March 2019

01 March 2019

Leaving our visit with family for a short trip we made our way East, stopping for a look at the Wirilda Environment Park which sits next to the river Tyers and a Pumping Station. The park itself is not much, but would make for a good overnight camp, but the view up the river was very pleasing on the eye.

Tyers River

Looking upstream from on top of the weir the reflections were so vivid.

Photography and lunch over we continued on to Maffra where we stopped for the day in the old caravan park. Now a free camp it was popular on such a hot day because of the large tree's.

02 March 2019

Up before the other six campers and five backpackers we headed out of town heading for our intended campsite at Wulgulmerang. We stopped in Bairnsdale and topped up with fuel and with the price of fuel so cheap ($1.34) also filled two jerry cans for touring fuel.

Climbing up into the hills and then dropping down into Buchan we stopped for lunch and then climbed out of the valley again on the winding road that clings to the side of the steep hills. The sense of humour is alive and well up here with HAHA Creek and a place called Seldom Seen.

Arriving at Wulgulmerang we lost phone signal at the top of the hill but found the campsite at the recreation reserve down the bottom. Pulling in through the gate we picked a spot and set up camp, plugging into the power and investigating the toilets and showers.

Lunch and then we were off for a trip to the Suggan Buggan, the NSW Border and the Snowy River. Up and down the mountains on a road, with small cliff faces on one side and a very, very long drop on the other, the road, barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass provided great views of the Alpine National Park, and some interesting driving.

Alpine NP

One of many views of the Alpine NP.

Dropping down into a valley the navigator said we were at Suggan Buggan. A log cabin, another house, a wood slab hut, a grave and a sign was all we found.

Suggan Buggan School

The old Suggan Buggan School.

Up and down, round and round some more we dropped down into the valley and came to the NSW Border denoted only by the Welcome to NSW and the Kosciuszko National Park on one side and the Welcome to Victoria and the Alpine National Park sign on the other. BAck up the hill e checked out the Willis Camping area on the side of the river before heading back past our campsite to the top of the hill to check and send messages before heading back down to our camp.

03 March 2019

Gee it's dark out here. Last night the sky was so dark and the starts so bright, the silence deafening, all of which made for a good sleep. Waking this morning to a birdsong alarm clock courtesy of the magpies and kookaburra's.

Prepared for a trip to McKillop's Bridge along what has been described as the country's most dangerous and adventurous road. The road started off quite nice but it was not long before we were again descending and ascending along a one vehicle wide dirt road with rock face on one side and sheer drops on the other.

McKillops Bridge Road

Phone photo of just one part of the road as we descended.

Having descended over 700m we leveled out along the mighty snowy river which really wasn't that mighty, and more of a trickle in places. And then there was the bridge we had come to see, the McKillop's Bridge.

Crossing the 255m long wooden planked deck we enjoyed the view and continued on our way towards the small settlement of Tubbut. We were making good time and then came to a traffic hazard, 500 cattle being moved along the road by people on horses, a heap of working dogs, a ute and a horse carrying truck.

About a kilometre or so they moved over and headed down to the river at the Ambyne Suspension Bridge. Not long after that we were pulling up in Tubbut for morning tea and to buy some local honey.

Heading back we passed the cattle again and then stopped at the Ambyne Suspension Bridge for some drone flight and photo's.

Ambyne Suspension Bridge

The Ambyne Suspension Bridge, built in 1935 to connect each side of the river.

It was then back to McKillop's Bridge where we arrived at lunchtime. Photo's of the bridge and the river up at the top and then down at the canoe launching spot were the go, as was lunch. The bridge was built by the Country Roads Board between 1931 and 1936. The original bridge washed away in a flood a day before it was to be opened, so the current bridge is not the original, and we forgot to look for the original while we were there.

McKillops Bridge Deck

The view down the bridge deck which still rattles when a vehicle is on it right to the other side.

McKillops Bridge River View

McKillop's Bridge from the Snowy River.

Crossing the bridge once more we began the long climb up the range and making it through the 11km long narrow bit without meeting another vehicle (thankfully). Before long we were out of the trees and back into the grasslands and stopping at the high point where we have phone reception.

After checking the mail and the fire warnings for our location on the Vic Emergency App we headed down the hill to our camp to unpack the car, shower, relax and to check and process photos.

