There are many wonderful hiking circuits to be ‘found’ in the Victorian mountains. Just because the route is not marked on any map or DSE brochure ought not deter you. Some are quite long and would take a fortnight or so to complete. Others are shorter. The ‘Four Rivers Circuit’: Wonnangatta, Dry Creek, Caledonia, Wellington, […]
WALK! Don’t run. Fortunately this doesn’t happen in Oz, though Tiny and I were ‘hunted’ by packs of wild dogs last time we were in the Wonnangatta!: http://www.myfoxny.com/story/26592220/bear-suspected-of-killing-hiker-in-new-jersey
Spent yesterday traipsing (16km) around the Upper Jordan catchment, once the richest alluvial goldfield in the world (the average 3.6 metre square ‘paddock’ yielded 200 ounces of gold!) with Spot and my two ‘boys’ Bryn & Matt. We found an old boiler surrendering itself to the forest amid a welter of other old mining equipment,
Swingler’s ‘Portal’ on the Upper Thomson River: This is the type of weir which could be built CHEAPLY on a number of other rivers (Aberfeldy, Macalister, Barkly, Moroka, Wonnangatta, etc) to increase (Read: ‘DOUBLE’) Melbourne’s water supply by diverting some of the surplus winter flow. As you can see it takes up only about an
The Thomson Dam is nearly full right now. Only a couple of years ago the river/gully was just a trickle along its bottom and I was contemplating a once-in-a-lifetime canoe trip along the length of the empty dam (I only wish I had!) I did hunt/hike it though; the photos I took of the stream
Yesterday we spent 9 hours driving (mainly) and poking about in a (partial) circumnavigation of the Thomson and Jordan Rivers, one of my old hunting grounds. It still takes nearly 3 hours to drive each way (eg) to Mt Victor Spur Track (allegedly the site of a ‘Sweeney Todd’ hostelry during the 1860s) where I
East Gippsland has SO many beautiful places. In winter it is @18C and you have it completely to yourself. Due to an ongoing fox control programme you have to be very careful where you camp with dogs. Picnic areas are probably safest.
The world’s oldest (authenticated) eel has died in Sweden at age 155, (clearly not enough folks EAT eel). I guess not all hail from ‘Ely’ in Cambridgeshire (as my ancestors did), a famed seat of ‘eel-lore’. We encountered some very friendly eels at Paronella Park in Qld recently. After the disastrous Alpine fires (in 2006)
Mt Useful: Spot’s Second Snow Trip. Still plenty of snow for you snow bunnies to enjoy. Mt Useful is about 1450m, so there ought to be good fun around Baw Baw etc. Much of the snowgum forest there (and elsewhere) has been dreadfully ruined by bushfire. Large areas have not regenerated. All areas contain huge
Cairns mid-winter break. July14-21 – absolutely the best time for this. Temperature average 23-27C and (relatively low humidity); so a pleasant change from 11-13C. It is still nicer on the Atherton Tableland. I would recommend you get all the tourist brochures, colour all those places in on the map, then religiously avoid them. The old
