A year ago…Our adult kids were so motivated by our post Paddling into History they all readily agreed to a return trip (after an absence of over twenty years) to our old holiday spot on a very fine day last weekend with a water level of just under 1.8 metres on the Waterford gauge. Here […]
An amazing ‘ancient’ stone monument. Without visiting ancient Egypt or similar you will never see anything like this anywhere in Australia, so the trip is definitely worth the effort. Glenaladale Weir (on the Mitchell-Wonnagatta River, Gippsland Vic) was constructed c 1891-2 and destroyed by floods within only about a year. Some history is available on
I have spent the past four days walking ~6okm alongside the Wonnagatta River within the trackless Mt Darling Wilderness with my lovely dog, Honey as (illegal) company. At 76 a 20 km stretch which used to take me five hours is now taking me six (with a 10 kg+ pack) but it is much less
It’s months ago now (I have fallen behind on my posts) when Della and I took three delightful days rafting a section of the Mitchell River (Gippsland) back in autumn (April), of course with the dogs. Last time I pack-rafted this section (by myself Mitchell River Overnight) I took only two days but the double
We have been having some predation of our Finnsheep lambs by wedge-tailed eagles which is costing us a lot of money – and anguish. The other morning as I went around the lambs I saw one flying higher than our largest gums with a lamb’s head in in its claws. I clapped my hands and
Having mastered the art of lighting a fire in terrible conditions (I hope you have: How to Light a Fire in the Wet), and making a passable comfy shelter so you can enjoy your time in the bush, the next big step is mastering the art of walking. Too many men take overlong strides and
I have hunted sambar deer for over 50 years in the Gippsland mountains (and elsewhere other deer). Mostly I did it because it was fun and an excuse for a day out in the bush which I love. I still prefer lamb, and having been a sheep farmer for just as long, I always had
I have to agree with Ratty, “There’s nothing––absolutely nothing––half so much worth doing as messing about in boats.” (‘Wind in the Willows,’ Kenneth Graham) And it was a glorious long weekend after 34 mm of rain to be doing it. We had intended to head up to Eaglevale for a splendid voyage on our favourite
Just to prove that all of our trips don’t end in disaster: As the rainfall forecast for the rest of the summer is dismal and the river heights are rapidly falling we seized (maybe the last) opportunity to shoot one of our favourite sections of the Wonnangatta, ie Black Snake Creek to Waterford (Meyers Flat)
I have always loved Shelley’s poem ‘Ozymandias’ which showcases the futility of Pharaoh Rameses’ efforts to secure his immortality. Many people these days are obsessed with mankind’s (supposed) destruction of nature, an observation which I do not wholly disagree with, but nature has a way of coming roaring back, all but obliterating mankind’s works. For
