Snowy Mountains Pt 1

Qwik stop in Tumut at the Information Centre, then onto the first camp on Blowering Reservoir.  on awakening the first morning there were roo everywhere!  Big greys mainly but a few reds also.  A walk up into the mountains to Blowering Cliff - a 2.5 km uphill walk, returning along the same track for 5km total.  Interesting bush, I anticipated wet sclerophyl but it is more woodland, still plenty of trees but also plenty of grass on the forest floor with some shrubs but reasonably easy to travel thru, if it weren't so steep & in some places rocky.  After two nights here I moved on to Humes Crossing, a similar campsite on a reservoir but generally flatter and more open - and plenty of roo again!

Then onto the Yarangobilly Caves (and thermal pool!), where there are three caves in close proximity but they are surprisingly different from each other.  A busy day as I visited all three caves and had a swim in the thermal pool, which entailed a steep climb down, then return up the same track.  As my last cave visit was scheduled for 3pm and it was 12:30 after the second cave visit, I thought if I needed more time at the thermal pool I would give the last cave a miss:  I had enough time and I am glad I did - it was certainly the best of the three!  I don't know how you can describe a limestone cave, there are stalactites (hanging down) and stalagmites (pointing up) but there are also pools, waveforms, different colours, virtually an infinite variety and amazing it is also.  A well spent day!

Continuing on and crossing over the top part of the Snowy Mountains (between Tumut & Cooma) the altitude is up nearly 1500 M; the Bullock Hill Campsite is near this height and that is where I camped, expecting to be cold, but it was very mild and quite a pleasant campsite right on the divide.  There is a grove of snow gums surrounded by open paddock, and while it was warm during my stay, I imagine it is generally cold as there were no roo, but along the way I saw brumbies in small herds out in the mountain meadows.  An interesting trip across the Snowies so far, the forest is a bit more open than in the northern parts of the Great Dividing Range, which I've been criss-crossing down thru NSW, with plenty of high country meadow on and close to the summit.  It is very rugged country with some steep and deep valleys and, just quietly, quite a strain on my minimally powered HiAce with its 2.4L engine, which physically shuddered when an emu ran past us.

In the late 1940's & 50's, the Snowy Mountain Hydro Scheme http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/snowy-mountains-scheme was developed throughout the Range.  This was a massive project with many of the employees being migrants who moved here after WWII.  I met a Ukrainian chap who was revisiting sites he'd worked on - it was an interesting chat.   They worked year around, winters being quite harsh, and living conditions were basic in the villages set up for the workers and their families.   He was involved on one project where they had 48 hours to change turbines on a pair of generators:  They increased efficiency by 1%, the main significance being that the contract was then let to an English firm, otherwise it would have gone to a Japanese firm.  They had two teams on 12 hour shifts, working flat out to complete the job.   More on that, plus photos, in the next post, after I've covered the southern portion.

Road to Gundagai

Dropping on the western side of the Blue Mountains  and traveling south, the country is magnificent!  Rolling green paddocks, orchards, historic towns etc. certainly proved false the notion I had that once you left the coastal strip the land was dry & barren.  Of course it was spring, never-the-less I heard complaints of it being too dry!  The pine plantations looked very healthy as well as extensive, with excellent growth rates, judging from some stumps viewed. 

Onward thru Lithgow, Bathurst and to a camp south of Blayney, where I planned to sit out a few days of predicted showers at the picturesque Carcoarn Dam campsite.  Compulsory stop in Bathurst at the well run Information Centre, laundromat and on to Mount Panorama, where I think - if I were brave enough - I could have gone around the entire racetrack!  Also, if I were brave enough I could have fished in Carcoarn Dam BUT warning signs of toxic algae curtailed such actions.  Word got out that I understood electrics and soon had a few jobs lined up; this led to an invite to the nightly fire and socialising it entails.

A check of the weather showed the initial forecast wrong and a dirty great high was moving in, so I left for the Snowies via Gundagai, where the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox statue stands - well, in accordance with the song, "..five miles from Gundagai." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_on_the_Tuckerbox).  It is quite a tourist attraction with vehicles pulling in the whole time I was there, including tour buses.  Lunch, some postcards and then on my way again, making my goal of a campsite on the Blowering Reservoir, just out of Tumut.  I am in the Snowy Mountains!  And the weather is great - so far; showers predicted early in the week.  Two and a bit weeks until the ferry.

