Happy New Year

New Year was seen in from the top of Mount Buffalo which provided welcome relief from temperatures in the high thirties down in Bright. We had met friends in historic Beechworth and very much enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the well preserved former gold mining town.

Previously we had crossed over the Bogong Plains from Omeo and enjoyed good walks including a circuit to the top of Mt Bogong taking some 8 hours. A night up at Buckety Plain had been our coldest here but a roaring fire took the edge off and we dug out Sarah's hot water bottle!

It is the height of the summer holidays here so places are busier but we intend to head to quieter parts of the Alpine Park drifting towards Melbourne for the ferry two weeks today.

We are both well and enjoy hearing from folks back home where the rise in temperatures must be welcome - Happy New Year to all.

Links to photos and locations as usual

A Yuletide Log

Our return to the hills started with a night at Goongerah where we sampled kangaroo courtesy of a group of lads living a somewhat itinerant lifestyle - it may well have been roadkill but was nevertheless delicious. We then followed the Barry Way which took us through wonderful upland scenery to McKillops Bridge on the Snowy River where a good day walk and an empty camping area provided a memorable stay.

The route along the Snowy River valley to Jindabyne passed through mountains and eucalyptus woods that had been totally destroyed in the 2003 bushfires. New growth was evident everywhere but the bare white trunks of dead trees stretched as far as the eye could see covering every ridge and valley.

From Jindabyne where we had a powered site as the temperature had dropped sharply we travelled via Adaminaby to collect some mail and then headed over the tops via Kiandra to Yarrangabilly caves which provided a couple of good walks. Fresh snow lay on the tops despite it being the summer solstice but the forecast was improving so we headed out on Long Plain Road to visit a number of historic drovers huts and to observe herds of brumbies (wild horses).

During a night back at 3 Mile Dam we saw the lunar eclipse as the skies had cleared to give a cold but spectacular night.

Cabramurra - Australia's highest town - had a surreal feeling with snow drifts melting under the hot sun after which we dropped to sleepy Khancoban before pulling in to the Tom Groggin camping area where the kangaroos were surprisingly approachable.

Up at Thredbo we enjoyed a chair lift to the plateau above the valley that gave us access to the four hour return walk across to Kosciuszco's summit at 2223m ASL. Panoramic views across the nearby snow covered tops dissolved in to the lower foothills that seemed to stretch to infinity covering much of the area we have explored over the last fortnight.

The Christmas weekend is approaching so we intend to walk in the Perisher/Charlotte Pass area before the holiday makers arrive and then head through less popular areas towards Melbourne.

Wishing everyone a good Christmas and Happy New Year with photos here and our various locations here.

Mountains and Coast

Sarah enjoyed an excellent few days riding in the Snowy Mountains high country with good camps, good company and sightings of brumbies whilst I hunkered down at Mount Selwyn with a couple of walks completed.

After meeting Silwyn for a boozy night at Jindabyne we headed to the NSW/Victoria coast again to enjoy empty beaches, peaceful camping areas and a variety of reptiles and mammals. The lighthouses that protect the coast made good focal ( ha ha) points to aim for - one was best reached by bike followed by a swim in the clear waters of West Bay.

We now head via Orbost to the hills again as we expect Christmas to be busier on the coast and will then follow the ranges south west to Melbourne where we have booked the ferry to Tasmania for mid January. A de luxe cabin each way and a flexible return date will do as our Xmas pressies to each other - on which note we wish all at home a very Happy Christmas.

Pictures and SPOTS and Horse PIctures courtesy of Sarah here

South East New South Wales

Well the last ten days or so have been diverse to say the least. A visit to the magical beaches of Jervis Bay preceeded a very enjoyable stay with a couple we had met in Gloucester Tops. Their comfortable house and excellent hospitality was followed by an invite to a memorable Xmas function where we danced the night away until the small hours.
A couple of unsettled days followed which saw us hunkering down in one site as the road was too slippery to get out, a peaceful night in the Congo with a lovely walk on the Bingi Bingi track from which we saw several sea eagles and a pod of dolphins from the beach and three hours spent assisting a stranded van to get out of a very muddy track followed by a night at Dalmeny to get ourselves cleaned up and clothing washed. The excellent coastal location offered good views but the overnight wind and rain rocked the van alarmingly at times.
A variety of beaches and bays were visited with Naroomba providing a boardwalk out to the harbour entrance where a seal was playing and pelicans on the return trip were waiting for scraps from local fishermen.
Mystery Bay provided quiet bush camping where we met a guy from Orange who has travelled extensively in Europe and is now exploring Australia - he had loads of useful tips for Tasmania and the rest of our planned itinerary.
Central Tilba was a well preserved and interesting historical village with traditional wooden buildings set in granite hills
The whale museum at Eden was well worth a visit with plenty of interest and we are now in Bournda NP having back tracked slightly as tomorrow we head inland for the start of Sarah's riding trip. We took the bikes around the local tracks and lakes for a couple of hours this evening - considering they have been out in all weathers for over a year now and regularly exposed to mud, dust and dirt they were in good mechanical order.
We have very much taken to Australia and although the locals feel summer has yet to start for us it is quite hot enough - even when it rains it is still warm to us. Images of a wintry Britain remind us how lucky we are - the Christmas decorations here look somewhat incongruous when people are in shorts and T shirts.

