We met up at Dunkeld for our 49th Cup weekend camp and enjoyed a few days of relaxation in the company of good friends. We stayed at the Dunkeld Caravan Park where Deen set up her new camper for the first time and found the setup much easier than the Gidget she had owned previously. As usual lots of fellow campers wanted a guided tour of the new camper.
A lot of time at the camp was spent just sitting around chatting and relaxing
Peter G brought lots of fire wood as usual so we had a camp fire every evening and lots of good conversation. It was great to have Davo, Cheryl, Shelby and Maddie with us again plus Adam and Julie, Pete and Barb with Deen and I making up the numbers. Deen took a few photos around the fire without a flash, which proved a bit difficult.
Deen also managed to catch one of me
And another of Maddie, Julie and Adam
Lots of our conversation was about where we would go for our 50th camp next year. It’s hard to believe that the camping group started by Eric in 1973 is still going strong, and that is something worth celebrating. Deen is doing some investigation into Morning Glory, a camping resort on the Murray near Echuca which may be suitable.
Within a short walk of camp was the Dunkeld Arboretum where there are some magnificent old Red Gums. We enjoyed the walk and watching Pete try out his new drone, he managed to have only one crash!. There is an old saw mill dating back to the 30’s in the Arboretum and it was interesting old building and equipment now run by volunteers.
A lady from the local community had used a chainsaw to carve some sculptures, I liked the black cockatoo the best.
On Saturday we all headed off to Cavendish and enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Bunyip Hotel, excellent food and well worth a visit. Everyone except Deen and I went home Sunday so, after they had left, we headed off into the National Park for a very enjoyable BBQ in the camping area at Jimmy’s crossing. After lunch we had a drive around the park ending up at Mafeking where 10,000 people lived mining for there gold fortune in the early 1900’s, now just bush with no evidence of mining except the abandoned shafts.
After Deen left on Monday I went back into the National Park and enjoyed a delightful walk up Little Pickaninny. The bush was filled with a wonderful array of small native bushes, many in flower, and even a few orchids.
Along the way i met up with an echidna snuggled into a hollow, I stayed still for awhile and eventually the echidna moved off and gave me an opportunity to capture a photo.
The view from the top of Little Pickaninny was well worth the walk.
I also visited Freshwater Lake for a BBQ.
I had to run a couple of U3A Cryptic crossword Zoom sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday so I spent those days around camp relaxing before returning home on Thursday to Mt Eliza.
It was a great camp this year 🙂