• Get in
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Get out

Ararat is known as the Gateway to the Grampians. It is situated in western Victoria, Australia about 200 km northwest of Melbourne. It has a population of around 10,000. Ararat is the centre of a sheep and wheat farming area and is becoming well-known for its burgeoning wine industry.

[edit] Get in

200 km West of Melbourne in Victoria, on the Western Highway. Accessable by road, rail or bus . V-Line have train services 3 times daily (M-F) or 2 times daily (S,S) from Melbourne's Spencer Street Station. There are 3 trains weekly to and from Adelaide (The Overlander). V-line also have buses to towns further west such as Stawell, Halls Gap and Horsham.

[edit] Get around

Beware, it rained here once! The locals vaguely remember it - there was water in the lakes! The ground was soft and green.

[edit] See

With huge horizons, it is a spectacular place for sunrises and sunsets. It has views:

• East to Mt. Langi Ghiran, Mt.Cole and the Pyrenees ranges.
• West there are dramatic hillscapes preceding the Grampians.

http://www.ararat.vic.gov.au/Page/images/HomeC.jpg

http://www.ararat.vic.gov.au/

[edit] Do

• Check out the lookout on One Tree Hill, and for a different perspective also the lookout on Flint Hill.
• Swim in Norval Dam.
• Check out Rocky Point.
• Go to the World Rabbit-Skinning Championships at Moyston.
• Drive the Pyrenees Highway from Ararat to Avoca and back, there are few more enjoyable drives in the country.
• Take a tour of the old "J Ward" - former home of the criminally insane.
• Revisit Ararat's Chinese heritage at the Gum San Museum in Lambert Street
• Eat at least once at Sicilians restaurant.
• Fish in the Hopkins river.
• Watersports, fishing and swimming at Green Hill Lake.
• Walk up the track to Langi Ghiran reservoir.
• Cycling at the Velodrome.
• Go Soaring at the airport
• Quiet roads make the district an excellent area for exploring by bicycle.
• The Ararat Regional Park has old gold mines and is excellent mountain biking territory.

[edit] Buy

Do yourself a favour and get your hair styled by one of the amazing staff at Hair 6ty in Barkly Street.

[edit] Eat

At night, Sicilians' Restaurant is good for Italian and Middle Eastern Cuisine. Two of the better hotel dining rooms are The Shire Hall Hotel and The Court House Hotel. The RSL on High Street has reasonable bistro food with a pleasant view of the civic precinct and town hall.

During the day,there are a number of good cafes in the main shopping precinct.The best lunch venue is The Vines Cafe at the "Paris End" of Barkly Street.

[edit] Drink

at one of the town's many old pubs.The Hippo Bar in Barkly Street has a large fireplace for cold winter nights and is a venue for live music.

Go wine touring- there are several wineries within 30 mins drive of Ararat including Cathcart Ridge,Langi Ghiran,Montara,and(at Great Western, 10km west)Seppelts, Bests and Garden Gully.

[edit] Sleep

at the 5 tar hotel

[edit] Get out

to the chines museum the Grampians to the winery only 10 km away from ararat