Victorian High Country

            Work in Progress


Sue and Trev, Gary, Barb and myself meet at Gunning Showground on Wednesday 1st March ready for our adventure to new and amazing area's. In the morning Barb goes to start her car....No go. Finally it starts. Barb has borrowed a CB - doesn't knoe how to change to channel 18. No I didn't bring the book. Trev has a look and works it out. Now on our way. Hello Gary's Hazard Lights are on. We stop just before entering motorway. Guess what he doesn't kmow how to turn them off. Trev to the rescue. Fingers crossed no more problems. They were just teething problems.

Tumit our first stop. We are camping 9 km out of town at Jones Bridge. Right on the Tumit River with grass and the Serenity. Aahh. Places of interest are The Broom Factory, Rotary Look Out where we see a church. Let's find it and we do. It's a beautiful stone church. We also visit Adelong and see an old gold mine and waterfall. Nice town, bigger than we thought. We see a sculpture of a rabit across the river but were unable to drive to it. Blowering Dam has a huge stone wall but due to road damage unable to go on it. On our way home called into Mac's for a Ice Cream. Only one car in car park...strange. Walk up to counter...."5 ice creams please." Girl says "Don't have any." We are speachless. The lady at the visitors information centre tells us the road to Corryong is not suitable for caravans  Bugger. Also the weather at Thredbo is 0 - 8 degrees plus windy and possible snow. Bugger, Bugger. This is the area we really wanted to see. Back to camp. Trev has been busy. He has changed my 7 point pin on Pocket Rocket. Also unblocked Gary's waste outlet. Then he goes for a dip in the Tumut River. Refreshing. At the back of my van is a large hole. I put a bucket in it so we don't go down it. Sue has strung a line between her van and fence to hang washing. Well a cow in the paddock behind decideds she likes Trev's hanky and Sue's undies. Happy Hour is so enjoyable looking at the Tumit River flowing by.

After studing the map we decide to drive the road to Corryong. We leave our "Piece of Paradise". Call into Talbingo for morning tea and there is a playground with a Flying Fox. Goody. Then about 8 km of hilly, winding road. When reach top road widens and it's a fantastic country drive.Turn off onto 1 km of dirt road to Denison Campground. It is a huge area and grassy with views overlooking Lake Eucumbene River plus kangaroos. Once settled Trev notices that his van "Friday" has a bubble on the inside of the tyre. !!!!!! Needless to say he is not happy. Was not easy changing it but they got it done.

Next day onto Adaminaby, small sleepy town with "Big Trout" Had a walk around town and found a lovely church with the door opened.  After morning tea the wind started to pick up, but was another great country drive. Arriving at Jindabyne and the wind has picked up. We meet up with Louise at the park. We are hoping to walk to The Summit tomorrow, hope the weather improves. Visit Info Centre and see weather forcast. Thursday is looking best day to climb Summit.

Was extremely windy through the night. We decide no walk today. We help Louise pull down her pumped up annex then drive to Threadbo. There is cars, Mountain Bikes and kids everywhere. No where to park so decide to drive part way to Khancoban. The lady once again said this road is not suitable for caravans. It is windy and steep but has short flat spots too. It is wide enough and has a rail. We are all confident enough to drive it, just take it slow and will stop at the bottom to cool the brakes. Call into Tom Groggen camp area. Looks good will stay a night here. Called into Crackenback Resort which had interesting sculptures. Back at camp my electric brakes on the van aren't registering. Once again Terrific Trev to the rescue. Wednesday is extremely windy and we have Bacon and Eggs for breakfast in the camp kitchen. Then we take a drive to Dalgetty a sleepy litte town. But bikes everywhere and men in lycra. They are doing the Zoo to Zoo Charity Bike Ride. Melbourne to Canberra then Dubbo Zoo. Good luck men. Dalgetty has a great caravan park right on the river too. Next Perisher for a look then Charlottes Pass. There is mist in the distance then spots on the window. Became that you could only see a short distance. We arrived but didn't get out of the car at either place. 

