VIC - Mount Victory Road - Halls Gap to Wartook

[thekraut]

Drove this one today and man it was awesome!!! This one is not for anyone who doesn't like tight, twisty roads. If you like that sort of road however and you're ever up around The Grampians, be sure to add it to your list! A long series of switchbacks, hairpins and blind corners linked by shortish straights, weaving down the side of a mountain. PURE BLISS! AWD recommended in wet weather...

[Nath]

Mmmmmm ECCA epic cruise time?

[bazzle]

Nice bit of road that. Bugger when you meet tourists driving in the middle of the road but...

A few others around the west and north west side of the Grampians too

Bazzle

[Pist-N-Broke]

It's a local road for me. Done it hundereds of times on bikes. If I remember rightly its about 79 corners over about 20 km from Halls Gap to the Zumstiens picnic ground. There are all sorts of corners. There are two corners that have historically catch people, due to the fact that they tighten up. One is about 1.5 the Halls Gap side of Reids Lookout turnoff, and the other is down near the 'elephants Hide', and it is off chamber, and very slippery in the wet.
One of the best things about the Mt Victory tourist road is it is still a 100kmh road. There are some places you can do 100kmh, and other places you will be luck to be doing 20kmh.
If you want to do some spirited driving on it my tip is don't even bother on long weekends or public holidays. The place is infested with rubbernecking newlyweds and nearly deads or mum and dads with yuppie larvae.
The best time is a no holidays middle of the week day. I can tell you the absolute 'best' time to go sick is Christmas day about 12:00pm. Absolutely deserted it is.
Also, park down the Halls Gap end, and wait for as long a gap as possible before another car comes along. Sometimes I've gained ten minutes of clear track before another car comes along, then I blast off in front of it, knowing I have 10 minutes of clear 'track' time before I run in to the 'pace car' in front.
Coming down you will need big world class brakes if you want to drive hard. I've seen cars with brakes on fire, and others with smoke pouring off them. Even on the bike the discs turn blue, and it has twin 350mm discs and four pot calipers.
Another good run is the 10km from the Halls Gap Dunkeld road, to the Mt William carpark. Its a no through road, but offers a good mix of corners as well, but it is getting a bit rough, and overgrown by roadside scrub.

AND # 1 TIP IS::::: DON'T GO BURNING AROUND BEFORE EARLY IN THE MORNING OR BEFORE DUSK. IF YOU DO, A SKIPPY WILL BE WEDGED IN YOUR RADIATOR ALMOST CERTAINLY.

[thekraut]

Yeah I went mid-week at about 1pm in August Thankfully the road was mostly dry and I remember the 2 corners you're talking about. Thankfully the golf grips! Brakes had a hint of fade but I have 334mm discs hauling me up at the front and a not too much smaller size on the rear. Didn't count the corners, was enjoying the drive!

[Pist-N-Broke]

Due to the floods in western Victoria the Mt Victory Road from Halls Gap to Zumsteins is closed due to massive land slides. Due to the fact it is mainly a 'tourist road' it is likely that the road will be closed for a very long time. I would be very surprised if it opened again in under a year.