Blue Mountains

Putty Road connects Singleton and Richmond in NSW; it is very windy in places and a favoured run for motorcyclists.   Part way along is a new roadhouse, The Grey Gums.  Camping is free, with a nominal amount if you want a shower.  The food is good and it is a comfortable place.  A mob of 'roo can often be seen in the surrounding paddocks, begging for their photo to be taken.

At Singleton I stayed in a special section of the RSLA carpark to encourage motorhomes & caravans.  Great spot, great base from which to tour the area. 

The Blue Mountains can only be described as Magnificent!  IF they had ghost gums THEN they'd be perfect!  Scenic World (no affiliation by author) have a great setup with a steep railway down into the valley & an old coal mine, boarded walkways through the valley, a cableway to get you back up again and a skyway to take you across the gorge & back.  Brilliant experience at a reasonable cost.  The Three Sisters,  some spectacular waterfalls and panoramic vistas will dazzle and amaze you (as well as the other 20mil tourists)!  Katoomba is a fascinating town, part hippy, part new age/alternatative but mainly geared toward tourists, in a good way.  

In Kurrajong is a Radio Museum that has a fascinating collection - some of it classified I'm sure, I hope my Secret clearance from the US Navy still applies!  There is the radio station off a North Korean boat running up & down the Australian coast selling drugs for a few years!  Many superceded military transmitters and receivers from over the ages, plus School of the Air equipment and just too much to describe.  Many of the items are in working order and the owner gives commentary on any item you (or he) wishes. 

The Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens are well worth a visit as they are beautifully laid out and give plenty of descriptions.  I'm not sure that they've correctly labeled their  'Nothofagus cunninghamii'  though, my opinion is that it is a S American nothofagus.   Their dawn redwoods are excellent specimens, a couple of the biggest I've seen.

The final day was overcast & blustery, limiting walks and the views were iffy so I continued on to just past Lithgow for a couple of days; then south to the Snowy Mountains, and with this cold snap present at the moment, it could well be snow (again).

Hunter Valley!

Specifically, the Wine Region of the Hunter Valley!  A couple of days touring this lovely region, visiting the odd winery and lunch at the Hunter Valley Gardens and Village.   My first visit - like a moth to a flame - was to a chocolate and ice cream venue!   A broad selection of lollies, chocolates and ice cream on display, but it was warm and I only stopped for an ice cream.

Then on to an outlet for the small vineyards of the region, where I bought a bottle of sangiovese to go with spaghetti one evening.   While I wasn't interested in wine tastings (I was driving),  I stopped in at Pepper Tree and Tyrrells vineyards, as I have had excellent wine from them in the past.  While tempted to pick up a dozen or two, space limitations put paid to that!  Plus, somewhere in the back of my mind the thought of an overstocked cellar at home eventually swung the decision.   The Lower Hunter is a very pretty valley and it appears that the grape growing bits are specific:  I drove to the town of Wollombi on the SW edge and noticed a few failed attempts to establish vineyards.  Wollombi is a tiny village but apparently jumps on the weekends:  It has historic buildings, remnants of more prosperous times and is close enough to the main tourist area to draw enough to survive.

Going back a bit, on the way through I stopped in Cessnock for a look around and saw where there is a railway museum a few km S, so I went there.  It is on the site of a disused colliery and wasn't open at the time of my visit, but I had a good look around anyway.  They have an interesting collection of rail artifacts and certainly plenty of opportunity for the societies members to indulge in any restoration urges they may have!  In fact, I heard some machines working in a far shed but didn't go to investigate as - while there were no signs to the contrary - I'm pretty sure I wandered into some areas the public isn't normally allowed.  

I am currently camped at Broke, on the W. edge of the wine region in a very pleasant camp.  On arriving, a chap came up and introduced himself , recognising "Loki" (large red letters on the back of my van) from the Grey Nomads Forum!  In fact, the three nearest vans were all solo nomads, one chap being 93 years of age!  So we had a Happy Hour, with wine supplied by Jonathan, cheese, salami & crackers supplied by me and other snakkies supplied by Colleen and Doug. 

