Easter 2016 Blog

Lake Jindabyne from Waste Point

Day One: Thursday 24 March

Woke up earlier than usual, excited for the trip to the high country. It’s been two years since I last went down at Easter, and I’ve missed being out in the wilderness at such an amazing time of the year – the heat of summer has gone, and the bitter winter days are yet to arrive.

My folks left early. They woke up at some ridiculous hour and left the house at 6:00am so they can get down to Island Bend and set up camp before the rain that’s forecast later in the day. Nothing worse than setting up tents in the rain.

Nathan and I left Sydney around 9:00am and met Trevor down at Tahmoor. We made a detour to Robertson in the Southern Highlands to see a friend’s new house. Actually, it’s more of a mansion, with fantastic views across right out to Shellharbour on the coast. A really nice place, and it was great to sit out on Reno’s deck in the sunshine and talk for a while. It was sad when we had to leave, but we still had a good few hours’ drive ahead of us.

And what a fantastic drive it was: we cut through the southern highlands to Moss Vale and onto the highway down to Goulburn. From there, we took the back road through Bungendore into Queanbeyan. They’re doing some pretty serious road works along there, so we had a few slow stretches, and a bit of traffic. Ate a quick, late lunch in Bungendore, in the courtyard there – great food.

From Queanbeyan, we drove down the Monaro Highway to Cooma. It’s one of my favourite stretches of road anywhere in the country. You see the Brindabella Mountains, the Namadgi National Park, and the distant mountains, the edge of the Snowies. There’s some great little towns along there – Michelago and Bredbo, especially – before you reach Cooma.

They call Cooma the Gateway to the Snowy Mountains, and you don’t have to walk far to see a guy in boots, faded jeans, a flannelette shirt and an Akubra. That’s how they roll down there. We stopped in at Coles to pick up some last minute supplies and pressed on.

Instead of taking the main road through Berridale into Jindabyne, we used the epic back road towards Maffra (the Maffra Road) and then the Snowy River Way through Dalgety, before turning onto the Barry Way into Jindabyne. Words don’t do justice to how spectacular this road is. Nor do the photos – not properly, anyway.  You really have to drive out and see it.

Catching that first glimpse of Lake Jindabyne and the mountains beyond always puts a smile on my face. Coming down to the high country is like coming home. I’ve been coming down here all my life, and a lot of my favourite memories happened in this neck of the woods. It’s great that I can now come down with some of my best mates, who also enjoy being here.

We were three minutes late arriving at the Shell servo at Snowline, which will necessitate a trip back down in the morning to fill up. We pressed on to Sawpit Creek – or, as it’s properly called, the Kosciuszko Tourist Park – where we’ve stayed the last few years. Nestled in the National Park, it’s a nice compromise to camping. Maybe twenty minutes’ drive from Island Bend, and because it’s in the national park, there’s lots of wildlife. We saw a kangaroo as we drove in. It’s a good spot.

Had a nice dinner down at Island Bend and sat around the campfire for a few hours before heading back up to Sawpit Creek to get some sleep. That rain that was supposed to come through in the afternoon didn’t eventuate. We had few sprinkles on the way down, but nothing major, and we’re cautiously optimistic about the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend.

It’s been a long day – pretty sure I’m going to sleep like a log. 

The Snowy River below Island Bend Dam

Day Two: Friday 25 March

Woke up at 7:00am after a solid nine hours sleep, feeling great. Overcast morning, but the rain is forecast to be minimal and mostly confined to the morning.

Went for a run along the 6km waterfall loop track that starts next to where we’re staying. It was a tough, tough slog. My body generally rebels when I run early in the morning, and add to that a few drops of rain, the high altitude, plenty of hills and a track you have to pay real close attention to – or else risk turning an ankle…or worse – so I was pretty much stuffed at the end.

It was really nice being out in the bush so early, and the rain wasn't really much. I saw the tail end of a wombat who I disturbed. It lumbered away pretty quickly! And there were lots of birds and kangaroos who took off as I ran through. A nice way to start the day!

after a leisurely breakfast, we drove down to Snowline to fill up on fuel, and grab some ice, before heading into Jindabyne where I bought a new jacket that is a combination of hoodie and flannelette shirt with sheep’s wool on the inside. Pretty sure it’ll help me survive a blizzard – not that we’re expecting one this weekend, fingers crossed – and it was on special down from $60 to $40.

