A friend had recommended this spot and it’s the Franklin River Reserve, near Toora in Victoria’s West Gippsland and it is perfect so we dash into Foster for supplies. There are swarms of cabbage butterflies flitting about the roadside in the sun. Foster is alive with shoppers and the shops are bright and cheerful. The local park is a picture with beds of annuals and colourful leafy vegetables. A little wooden bridge spans the creek where gold was first discovered. There are more flower beds down the centre of the main shopping street and a big old magnolia in the heart of town has blooms larger than dinner plates. It’s a joy to be here. We buy some pork sausages (another fettish) from Prom Meats and race back to Franklin River to secure a site.

We camp on the terrace above the riverside camp ground as it has easier access for our soon to be upgraded 2WD car. We are parked on grass shaded by red flowering gums, it is like being in a garden. The little bush flies are annoying, the whip birds a pleasure.