Mathoura & Khancoban #2

While at Khancoban we drove to Paddy’s River Falls near Tumbarumba.  By Australian standards a lot of water was flowing over the falls and the valley was very pretty and green.  Lots of steps down to the falls, but the walk was worth the effort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the falls the river flowed down the very pretty valley.  The falls are 18 metres high and located 15 Km south of Tumbarumba.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the falls we went to Sugar Pine Walk about 8 Km north of Tumbarumba.  A quiet and peaceful walk among towering Sugar Pine trees planted in 1928.  The forestry people in NSW have preserved 2.5 Hectares for us to enjoy.  The Sugar Pines are an American import that have now been superseded by Radiata Pine, probably because it grows faster.  In the US Sugar Pines have grown to a massive 57 feet in circumference.

 

After the walk we went to Courabyra Winery for lunch.  The restaurant has a beautiful view over a picturesque valley.  We were seated in a shaded verandah and enjoyed good food and wine.  On another day, we had a counter lunch at Corryong at a pub and visited the grave of Jack Reilly, the man from Snowy River, and saw the statue of him in the town.  Jack was a renowned horseman who met and talked with Banjo Paterson about his experiences and life shortly before the poem was written

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a week at Khancoban, Cam and the two boys returned to Melbourne, it was great to have them with us and we really enjoyed their company.  The next day Deen and I went to Mathoura in NSW about 40 Km north of Echuca where we met up with Dey, a friend of Deens.  Packing up was a problem as Deen could not slide her extension back into the teardrop.  After about an hour of struggling and emptying her van we succeeded, phew.  My van travelled with all of Deens contents on the floor as we couldn’t put them back once the extension was pushed home.  The caravan park at Mathoura is very well maintained and small with only 6 well grassed sites.  It is next to Gulpa creek and near the Edwards River and backs onto an extensive Red Gum forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly we hit Mathoura in a heat wave with every day so far being in the mid to high 30s.  From tomorrow the temperatures will go into the 40s with Wednesday 41 and the next 4 days 42 or 43.  The overnight temperature on Thursday morning will drop to only 27, so we have decided to return home on Thursday to miss the worst of the heat.

On Christmas day we all received a present of chocolates from the owner of the park, a wonderful unexpected gesture from a man who is a friendly and obliging host.  Deen and I went on a walk through the forest this morning, Tuesday, which we limited to 1 Km as it was too hot even early in the morning.

 

With that I will sign off until my next trip in 2019, not sure when or where that will be, but I will let regular readers know when I leave on the trip.  All the best for 2019 to all of you who read this blog.