Despite the forecast, by the time we left Jindabyne around midday the sun was out, and it was a stunningly beautiful afternoon. The view from Waste Point up on the Perisher road was about as good as I’ve ever seen it. We actually found ourselves getting too hot at Island Bend throughout the afternoon. In the direct sunlight, even a 14 degree day you can get hot. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Matt and his two cop friends – Brock and Kristy – arrived late morning and Rebecca turned up in the late afternoon. We took the two newcomers (and Nath and Trev) for a scramble up the Snowy River towards the Island Bend dam, which ended in a pretty decent bush bash to get back to the road. Not sure that the two newcomers were expecting something quite so involved. With the Kitchener’s, a walk becomes a trek.

We saw a hiker come down the road at about sunset, with a giant pack. It appears that he’s touring the roads down here, on foot. Tough work. Seemed like he was going to camp below us near the Snowy River, but took off again a few minutes later, hiking away like there was still plenty of sunlight left. There was actually only about twenty minutes left, leading us to wonder over the guy’s common sense levels.

Had a really good seafood curry for dinner tonight, and jaffles cooked in the campfire ash. Amazing food! Thanks to the lack of clouds, the stars were out in full force tonight, and the moon was spectacular when it finally came up after 9:30pm. Just a stunning night to be alive and in the high country. The sky never looks better than it does down here, miles from city lights.

Of course, the campfire conversation was…interesting. But hilarious. My brother is one of the most entertaining people I know.

It’s been a great day. We’re headed up to the Porcupine Rocks from Perisher Valley tomorrow, and the forecast is looking very promising.

Campsite at Island Bend

Day Three: Saturday 26 March

Another beautiful morning in the Snowies. Went for a run on the waterfall loop again, and although I didn’t see any wombats, there were plenty of kangaroos bolting away as I ran down the path. Felt much better after 6 klicks and the 205m of vertical climb this morning than I did yesterday. There was a bit of mist clinging to the upper parts of the trail which made it even more spectacular.

We headed down to Island Bend to find that Rebecca had sprained her ankle – not for the first time down here, to be honest – but instead of doing it out on the trail, she did it at camp, stepping out of the shower tent. You can never be too careful around here. There’s always something to trip you up.

The rest of the crew (minus the unfortunate Rebecca) headed up to Perisher Valley via the scenic Link Road that joins the main one at Smiggin’s Holes, and walked up to the Porcupine Rocks. It’s a beautiful, ambling walk through the snow gums that dot the valley, and suddenly you come out at the rocks – which stick up out of the ground like the spikes of a porcupine – which are perched right on the edge of the Thredbo Valley. The view is nothing short of extraordinary, especially on such a good weather day as we had.

We sat on the rocks looking down on Bullock’s Flat and Lake Crackenback and ate lunch before walking back to Perisher. The adults headed up to the Eyre café whilst all us youngsters drove around to Guthega where the excellent Guthega Alpine Hotel sells beer and coffee and really good food. You can sit out front and look over the Main Range. I drank Kosciuszko Pale Ale, because, you know, when in Rome – or the Kosciuszko National Park as the case may be.

Importantly, we saw our hiker friend on the road around to Perisher this morning – and then again nearer Guthega Village in the afternoon. He’s walking all over the Snowies and I must admit that I just don’t get the appeal to walking along the backroads down here, but who am I to judge? Most people I know don’t get the appeal of camping, either.

Dinner, as per usual on a Saturday night down here, was a roast dinner – lamb this year. It is pretty much the most impressive meal I eat all year. The lamb is cooked in camp ovens alongside vegetables, with coals over the top. It takes a good few hours to cook through, and the smell of it is pretty much indescribably good. Throw in vegetables, gravy and some mint sauce and you have one amazingly good meal. Mum and Janell can do miracle work on the campfire. Master Chef, eat your heart out!

What a night to be sitting around the campfire drinking coffee and port and talking. The stars were incredible. It’s been such a memorable day.

Stunning views from Porcupine Rocks

Day Four: Sunday 27 March

I’ve been sleeping like a machine, somewhere between eight and nine hours straight down here. Matt reckons our bodies are resetting themselves because we’re not staring at screens all day, and he just might be right. The beds at Sawpit Creek are incredibly comfortable, and between my morning runs and whatever exercise we do during the day, I’m absolutely spent by the time we get back to the cabin. It doesn’t take me long to fall asleep, and I can sleep right through.

Woke up this morning to the welcome news that Buddy starred in his return to the AFL as the Swans smacked Collingwood by eighty points to start the AFL season, and Manly also had a win over the Roosters. Not a bad way to start the day!

There was less wildlife on the Waterfall Track this morning. Obviously they’ve realised that I come barging through just after sunrise and give me a wide berth. I’d love to write that I’m totally acclimatised to the thin air and altitude, but I’m not, and – as Trevor will definitely attest – I am absolutely buggered when I get back from a 6km loop that, with the hills and the often uncertain footing, feels at least double. No doubt it’s good for me, but it feels bloody great to stop!