Summit to Sea

A night was spent at Burning Mountain (Camps6 #187) and from there the intention was to turn E at Scone to Moonan Flat (Camps6 #189) but I couldn't find the caretaker to pay my fees or, more importantly, obtain a key for the shower - I really did need one at this stage!  NB Apparently they only charge $8.50/night for a powered site and it is a pleasant spot by a creek.  So I continued on to my main goal for the area, Barrington Tops, which was covered in snow!  Very pretty and while I had intended to camp there that night, the slush and mud soon changed my mind so I continued over the Range to spend the night at Copeland Reserve (Camps6 #359) near Gloucester, on the E side of the Range.  

The following day I went to #121, a day camp on the coast which listed showers amongst its virtues - nice spot but the showers were typical seaside affairs - cold water only and no privacy whatsoever.  Lemon Tree is a pleasant and popular spot, with a netted swimming area, boat ramp and a few shops.  

From here I headed back up the Hunter Valley, doing a quick hard left at Maitland at the "Market Today" sign pointing toward the showground.  It was as much a Boot Sale as a market, with stalls offering an assorted array of car and motorcycle parts.  With high hopes of obtaining a workshop manual for my Hi Ace, I was sadly informed that they are hard to come by.  As there was a Caravan Park nearby, I booked in for the night and tidied up before setting off to explore the Hunter Valley.

Waterfall Way

From Grafton NSW to Armidale follows the Waterfall Way:  It goes through the mountains and passes waterfalls, to which access has been gratefully supplied.  The first I stopped at were Ebor Falls where there are two waterfalls in close proximity.  There is a well set out picnic area and a walking track along the top of the gorge with lookouts over the falls.  A reasonable flow of water flowing over them made for a good view. 

A night was spent at Cathedral Rock NP campground.  A walking track looped around this feature, with a track leading off to the summit:  "..A short scramble track (400 metres)  leads off to the top of Cathedral Rock, where the climber is rewarded with expansive views."  It was a scramble all right!  Very steep, large rocks to be clambered over, under, around but the view expansive was!  Unfortunately, a vantage giving a clear view of Cathedral Rock was beyond this climbers ability, thus on the photo it is screened by a tree.  Then a slow walk back to camp for a rest!

The next stop was Wollomombi Falls in the Oxley River NP.  What a spectacular view that is!  The water (all but absent on the day) has carved a huge, deep bowl in the side of the tableland, continuing along in a steep rugged gorge.  Enough to make the most intrepid explorer shout "Mom!" and turn back toward home!

The photos tend to be a bit hazy, unfortunately, as well as being a wide angle but the actual views are terrific and well worth visiting if in the area - it is rugged and scenic country!

While camped at Oxley, I met up with another Grey Nomad, John (Yeoeleven), who has been on the road a couple of years, having 'Done the Loop'.  Naturally, we sat around the campfire swapping tales in the evening, then setting off this morning for our next stop, near Tamworth, via  Armidale, but rain prevented much more than a wander through a mall.  Weather could be worse, it could (Might!!) snow...

Depart Brisbane

After two months of Grandparent Duties in Brisbane, the plan is now to work my way thru NSW/VIC to catch the Bass Strait Ferry on 13th November.  My first night was at a free camp near Bonalbo, NSW, where I met a Victorian couple working their way N to visit grandchildren.  They very kindly wrote out a brief list of places along my general direction to visit, as they had traveled the route a few times!  I'm very grateful to them, as my normal experience is finding out where/what I should have visited AFTER I've been thru an area.  Thus, as I travel generally down the New England Highway, I have some recommended "Must See" & "Worthwhile Detours" to schedule in!  One that I would most likely have missed is The Firs, where apparently lyre birds abound and you can hear all of the sounds of the Australian bush as a result. 

As my route took me  thru Tenterfield, a visit to The Tenterfield Saddler shop was-to me- compulsory!  Peter Allen's song about his forebears certainly put this spot on the world map!   From there to Washpool & Gibraltar Range NP for a couple of nights.  An early morning walk to Boundary Falls and Lyre Bird Falls was invigorating, as the signage pointed out Boundary Falls was only 400M, they failed to add it was nearly straight down (coming back was the real heart starter)!  The walk was worth it.  Lyre Bird Falls was a kilometre away, on arrival it was straight down. but fortunately there was no track - too steep.  A walk to a small pool on a creek, then along the creek before looping back was also interesting, with informative signs adding to the experience.