04 March 2019

Having had quite the adventurous day yesterday we slept like logs, and woke to smoke in the air and a red glowing sun filtered by the haze. We were up early so after packing up we made our way back up the hill to where the phones got signal and to check for messages. Then it was a trip back over ground we have already covered, but this time through smoke, which got thicker each time we passed through a valley where it was hanging around.

Dropping down into Buchan we stopped in a park near the creek and a large rock wall, its reflections in the murky water ensuring the camera was given an outing.

Buchan

The Rock Wall and reflections.

Photo's and morning tea over we made our way on towards Bairnsdale which was almost unaffected by the smoke. Lunch and then a trip via the back roads to Marley Point at Clydebank. Pulling in we found the camping area quite popular but as we pulled in one van pulled out so we snagged a waterfront spot. Lapping waves courtesy of the wind will lull us to sleep tonight.

The weather wasn't much and so it was a good chance to try some long exposure shots on tree stumps and even birds on poles in the water.

Marlays Point Birds

Most remained still for the 1 second it took to smooth out the water.

Marlay Point Birds 2

Subdued light and 10 seconds helped with this one.

05 March 2019

Well we might have snagged the last of the waterfront sites but as time went by more and more came in. Caravans went down to the bitumen carpark where they are not supposed to camp and the backpacker vans and cars came down to where we were, and before long there were no spots left at the inn.

Thankfully everyone was quiet enough and the only thing we heard all night was the lapping of the water on the sand just a few metres away from our bedroom window. We awoke early and although most of the caravans at the other end had gone by the time we did, the vans and cars were all having a sleep in.

Reversing back to in front of one van and then jackknifing to get turned around we pulled out as the occupants of the van stood very close and very, very still with looks of amazement on their faces. Had they not seen that manoeuvre before?

Stopping in Sale for a fuel top up was the only stop this morning and we arrived in Golden Beach some 60 kilometres later. We decided on the bitumen parking lot rather than the gravel bays, unhitching and settling in while being greeted by two friendly locals. Joanne was even directed to the local community garden to help herself.

A cool day and the occasional thump thump from the RAAF conducting some target practice not too far away made for a lazy day. But then later in the afternoon the sky really turned a nasty colour and we couldn't decide if it was a fire or a storm, or both. Launching the drone for a better look showed it was a fire (probably started by the target practice) and a storm.

Golden Beach View

The source of the nasty looking sky.

Of course while the drone was in the air it was the perfect chance to try some top down shots over the beach, and while it would have been nice to have had some rocks etc to capture waves over, the patterns of the sea coming into the shore made for a good second.

Golden Beach

By 4pm the storm was almost past us with barely a drop on the ground here, and the fire, well...it's far enough away from us not to concern us and the smoke will eventually dissipate. Hopefully tomorrow will be clearer for some more aerial shots along the beach.

13 March 2019

Well the smoke cleared a little but the weather came in the rain washed the ash from the fire off the rig for us. We enjoyed a relaxing day and then left in the morning for a camp at Rosedale.

Arriving at Rosedale stopped at the Bakery and then made our way to the campsite where we found only a few campers in so picked a nice spot and settled in. Waking the next morning we found we had fifteen other campers in with us and somebody had nicked the spare tyre cover off of our hitch.

Leaving camp we made our way to family and parked up in the driveway for an as yet, undetermined departure date. We will add some content as time goes on but it will be a bit sparse.

29 March 2019

Well the last few weeks have been quite an emotional, busy and somewhat stressful time for many of our family. Mum went into hospital at Warragul on a Saturday for what turned out to be the final days of her life, and Joanne followed the next day with a problem with her pancreas. So for a few days there were daily trips to visit and support them both. With Mum being on the third floor and Joanne being on the second, it was a simple matter of using the stairs in between to visit.

Then, just when we were settling into a routine, Joanne was transferred to the Jesse McPherson Private Hospital in Clayton for surgery. So that meant a visit to Mum in the morning while the gridlock on the freeway subsided before a trip up the freeway to spend the rest of the day with Joanne. Then it was a trip back down the freeway to see Mum before finally falling into bed while parked up in my sisters driveway.

Mum eventually succumbed and passed away in her sleep, pain free and with Dad and my sister by her side, while I was visiting Joanne. Joanne's surgery a few days later was successful and she came home in time for Mum's Funeral. Family from WA and Qld came to visit for the funeral and then one by one they went back. Joanne and I remained as Dad took control of his new life without Mum and while we waited for Joanne's two week post op checkup (today), which went well.

So, we will be back on the road early next month so stay tuned for updates.

Mark Twain once said "...years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - and so we will.