After a quick trip into Jindabyne to pick up some supplies, we met the others back at Sawpit, including Rebecca, who’s ankle had healed sufficiently overnight to be able to do some walking. When you’ve got a busted or partially-busted ankle, the best sort of walking is of the downhill variety, so we set off down the Pallaibo Track after a car shuffle. It’s a one-way 5km downhill walk that starts next to our cabin and ends up down on the Thredbo River at the old entrance to the National Park.

Despite the fact that the Pallaibo track takes you through only the lower reaches of the high country, you get some spectacular views of distant Lake Jindabyne and the beginnings of the Thredbo Valley. The weather did it’s part again today – it’s actually been better than forecast every day so far – so conditions for walking were perfect.

For whatever reason, dad stopped in the open field, probably to wait for the others to catch up, and out of the corner of his eye, caught sight of a relic – a fireplace, all that’s left of some old homestead. The apple trees that were planted around give further credence to the idea that a family lived there back in the day, probably a century or so ago. It’s pretty amazing to consider the workmanship of that era. To use an old adage, they don’t make ‘em like they used to.

We ended up at the Kosciuszko National Park’s Visitor’s Centre in Jindabyne afterward (or, more specifically, the coffee shop contained within) and despite the people working at the information desk pulling out a bunch of topographical maps, there was no information about the remains that we found. Aside from anything else, it was a great place for lunch.

It was much quieter at the campfire with Matt and the others gone. It’ll be even quieter tomorrow when Rebecca is also gone. As per usual, the weekend has flown by in the blink of an eye, and the thought that I’ll be back home in forty eight hours’ time isn’t a pleasant one. I always look forward to this weekend so much, and it goes so quickly. Such is life, I guess.

Still, we have one more full day down here tomorrow, and if the weather cooperates, it should be a pleasant stroll down to Rainbow Lake.

A local came to visit.

Day Five: Monday 28 March

It was a real pea-souper this morning – I went out for a run, past a committee meeting of roos in the Sawpit picnic area, and threaded my way through the fog that made running a little precarious at the top end of the Waterfall loop. It was, however, incredibly pretty, which helped to take my mind off the big climbs on the track.

The weather was mostly overcast today, with the occasional glimpse of sunlight coming through. It’s all building up to a rainy few days starting tomorrow, but that won’t worry us because – unfortunately – today is the last day.

An old favourite is the short walk down to Rainbow Lake, which is only 3km loop around, and is mostly memorable to us Easter regulars for the year that Paul Hine broke his ankle in about sixty places in the process of scrambling back across some rocks for a group photo. He basically went one way and his ankle went the other. A sickening noise later, he was down for the count and a bunch of us had to run back to the road to get reception in order to call the ambulance – and then had to carry him back to where the ambos could get to in their vehicle. It’s a good story that we won’t soon forget.

Rainbow Lake is also a beautiful spot, and even in the mostly-cloudy weather of yesterday, it was still a nice place to sit and have lunch. The real excitement began, however, when Dad suggested that anyone who was keen bush bash back over the ridge and eventually join up with the Perisher Road. Like the fools we are, and despite plenty of similar plans in past years going absolutely pear-shaped, Trev, Nath, Mark and I all agreed, and we set off through what, at times, was close to impenetrable bush. By the time we realised how hard it was going to be, we’d already gone too far to turn back. So, we pushed on, because we’re…stupid? Yeah, maybe.

Across rocks, over branches, through marshy bogs, moving uphill as best we could, we eventually we emerged in a clearing that offered an incredible view over Dainer’s Gap towards Perisher and Charlotte’s Pass. Encouragingly, we ended up pretty much where we wanted to, despite blundering through thick bush. The downhill slope was only marginally better – but we could at least mostly see where we were going. Probably not our smartest idea, but it was a lot of fun, and the views were incredible. It was a memorable way to end a good weekend.

Mum and Janell had walked back the normal way, and were two coffees in at the Eyre Kiosk by the time we got back to the car and drove up there. Not surprisingly, they had no sympathy for what they – rightly – said was a stupid idea. That place does the most amazing hot chocolate, and their hot chips are also incredibly good.

This weekend always goes too quickly, and it was a shame driving out of Island Bend for the last time after dinner. Perhaps, though, it’s just as well, given the adverse weather that’s coming over the next few days. Being in the mountains when it’s raining (or worse!) isn’t much fun.

It’s been a sensational five days down here – the best Easter I can remember. And I’m already counting down to Easter 2017!

Happy Campers!