Thu 15 Nov - Kalkite NSW

Another lazy morning and we decide to potter a bit. Hans' backside can feel the huffing and puffing from yesterday (aka good pain), but Holger recommends a nice, short hike at Thredbo Diggings which we agree is a good idea. The weather is again a lovely clear day.

The hike is only 6km long and loops Bullocks Flat (great name BTW), with an optional detour to Bullocks Hut. The hike follows Thredbo River in one direction and the whole envionment with long grass, cool air, birds that don't squeak etc, reminds Hans of nice summer days in Sweden, you know, the ones that almost never surface.

Anyway, the Bullock's Flat loop was most pleasant and we finished it in a lazy 2 hours including a break at the Thredbo Digging's campsite. Di thought it was also picturesque and needed a self portrait, so here it is...

Hans taking a break...

Here is Di singing "Valderee, Valderaa", her signature hiking song...which her 1 fan requests on a regular basis.

After the hike, we then head down to Jindabyne and Nuggets Crossing for a bit of lunch at Sundowner Bakery. Their pies have a good reputation here so we both try them. Not cheap, but good quality. Even the coffee was OK, but at $4.50, again, not cheap (nothing around the snowfields seem to be cheap at any time of the year).

After a bit of shopping for an Indian curry dinner within the next couple of nights, we head back to Kalkite via a short stop at Jindabyne Dam for some photo opportunities.

A relaxing afternoon chatting and reading/resting.

The skies are becoming overcast and it's a bit cooler but we still are aiming for a BBQ dinner with good steak (and of course more wine!)

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Wed 14 Nov - Kalkite NSW

Lazy long morning, which means not being on the road until 9.30am or so.

We had decided to go into Snowy Mountains National Park for a hike, but we were still undecided on which one as Di felt that she had to ease into any of the longer hikes.

Along the way, we decide to hike towards Bob's Ridge which forms part of the Cascade Trail, a 10km return hike. The board below shows some of the trail, with huts dotted along the trail on a regular basis.

The beginning of the trail...

Great views back over Ramshead range of Thredbo.

Di climbed a bit further but was having problems with her calf muscles so chose to return back to the beginning and then to extend her walk by walking the track along Thredbo River back to Thredbo, leaving Hans the van at the parking area at the start of the Cascade trail.

Hans decided to continue to Cascade Hut and back, a stretch of 20km. Hans did this hike with Holger back in 2010, and it is a fantastic hike.

Arrangements to meet back in Thredbo were made and then we both headed off on our own. No risk through. The trails here are very clear to follow.

Bob's Ridge is some 5km into the trail, but it is not really much there, including no real views.

The valleys, of course, are dotted with creeks and rivers.

Pretty much on the 10km dot, one arrives at the Cascade Hut.

The hut is pretty well equipped, sleeps perhaps 4 people up on a platform with quite a bit equipment left by previous hikers.

We never saw wild brumbies but there was plenty of evidence of them...

A couple of final pictures from along the Cascade Trail.

The walk to and from the Cascade Hut took around 5 hours, and by 4pm or so, we meet outside the pub in Thredbo to go back to Kalkite.

After a very nice shower, we enjoy some cheese and biscuits before dinner, which is Burritos (and wine).

By 9.30pm-10pm, we are all exhausted and it is bedtime.

 

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Tue 13 Nov - Kalkite NSW

After waking up to now some 50 or so kangaroos grazing around our campsite (and 2 emus), we decide to use the lovely water in the reservoir as our "bath water". An early morning swim was just perfect. Warm air, sun, and perhaps 19 or so degrees in the water. Very nice indeed.

Action shot of one of the roos...

We have a breakfast of German Rosti (hashbrown) supplemented by some Weetbix (again as we eat down our supplies). Packing is easy (we don't have much) and we're on the road around 8am. We take our time, the drive is lovely but also full of lots of 35 and 45 km/h corners.

We stop at Perry's lookout, overlooking tree clad mountains and wilderness, and then Adamidaby for morning tea at the bakery. The key feature here is a giant trout statue painted silver.

We arrive at Kalkite, the home of Di's Aunt Anke and Uncle Holger, and have a lazy lunch and afternoon catching up on news.

This is their house and yes, of course they have a campervan too (a Mercedes).

A quick wander down to Lake Jindabyne confirms that the water level is higher than we've ever seen. There's been plenty of rain so the irrigators don't need as much, combined with snow melt and the lake is full to the brim. Looks good.

Nice roasted dinner and plenty of wine and we're still talking at 10.30pm - Di is ready for bed after a 5.30am wake up. Very pleasant evening.

