Day 2 Thursday 7^th Nov 2013 Lake Eildon – Jamieson

We wake to another warm morning, with the kookaburras calling and little feet paddling about on the roof and scratching at the door, I guess the birds want breakfast. The park has toilets and hot showers but no power so the only thing that we must do without is the hairdryer, I can live with that. Oh, and the coffee machine, we’ll have to buy a coffee later.

I can feel eyes watching me as I pour my cereal, there is a King parrot hanging from the awning arm and peering in the door. Before I know it, he is sitting on my hand eating raw oats and nuts, my breakfast, and chatting away happily. When breakfast is over, he drops a calling card on my new camp chair and flies off. That’s gratitude for you.

Back in Alexandra, we have a perfect coffee at the Red Gate Espresso, they even have Lactose Free Milk. Further on and Mansfield is busy and bustling. The ‘High Country Targa Race’ is due to start tomorrow, and hot cars are everywhere. We drive out to Merrijig, the Delatite Valley is beautiful, but the pub is closed. They’re probably catching their breath between the long weekend and the car race. Jamieson is only about 30kms away, so off we go to see what’s there.

The short drive is interesting as the road drops down to Lake Eildon and the Goulburn River. The river around Howqua is wide, still, and reflective with lots of old dead trees. Ducks leave wakes as they paddle across the water. We have a beer in the Jamieson Brewery which is what used to be the ‘new’ pub, little has changed since we were here fourteen years ago.

At the junction of the Goulburn and Jamieson Rivers is the town of Jamieson which we’ve never visited before. It is charming. There are small timber cottages with picket fences and overflowing cottage gardens. The streets are lined with European shade trees and the lawns are bursting with English daisies. We’re instantly captivated. We follow the now wild Goulburn River towards the town of Kevington. We investigate the camping spot called Doctor’s Creek Reserve. It looks pretty good but we decide to check the recommended one a few kilometres further on. Skipworth Reserve is a jaw dropper. It’s a large park with shady ash trees and plenty of mown lawn. There are new drop toilets and concrete fireplaces with BBQ plates attached. There is a phone number nailed to a tree for the local wood man who delivers dry firewood, what a good service. The Goulburn River skirts the park. The sound of the rapids and the huge cicadas is both deafening and wonderful. There are about eight other vans here. One couple love it so much they have come all the way from Jamieson, 12kms from their house! When the sun goes down the cicadas finally stop. The night is warm so we leave the pop top open and listen to the sound of the rapids.

Towing Kms: 149Kms

2022 Note: We’ve lost count how many times we’ve returned to Skipworth. On those nights when a few of us are sitting around a campfire just ‘chewing the fat’ Skipworth is the place we all long to return to.