Day 9, Tuesday 14th Jan 2014 Porepunkah

Because the park is beside the Rail Trail we’re up at 6:30 and on our bikes heading to Bright 9kms away. The trail is excellent and tarred all the way but even that doesn’t make it easier for me as I’ve let my bicycle fitness drop since Barham. We have a big cooked brekkie at Beanz in Bright before pedalling and sweating our way back. It is the prettiest bike path as it criss-crosses the Avon River and small creeks. Around Bright, there are scores of quaint holiday cottages with luxuriant gardens. There’s barely time for a quick dip in the pool and it’s back into Bright by car for supplies and some sushi for lunch. The mercury has now climbed to a searing 40 degrees so we drive up to Harrietville at the base of the range where T finds a lovely shaded swimming spot on the river. The water is barely cold but enough to cool us. It is hard to get out of the water it is so nice.

Back at camp we wander down to the river and find it to be another delightful spot, too good to miss we jump back in. The water is warmer here being 30kms downstream but refreshing. There are folks on chairs and kids on noodles and tubes and stone skipping competitions. This is the perfect summer holiday so even though T and C are heading home, we decide to stay another day, we’re in no hurry. We have a Greek BBQ on the lawn and chat with a Mauritian family we met in the river, as you do.