“What are you doing today Mort?”
“Nothing,” he told her…
“You did that yesterday,” Wendy pointed out.
“Yeah I know, but I haven’t finished yet,” Mort insisted.
It could have come straight from the classic Aussie movie The Castle, and the Kerrigan family hilariously extolling the virtues of their holiday spot at Bonnie Doon on Lake Eildon, but it seems that the serenity at Lake Eildon isn’t just a comical movie moment.
Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon campsite
Geoff gathers fire wood
We spent a couple of nights camping at Lake Eildon in our first week back in Australia. Apparently we were there at the same time as Wendy, Mort and a journalist from The Age newspaper.
We probably achieved as much as Mort during our visit. We didn’t get interviewed, but we did get photos!
Still waters at Lake Eildon
Looking across Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon turned pink at sunset
Oh, and if you have not seen The Castle, please watch it – it’s a brilliant, wondrous movie.
The following week we took a short nostalgia trip. Two years ago Geoff and I spent our first night under canvas (well, nylon really) at a gorgeous spot in the Snowy Mountains range called Geehi Flats.
Our first ever campsite revisited at Geehi Flats
Camping under the shady trees at Geehi Flats
We decided to revisit the place that set off our camping bug and were greeted by a mob of kangaroos in the neighbouring paddock. It was as delightful as the first time and even more peaceful.
Kangaroo and joey at sunset at Geehi Flats
Guess who’s coming to dinner?
Kangaroo interupted
Kangaroo forward guard
Joey chews on the green grass at Geehi Flats
Kangaroos at dusk at Geehi Flats
Kangaroo at Geehi Flats
Early morning at Geehi Flats
The next day we headed off toward another old camping ground. The road took us past Tallangatta, made famous as “the town that moved” after it was relocated and the original site flooded as part of the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric project.
This was Tallangatta two years ago.
Old Tallangatta, two years ago
This is Tallangatta today.
The skeleton of the town of Tallangatta is re-emerging as the waters run dry
The once drowned world is now a green and pleasant valley with the skeletons of homes and offices emerging from the earth once more.
Drowned world
A bright green valley lies where water once was and before that a thriving town
Many parts of Australia have been suffering drought conditions for years, but to see Tallangatta exposed in this way is unusual. It is worrying and eerie to see.
How Tallangatta used to look before it was flooded
The remains of one of Tallangatta’s buildings are now exposed
The roads and avenues can be clearly seen
From the green and pleasant lands of Old Tallangatta we headed to Oura Beach, an out of the way campsite about 20kms out of Wagga Wagga.
A flurry of white and yellow
On a lovely bend of the Murrumbidgee River we set up camp below a canopy of gum trees and a cacophony of white cockatoos.
What a fine display!
On the wing
The tree amigos
The shady gum trees at Oura Beach
River companions
Out on a limb
Singing Superb Blue Wren
You wouldn’t believe the noise those fellows make! As well as the normal slideshow at the end of this blog, we’ve made a little video so you can share in the wonderful, endless shouty parade that is white cockies at play.
