50 SHADES OF BROWN

Beige, wheat, tan, caramel, taupe, mud, pick a colour as long as it is brown and that has been our scenery for the last week. It is difficult to even distinguish the sheep and roo’s from the landscape - unless they are moving, as it is all so brown. Despite this I still find the countryside truly spectacular, though I am really feeling for the farmers in the present drought.

Apologies on the late arrival of our weekly blog but there has been minimal to no service and I can’t take electrical equipment into a creek, which is where I have been perched almost continually to keep cool in the 40+ temperatures.

Yet again this week has been brilliant, our first ever 

experience of a folk festival at Numeralla included ukuleles, accordions, banjos, bush ballads, and an attempt at bush dancing - all washed down with a cold beer. For all you uneducated non folkies Tash's new friend is playing a lagerphone which consists of nailing bottle tops to wood then tapping the pole on the floor to provide the beat, this requires great skill and many ales !!

After these festivities we pootled on to Cooma and visited part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric power scheme, which is recognized as a civil engineering wonder of the modern world. There are 7 major power stations, 16 major dams, 80 kms of aquaducts and145 kms of tunnels providing a large capacity of Australia’s electricity requirements.

 Reading the history relating to the construction of the scheme (which took around 25yrs) also makes you appreciate the influx of people in the 50’s from all over the world arriving and settling permanently. I would like to say a personal thanks to all the Italian farmers for their yummy fruit and veg …mmmmmmmm.

After this it was off down the Snowy Mountains Highway we went via The Big Trout at Adelong

then Tumut, Talbingo, Jingellic and Tumbarumba, finding little gems of camping areas beside crystal clear creeks (perfect time to do the washing) and staying a few days here and there.

 Not far from Talbingo we explored the Yarrangobilly Caves in Kosciuzko National Park.  They have about 5 limestone caves and a 20mtr thermal pool - which was magical. We were also informed there are platypus??? Alas the little furry fellas remained elusive yet again. 

Another more brazen form of australiana I did NOT wish to encounter came to visit us in the form of a yellow bellied black snake. Happily slithering around the van - despite me throwing things at it. This of course excited Tash no end, I was utterly unimpressed due to my intense dislike of all snakes.

 Needless to say all Tash has heard since then is “stay in the middle of the path”!!!