As soon as we woke yesterday morning we donned our walking gear and set off on a 6.5km bushwalk through the Goomburra Section of the Main Range National Park. Our route started just 5km down a gravel road from our campsite. Our chosen route was called The Cascades and promised creek and waterfall views. We left early in the hope of seeing as much wildlife as possible.
We were not disappointed. The track was graded "difficult" but was worth every bit of the challenge it threw at us. It followed a wide stoney creek and involved steep climbs, river crossings and waterholes. Kangaroos, pademelons and birdlife were abundant.
However, I couldn't help thinking how "unrelaxing" a bushwalk in Australia can be. I'm sure I spent more time looking down watching for snakes than looking out at the scenery! Every few steps I stopped to check my legs lest a leech or a tick had burrowed into them. It took half an hour of this jumpiness before I finally relaxed, confident that I might actually survive the experience.
We returned to camp for a late breakfast before showering and settling into an afternoon of reading.
In the late afternoon, grey clouds wafted up the valley dragging distant rumbles of thunder behind them. Half an hour later the eucalypts around us had darkened and the cockatoos and rosellas were screeching as if to introduce the next act: an orchestra of thunder and dancing rain!
Aah...the joys of camping...
Above: The storm looms
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I can almost smell the storm. Made me a little homesick reading this. Thanks Cath.
ReplyDeleteIf that's so then I consider myself a success! Ta for the compliment. Maybe you should drop down to Piemonte to have lunch with us one day!?
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