Before heading south to our home in the big smoke we spent a peaceful rather glorious day driving through the Mitta Mitta Valley - that was after a delightful brunch with friends in Bright, our first experience dining in public since June!
Of course once we could pull off the road, I was off into the heath looking at the pretty flowers, who wouldn't be? Lindsay was too. I was fortunate to have just touched one of the plants rather than stick my nose in as I often do because I disturbed what was probably an Australian native bull ant (they're actually wingless wasps). Boy did it hurt - for hours and I had a little lump for days. Sometimes the nose knows what not to get close to. Just imagine had I put my face into it. Double ouch!
Our drive back to Clack Clack took us through the high alpine fields near Falls Creek and passed this expanse of still water, Rocky Valley Dam. Being up there was like being at the top of the world. Then it was northward along rivers and streams which wind their way through narrow valleys. Quite superb.
This is Lightning Creek an idyllic little spot and a conservation area for the critically-endangered Spotted tree frog. This small creature is restricted to a small number of NE Victorian streams including this one. They like boulder streams with lots of rapids and rocky cobble banks fringed with native vegetation - I’m completely simpatico with these little guys (not much bigger than a mouse).
Tranquil lakeside caravan park at Chiltern which when we arrived, was filling fast with people lining up to cross the NSW border the next day, or indeed that night once midnight struck.
All good things come to an end and it was time to hit the road for home. Pointing our rig south was not without with many mixed feelings - it had been an amazing strip full of surprises and wonderful discoveries however .... On the way we stayed in the quaint hamlet of Chiltern, home to the World famous grapevine - the oldest according to the Guiness Book of Records.
Last night of freedom (away from the big smoke) we stayed in a delightful caravan park on the banks of Broken Creek in Numurkah.
From there we visited friends and had a long awaited visit with grandchildren and great grandchildren, and a catchup and lazy dinner with our eldest daughter and her partner. What a trip!
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