Monday, June 05, 2017

Travels from Victoria to NSW

Into wilderness.  To begin the horizon was circled by mountains with familiar blue haze. Open country and broad green valleys led on to woodlands while the sunshine and cloudless stunning blue skies were memorable.
An early disused single railway line followed beside us now adapted to an adventure trail and a tall timber  tressel bridge of note was observed decaying.
Where was the path across the mountain range?  A path suitable for summer driving where long stretches have no fuel, food or drinks or mobile coverage.
Into the forests of Kosciuszko National park which were quite tall with thick green undergrowth and straight stretches that changed to endless windings on a steady, not steep, climb to the very tops of those once distant hills in sun and crisp windless conditions.
The road had a good surface, was narrow but no way perilous while dry underneath. There was a crossing over the wall of a dam at Tumut Pond Reservoir.
The green gums changed to strange leafless trees whose bare branches appeared lifeless and formed  unusual low spikey expanses up hill and down dale.
Patches of light snow began to be seen in shadowy gullies, probably the very first snow of the season, it was by the road sides then in places in a thin cover over the road all of which was a great novelty.
A notable little shelter hut came next then eventually the hydro electricity installations and a return to civilization, workers and twincabs,
then a cluster of ski related buildings in Cabramurra, including a cafe.
This worthwhile mini adventure trail is closed over winter between the long weekends of June and of October. For one, it gives access to the lake, the dam and the hydro works.
Continue past Mount Selwyn (resort) to Kiandra and down to Adaminaby etc and that section of road is kept snow free.  At Kiandra for something different, an alternative route scoots across the open tops towards the town of Tumut. 

1 comment:

William Kendall said...

That snow is a pleasing sight!