Day 24 Sunday 15/3/20 Colac Colac, sunny 6 – 25 A cold double doona night followed by an equally cold morning with the humming of diesel heaters. Mid morning we pop into town to visit Jack Riley’s grave and the … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 24 – Colac Colac
Day 22 Friday 13/3/20 Colac Colac, mid 20’s then rain We take a leisurely drive up to Khancoban and along the way see a herd of cattle being driven along the roadsides. Khancoban township was built for the construction of … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 22 – Colac Colac
Day 20 Wednesday 11/3/20 Towong Flat, Warm 29 The boys run into town early to get water and supplies for tonight’s burger night. We have another deliciously lazy day in the sun. I spend the morning the sketching the farm across the road. It’s bliss. Woody takes a walk along the river and has to return quietly after he stumbles across a couple enjoying a private moment on the riverbank. Veewee arrives exhausted after a long drive, her poodle co-pilot is a bundle of energy. El Prado cooks the burgers on the barbie and we sit chatting until dark. “I … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 20 – Towong
Day 18 Monday 9/3/20 Burrowye Bend to Towong Flat, sunny mid 20’s After the rain it was a warm night but very relaxing, the only sound to be heard was a couple of growling possums. Perhaps they were fighting over … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 18 – Towong Flat
Day 17 Sunday 8/3/20 Kergunyah to Burrowye Bend, warm It is sad to be leaving this perfect park. We fuel up at Tallangatta then take the road to Granya which to my surprise takes us over the rather steep pinch of Mt Granya to the Murray Valley. At least it tests the work we had done on the Jeep. At the tiny hamlet of Granya there are expansive views of Lake Hume with dead trees, swathes of green, billabongs and stretches of winding river. Pelicans are patrolling the billabongs. This stretch of road has been designated The Great River Road, … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 17 – Burrowye Bend
Day 16 Saturday 7/3/20 Kergunyah, Warm 28 This park is the best of both worlds, it is spacious with farm views and all the amenities of a caravan park. The trees are turning golden with the first glow of autumn. We drive into Tallangatta which was a control centre for the fire fighters. The lake, man-made Lake Hume, is dry here. The last time we stayed in Tallangatta the water views were a feature of the caravan park. The town is busy for the local show is on. Instead we go out to the lookout over the Old Tallangatta town. … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 16 – Kergunyah
Day 15, Friday 6/3/20, Yackandandah to Kergunyah, sunny 15 – 28 Sheep Tales The creeks have dropped, and the puddles have dried. Everything has been washed clean by the incessant rain. We leave in a bit of a hurry as … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 15 – Kergunyah
Day 14, Thursday 5/3/20, Yackandandah, heavy rain 16-21 Gum boot time. The rain thumps down all night. Apparently, this is the tail of west coast Cyclone Esther. Both creeks in the park are running high and the park manager tells us that we’ve dodged a bullet as the innocent, but flood prone Commissioner’s Creek will peak about a foot below its banks. Lyn invites us to morning tea as she is baking scones. She and Phil regale us with tales of their past lives as publicans and it is a laugh a minute. Did you hear the one about the … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 14 – Yack
Day 13, Wednesday 4/3/20, Yackandandah, rain, soggy 16 – 21 As forecast, we have light rain for most of the night and by breakfast it is heavy. It continues all day. We meet Phil at the museum as he is … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 13 – Yackandandah
Day 12 Tuesday 3/3/20 Yackandandah, 10 – 29 light cloud We do a little grocery shopping for dinner as we’ll put on a roast for the Prado’s arrival tonight. We buy Gumtree pies for lunch and I can’t resist the Lamb and mint sauce pie. These pies are so good that the owner was awarded ‘Yackandandah citizen of the year’. The Prado’s arrive looking a little worse for wear. El Prado is recovering from a dose of ‘ship flu’ and Elle is sporting a black eye from cataract surgery. Phil, a mate of Toothless’ drops by for a chat. Toothless … Continue reading The Empty Esky Tour, Day 12 – Yackandandah
