / Mount Cole / Langi Ghiran campgrounds and hikes
- 36min S to Lake Bolac foreshore reserve (Nth shore)
- 40min to Lake Fyans which is a popular commercial campground
- 40min to Lake Lonsdale free campground on the north shore (just W of Stawell)
- 45 minutes to Halls Gap and a range of campgrounds in the The Grampians
- 47min NE to free RV camp in Avoca reserve along the Avoca river - maybe closed after flooding events
- 1hr SE to Laake Burrumbeet foreshore on Sth of lake near Ballarat
- 70min E to Slaty ck, Creswick
- 77min E to Cork Oaks, Mt Beckworth near Clunes
- 84min NE to Newbridge Recreation Reserve camp ground
- 90min NE to Maldon Mt Tarrengower Butt's Reserve camp ground
- 92min W to Glendinning campground, Rocklands Reservoir
- 97min to commercial campgrounds on the beaches of Warrnambool and access to nearby Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles
australia/vic/greenhill.txt · Last modified: 2024/09/11 23:40 by gary1