Off to Traralgon

Day 1 Wednesday 5^th Feb 2014, Melbourne – Poowong

The email is abuzz with ‘chatter’ about who is free camping on the way to the caravan club muster at Traralgon.

We don’t have far to go so we leave home at 4:30pm and take the South Gippsland Highway down to Loch. From there it’s up into the hills almost to Poowong and we turn into the Bass Valley Rd towards the Bass Valley Camping Ground. As we near the spot Woody says, “Do we stay if no one is there?” and I reply, “I doubt there’d be anyone out here it’s the middle of nowhere”. We turn the corner and there amongst a stand of tall timber are about six camps including an identical van to ours. It’s a peaceful spot beside the Bass River. The river is barely a trickle and heavily overgrown with vines. Shortly after, two groups of young people arrive. Four of them flew into Melbourne only this morning and they hastily erect their brand-new tents. They are from Germany, Norway, and Sweden. The campground is flanked by rolling yellow hills dotted with hay bales.