Spot the pictures here and picture the SPOT here

Moving on Slowly

Our exploration of the Great Divide continued as we headed south and west. Jenolan caves were explored on a misty dank afternoon but provided some impressive walks and caverns. We spent the night in Kanangra Boyd NP and woke to a sunny day ideal for our walk out to the spectacular Kanangra Walls where Sarah posed for pictures in a dramatic location before we walked a few hours out over the plateau with extensive views across miles of wilderness.

Yerranderie a former silver mining town was reached via 30 miles of dirt track and proved to be a fascinating historical relic with old houses, mine shafts and machinery all slowly dispappearing in to the bush. Owned for 5o years by a remarkable old lady the future seems uncertain as she has no direct heirs and is in her late 80's. For now though it made for a memorable place to spend a couple of days and appreciate how isolated the few people who still live there are - the most direct link with civilisation being a rough airstrip cut in to the bush and kept in trim by roos and wallabies.

Wombeyan caves provided more good walks and a clean and peaceful Parks camping area before we headed to Goulburn for food, fuel, gas and laundry topped off by lunch out to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Later that evening we arrived at Bungonia NP set in an area of karst and riddled with sport caves. Walks on the surface linked up to give us a good day out followed the next day by the descent in to Slot Gorge a narrow defile that seemed impenetrable when viewed from above. In fact the route lay through a jumble of house sized boulders worn smooth by water that rewarded us with a swimming pool at the far end before the long hot climb out.

We are now in great comfort at Trevor and Anne's (a couple we met in Gloucester Tops) house with an invite to a Christmas do this evening - fancy dress is ? optional so our thinking caps are on. Sarah rides a week tomorrow after which we will explore the mountains of Victoria before heading for Tasmania in early January. We are adjusting to the heat and humidity, enjoying the very diverse bird and wild life and accommodating the huge distances in to our plans for 2011.

Links as usual to photos and SPOT

Out and Back

The Warrumbungles provided a couple of excellent walks around the ridges left by an old volcano and ascending the remnants of lava domes with the distant views of the outback plains encouraging us to head that way.

A full day's drive brought us to the remarkable www.willieretreatmacquariemarshes.com.au miles from anywhere run by a remarkable couple ably assisted by a friend from Sydney who provide a lovely campsite on the edge of the marshes which provide significant and varied bird habitats. The area was looking unusually gren and verdant after the breaking of a 10 year drought and we spent a hot and humid evening listening to the nocturnal birdsong. Unfortunately heavy rain was forecast and as the access roads soon turn to mud we left early the next morning.
Hill End was a remarkable place to spend a couple of nights as it used to be a substantial gold mining town but now has only around 100 residents, many old buildings and masses of history.
In a similar vein (ha ha) the old oil shale mining town of Newnes provided a memorable two nights camping beneath the lofty plateaux of the Wollemi National Park with a fascinating walk to explore the old industrial ruins, a long chat with the enthusiastic owner of the unfortunately dry hotel and an evening climb up the Pipeline Track to a viewpoint a thousand feet above the valley floor.
Today we set off early to follow the Glow Worm Tunnel walk that follows the former railway which with luck and a lot of effort will one day be a cycle track. This gave us time to visit a family friend in Katoomba who last saw me almost 50 years ago - sadly similar hair and rotund even then apparently!
We are now at Lake Lyell prior to heading down to Jenolan caves and the Kanagra Boyd NP both of which should return us to the wilds.
At some stage I will have to remove the splash guard from the rear brake disc as it is rattling - the other was removed in NZ not 3 months ago, otherwise we are in good shape despite some long stretches of unmade road and various fords and rough sections. Pics here and SPOT here.

Re : United

After my month or so of exploring solo Sarah arrived safely at Sydney despite the Airbust problems - SAL's checks only delayed her flights by 2 hours although they later withdrew all 380's.

We headed to Bent's Basin NP so she could enjoy a relaxing day to recover followed by a day of socialising at our friends in Sydney who produced a royal feast from the barbie.

Later that evening we headed to Munmorah where I had spent my first night and enjoyed the peace, quiet and a walk on the beach.

Monday saw us stop briefly in Newcastle for shopping before we climbed up in to the Gloucester Tops, part of the Barrington Tops NP where after 6 fords we reached an excellent secluded campsite. We settled in with Sarah still a bit tired and enjoyed the sounds and sights of the luxuriant rainforest. Schnapper was cooked over the barbie and 3 Scots lads in an old van arrived later on to cook a tin of beans and a pot noodle over same with less than satisfactory results.

Up on the Tops we enjoyed a couple of walks before thunderstorms moved in - once they abated I did a quick oil and filter change on the van before we returned to the camping area to enjoy a very sociable evening with a couple from south of Wollongong who have just started exploring Oz in a demountable unit based on a ute - invitations to stay sometime were extended and accepted.

Moving on we drove through rolling hills to climb up to the Barrington Tops and an empty camping area at around 1500m. A good walk ensued but ended up with another thunderstorm - later radio reports advised of a severe weather warning for the area but back at the van we were soon warm and cosy with Sarah absorbed in her excellent Kindle.

We have now moved on to the Warrumbungles which promise a good walk following the volcanic ridges with a clear day forecast. My copy of The Times has downloaded to the rather amazing Kindle and internet access is possible as there is a comms mast on a nearby top which is probably the highest point for several thousand miles to the west and a few hundred in any other direction!

Photo link here and SPOT progress page here - any help messages were merely tests!