Thursday - Summit Walk Day - Sunny 12 degrees and wind has dropped. Drive to Threadbo and find parking space about 10 minutes away. Mountain bikes and kids everywhere. There is a Inter School Competition on. Kids from Heathcote, Bega, Cooma plus local schools. There is wind and temperature 4 degrees. Jackets on Sue, Trev, Gary, Louise and myself get on the Chair Lift. Barb not doing the walk. The view is fantastic. Up the top the wind is blowing harder. We start walking - wind blowing in our faces, eyes watering, nose running and have to look where we stepping. Also heaps of school kids passing us then they stop and we pass them. Such hard going. We can only look around when we stop. Not pleasant. We arrive at the look out about 2,000 metres up. So many people and wind is getting stronger. Is a fabulous view, rocks are smooth and it is very dry. Sue, Trev and myself decide to go back, it just isn't pleasent or enjoyable. Gary and Louise decide to go on. Wind is now pushing us but we can look around as walking and the small waterways and vegetation is fantastic. We meet up with Barb at Threadbo then take Gondala to another part of the mountain. Guess what....no wind. We sit in the sun and watch the bikes go by. Relaxing. There is so many mountain bike tracks of all difficulties. Back to Threadbo for coffee and hot chips. I saw to Trev no use we all waiting around for Louise and Gary. You go as need fuel and Woolies. As they drive off  Sue rings me to say Louise is coming. Falls into my car, "I'm buggered but glad I did it . She and Gary reached the Summit. He was a fair way behind her coming down. We wait then I ring him to say will park near the Chair Lift. We wait then here he is.....He looks had it. "Never doing that again" he says. No didn't enjoy it but ask me in a week, maybe different. Later Gary tells us that at the Sumit he had a phone call from a Real Estate Agent  saying they could get a great price for his house.....

Leave Jindabyne and off on Alpine Way to Geehi National Park ( Tom Groggan camp fully booked out ). Road is steep and windy, we take our time and call into Leather Back Rest area for morning tea and cool the brakes. Camp site is flat, huge and near a river. Happy hor is early and we have a fire with Jaffles for tea. We have decided to stay a couple of nights as such a great spot. Next day easy and when domestics done we play Aussie Trivia and Rummy O. That night marshmellows over open fire. Following day a walk around the large camping ground. Heaps of tent and vans in. Find Geehi Hut, a cottage made of stone. Very large inside. The river is wide in spots and beautiful. This has been a lovely spot to stay. Really enjoyed it.

No rush in the morning as only 38 km to Khancoban. Wonder what the road will be like ? It was narrow but not steep. Khancoban is busy and push bikes and men in lycra everywhere. Has a General Store and Cafe plus Post Office and couple novelity shops. In the town square there is a man playing guitar and singing.  Onto Towong for lunch and ask a local about the free camp where we want to stay. She says due to the floods recently the bridge was washed away and unable to get there. OK on to Corryong then. Gary says that his Motorhome is Saturday. What we say. Well I'm following Friday. ( Sue and Trev have christened their van Friday and have a sticker on the back) Well I say therefore Louise is Sunday..Barb Monday and I'm Tuesday. We all love the names. 

Corryong we camp near the Golf Club. It is a concrete netball court no longer used. We walk up to town and the Info Centre. Then a walk up and down the street. There are murals and sculptures We visit the Man From Snowy Museum which is good. Then down to a Tram and Men's Shed. We see a church in the distance. Let's find it. We did. Sue would like an Ice Crream...me too we all say. But unfortunally the cafes were shut. No Ice Crream. The bakery in town was bought by the community in 2015. They employ young people to get training in hospitality etc. Corryong is a fabulous RV towm. Has dump point, garbage bins and you can fill up your water tank all in one spot. We decide to move to Lighthouse Crossing to camp, about 4 km from town. Good choice as grass and beside a Murray River.