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Mon 12 Nov - Blowering Reservoir NSW

After yet another cooked breakfast downstairs in the pub of Hotel Victoria, Griffith, we pack up and are on our way east towards Tumut and Snowy Mountains and Kosciuszko National Park.

Mostly flat yet again through Leeton, Narrandera, Coolamon as we stop in Junee for a morning cuppa (we bring our own thermos with hot water as good coffee is not that easy to find.

As we get to Gundegai and the "mighty" Hume Highway, we take the highway south to Tumblong and exit towards Adelong.

Di has a previous history from Adelong as her ex-husband's family came from there. So, today Di is giving Hans the "grand tour" of Adelong and the past of Di (at Hans' request).

We criss-cross the town of some 900 inhabitants, and end up at the cemetery as Di wants to pay respect to some late ex-relatives.

The grave of Di's ex mother-in-law:

After the reflection, we head towards Tumut and have lunch in a Chinese restaurant there (surprisingly popular for lunch time on a Monday) before heading to its Visitor Centre to find out about the local camping situation. We were recommended taking the Snowy Mountains Highway up a bit into the Kosciuszko National Park from the north as there were quite a few free camping ground along the way.

Sounds good. We settled on Old Yachting Point on the shore of Blowering Reservoir. It is absolutely beautiful here. 26 degrees, sunny, 20-30 kangaroos and wallabies some 10 meters away from our camper van, so all we can do is... have a swim in the lake (which is actually a Dam and provides drinking water for the area, so the water is of top quality). Very nice indeed. Not too cold, our estimate is about 18 degrees.

Di fetching fresh water

Our Roo neighbours

Our swimming spot

A very peaceful afternoon at the camp ground, a dinner made of some tinned food we have left over (Ham, Tiny Taters and Beetroot - not bad but not gourmet. We expected the weather to get cold overnight but it was surprisingly mild. Beautiful location (which we hear is packed in summer months) and great night's sleep.

 

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Sun 11 Nov - Griffith NSW

Sunday morning view from the balcony in the common area. A bit quieter now...

After yet more food, cooked breakfast with all the rest, we walk down to Canal St, which runs next to the... canal, as that takes us to the Sunday markets. The markets are in a barn next to Mackay's furniture store.

Coffee is provided by... Mrs Bean.

Oranges were on sale... of course.

You would be a cruel friend buying this drum set to a friend's kid...

There were some drama at the market as this little girl wanted to have a go...

After pondering the markets for a while, buying some cherries, almond bread and small Buddha figure which was just made for travelling to provide good luck, we set off for the Hermit's Cave.

The Hermit's Cave is up on a hill called Scenic Hill northeast of town and is about..., well, you can read it here. Fascinating story.

Over several years, the Hermit built a small community for himself. Today, you need pointers to see the remains.

View from the Hermit's Cave, although during his time, this would have been pretty empty.

The kitchen. You can see the fireplace to the right.

There were a multitude of these caves. Of course, today the local kids use these for.... whatever, including for graffiti.

Apparently, some of these rock walls that the Hermit built were 2 meters high. Not so high today, but still there in many places.

We walk back down the hill, through the local oval where to our satisfaction, most of the kids are practicing football, that is real football.

Further along towards the town centre, we walk through the local cemetery, to see if "Aussie Bob" Robert Trimbole is buried here. He wasn't, but we did find a few Trimbole/Trimboli family members buried there.

Griffith being a town with such an Italian heritage (apparently, 60% of the population can claim that), some of the monuments at the cemetery were both many and just... huge.

After a quick snack and drink at Red Rooster (sad, yep), we walked back to Hotel Victoria for a quick break, then off in the campervan for wine tasting. Well, wine tasting for Di as Hans was driving today and giving it a break until... tonight.

First DeBortoli winery northeast of town. A nice building both outside and inside.

Di tasted a wide array of wines and bought 2 bottles.

Then back to town for a coffee break at Dolce Dolce, a very nice coffee shop in an old art-deco building with 3 different shops, almost next door to La Scala were we went last night for dinner.

Strong cafe latte for Hans...

... and an ice coffee for Di. Great place and karma.

After our coffee break at Dolce Dolce, we set off to West End winery at the other end of town.

Yep, Di did try wines from all of the bottles below...

Time to photograph some orange groves... There were generally not that many oranges left on the trees so we thought that the peak picking season may have already passed.

This tractor made a good addition to the groves.

Some orange groves were doing better than others, and this place had a lot of oranges discarded on the ground.

Big day, so we then head back to the ranch for some rest (and blogging) before dinner.

Indian for dinner, 99 Spices. A nice selection of tandoori chicken for entre, prawn tikka misala and a vegetarian curry for main. And, of course, garlic naan. All good.

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