Starting the real high road

Stunning Grevillea at Bruthen Information Centre

 Saturday 1st June

It was a promising start to my day -  clear and sunny in Lindenow.  After and enormous breakfast of bacon and eggs, courtesy of my Airbnb host, I started my journey

Google maps took me via a series of right, left, right across to the outskirts of Bairnsdale where I joined the Great Alpine Road. The scenery was pleasantly rural and the road certainly nowhere near as twisty has some I'd traveled the day before. I stopped at one stage to admire the cultivation techniques: a series of slightly raised planted and deep, earthen furrows between.

One historic building not completely changed

I diverted to the Bairnsdale op shop which was just at the intersection with the Great Alpine Road. I'd broken my coffee plunger that morning. They didn't have one small enough to suit me but a tea mug with an infuser will do service for a while.

The lockup circa 1877

A quick visit to the Brufen information centre was rewarded with some help from a lovely gentleman who told me about the river walk. He also offered me a cutting of a stunning Grevillea I was admiring. While I did the river and town historic loop, the river section was quite underwhelming. It's very overgrown and weedy, although had a couple of lovely Gumtrees. I did see a flock of what I assumed to be beautiful firetails - based on their red rump and my information that they might be seen there.

The post office was rather lovely

I checked out some of the historic buildings but many of them are rather altered from their original state. The fettlers' hut and the police lock up were interesting to look at and read some of the history about them and the area.

The lockup, very basic, was believed to be in use until 1964.

The Mechanics Institute - seemingly unchanged

About 3mx3m, it was furnished with 8 grey blankets, a tin plate, a tin mug and a dunny can and might be occupied by two or three prisoners at a time. Metal rods threaded vertically through the walls prevented any attempts at escape. Its style was not condoned by all citizens!

The Fettlers Hut was to accomodate fettlers, of course! Fettlers being those who worked on maintenance and repairs on the railway lines. It was a pretty rough life, even by standards of the day. These huts are, apparently, an important feature of Australia's heritage and are rarely found in good condition.

One interesting snippet of information was the need for not only accomodation for the drovers, but agistment for their animals. Paddocks and yards were made available for hire by enterprising individuals.

The Little River Inn, Ensay

Travelling further north, the small town of Ensay boasts the Little River Inn, believed to be the oldest pub in East Gippsland that is still licensed.

Between Ensay and Swift's Creek

The man at the information centre had described part of the road north Brufen as winding and narrow and potentially with landslides. Given what I'd travelled over the previous two days it was a doddle. It had a good surface, yes, in places repaired and the curves were relatively easy and I encountered no landslides. It followed the Tambo River for a considerable amount of its length and the Tambo in places is quite pretty, a little reminiscent of the Proser River in Paradise Gorge between Orford and Buckland. Certainly nothing like the previous day's Tarra River Valley road.

I stopped at a look-out on the way to Swift's Creek and was rewarded with a view of a range of hills which were quite forested. An interpretation sign provided information about the early settlement of these areas by squatters and the practice of taking stock to the high plains for summer grazing. Fortunately scientific and field work has identified the damage inflicted by these practices and the grazing has been largely discontinued.

Rock cairn with poem verse

At Swift's Creek, I followed the rather enjoyable Poet's Walk: a walking track with six rock cairns with each cairn displaying a verse of John Butler's poem, A River's Mark.

The walk also featured a few items of art or indigenous culture displayed on the adjacent fence.  There was a marker for the 1998 flood level - I had to stretch my phone as high as possible above my head to photograph it vaguely square on!

I carve down through the marks of time and secrets open as I go
The footprints left from thousands years where other rivers used to flow
I raise old truths from earth’s great pit, I polish gems with diamond grit
My sparkling mark upon the land.

A fish trap, I believe

With clamourous noise I carve the steeps and quieter flow along the deeps
I never cease my endless toil, rumbling rocks and sifting soil
Rambling onwards to the sea, in duty bound to gravity
I weave my mark upon the land.

I gurgle in the gullies’ guts, I clutter over stony walls

I bubble in the shady glades and tumble down in waterfalls
Until at last on the gentle plain I ripple through a wide domain
And craft my mark upon the land.

Though gentle I may seem to be, when tempests rage and strengthen me
I gather energy enough to wreck the bridges, cave the bluff
Sweep fences, sheds and stock away and change the lives of all who stay
To grieve my scars upon the land.

If life be like a river, our souls are as the land
Shaped and formed by forces which we may not understand
We pray misfortune’s wretched scars will soon become mere flotsam on the tide
While all the marks of loving care are blessed and sanctified.

Camping by Livingstone Creek

Then it was onwards Omeo, planning to stop and look at the Kosciuszko look-out but I did not see a signpost for it.

I had chosen the caravan/camping park by the Livingstone River and despite the sign on the office door there was somebody behind the desk. A nice young staff member relieved me of a very small amount of money and pointed me to where I could slush some of the mud off my car so that I don't wear the mud every time I go near the car.

The caravan/campground is in valley with a small stream running past. It's rather pretty although it threatened to be cold. After setting up I changed my hiking trousers for my warm winter hiking trousers and added my down jacket on top of my fleece jacket and found both half gloves and went for a short walk along the river. Dinner was warmed up vegetables from the previous night and half of my lunch of egg and bacon wrap.