4 Stray Katz: March 2022

Geehi Flats Campground, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW (via Burrowye Campground, Vic)

Burrowye, Vic

Wed 23rd March

After saying goodbye to Val and Henry we had a quick stop in Wodonga to stock up on food before heading along the Upper Murray, on route to Kosciuszko National Park. Daniel had researched a few campsites along the river, but the first one we pulled into was underwater!! Luckily the second one, Burrowye, was up higher and we found a lovely spot for the night. The river was flowing exceptionally fast so just had a quick dip, lest we got dragged in the current and ended up downriver. Jackson got the yabby net out within 5 minutes of arriving and was rewarded with 4 yabbies – 2 of which he and Daniel used for an early morning fish. Emilia also got up early to take photos of the cows and sheep drinking in the morning mist. It was a perfect overnight spot; only a few campers, right on the river, a lovely sunset over the mountains and cows and sheep grazing by the river.

We had our first animal encounter when I awoke to a creature raiding our bins. I woke Daniel who frightened the possum off (we are pretty certain it was a possum), before we had to do a middle of the night clean up, as rubbish, my shoes and some shopping bags were strewn around the campsite. Mental note (and something we should have remembered from last time) – store the bin in the boot of the van when bush camping!

What a spot!

Jackson with his catch of yabbies

Emilia's photo of the cows and sheep on the other side of the river.

Geehi, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW

Thursday 24^th March – Monday 28^th March

It was a slow trip along the windy roads to the Geehi camp, but we still managed to arrive around lunchtime and nab a picturesque camp spot right on the Swampy Plains River (there were no swampy plains around, only a beautiful river). The weather turned it on for us – with sunny days and cool evenings- perfect for swimming and exploring in the day, then sitting by the fire at night.

The camp area is home to many kangaroos. They were quite bold, venturing right into our campsite to eat grass (and see if any other food was on offer). The birds were also friendly (a bit too friendly actually) and we had to make sure we didn’t leave any food unattended. On one of the mornings when Emilia and I got up early to take photos we were lucky enough to see some young kangaroos getting feisty and literally boxing with each other. It was great to see them interacting naturally without caring about us nearby.

Jackson fully indulged his new found love of fishing at this spot, getting up early to fish and then spending most of the day casting and trying his luck. On Friday a family set up in a camp area nearby and their son, Marcus, was an up-and-coming fisherman too. The boys quickly struck up a friendship and then they spent Friday afternoon and evening, Saturday (all day) and Sunday morning, fishing together. They caught quite a few, though none were quite big enough to keep. They even got Emilia enthused. She managed to catch a fish in the first few minutes and was very proud of her efforts.

We enjoyed watching Jackson and Marcus have so much fun together and it was great to chat with his parents, Dave and Kim. Whilst I was talking with Kim on Saturday I had my first snake encounter, with a brown snake rearing its head about a metre away, right in the spot the boys had just been sitting! We’d been warned there were a lot of snakes in the area, but no matter how prepared you are they still give you a shock. Thankfully the kids didn’t step on any as the stomped through the bush back and forth to their fishing spots.

Emilia spent the time at Geehi developing one of her creative passions, photography. She got up early a few mornings to get the best light, then watched for the change of light near sunset and ran off to get more shots. She also completed one of the tasks from her ‘Photography for Kids’ book, spending a good 30 minutes photographing her lunch to see which angle looked best. Whilst at Geehi Emilia also did a few kayaks, developing more confidence on the rapids each time she went. Daniel even drove her further up river so she could do a longer kayak.

On Saturday and Sunday we did a few short walks, exploring the nearby Keeble’s Hut and the Old Geehi Hut, then the kids (and the big kid) enjoyed a rope swing into a deep section of the river. Whilst on one of these walks we saw something strange swimming in the river, we’d seen one swimming near camp but couldn’t work out what it was. Turns out it was a water rat (I’d thought that was just a clever name for a tv show, not an actual animal), and apparently they are native to this area. Although I have a deep aversion to rodents, these didn’t seem as bad as they do on land, so I was still happy to swim.

Our swims were quite short, as the nights were cold and the water seemed to get colder each day. We all had a dip every day though, as this is the only wash we are getting! Certainly pays to stay 1.5 metres away from us at the moment.

On the last night we were busily packing up camp (as we wanted to leave about 7am the next morning) when a guy from a nearby camp came up asking for help. “We have a very big tent but we have no idea what we are doing, we really need some help,” he said. And he was certainly correct. When we got to their camp we found 5 other guys standing around a huge tent holding poles and looking very confused. They didn’t even have a hammer to get the pegs in! Daniel and I deciphered what to do and we set up about getting their tent up for them. It would have been interesting to see how they fared putting it up themselves next time!

We really enjoyed our time at Geehi, it is a beautiful part of Australia and the fresh air and mountain streams were exactly what we needed to rejuvenate.

Toast cooked on a campfire, a great way to start the day.

The rope swing we found at a nearby camp.

Emilia finally perfected the 'upside down' technique

Just showing the kids how it's done (and showing off!).

A river crossing on one of our walks, a nice way to cool our feet.

Daniel waited on a bridge halfway down to capture Emilia on the kayak

Jackson with his mate for a few days, Marcus, and his little brother Casey.

These two fisherman didn't stop all day.

The early morning mist around the campsite

Deep in concentration aiming for the perfect shot.

It's great how enthused Emilia is about photography, she's even giving me tips now!

The countryside is so gorgeous (even in the cold morning air).

A few of our daily visitors

Keeble's Hut, built in the 1940s as a weekend fishing retreat.

Edi Cutting, Vic

Saturday 19^th- Wed 23^rd March

After a crazy week packing the van, packing up the house and then cleaning the house ready for the tenants, we finally left Bundalong on Saturday afternoon, bound for the King Valley to spend some time with our parents and good friends, the Crellins. Dave and Bec looked after us with a roast dinner and wine – which we very much needed! The kids all enjoyed catching up and running amok in the bush together, whilst the adults relaxed by the fire.

We spent 4 nights at the lovely camp area, Edi Cutting, rejuvenating and swimming in the crisp King River. The kids spent a lot of time snorkelling and exploring the rapids and rocky creek beds. Daniel found a Murray Cod whilst snorkelling and he tired admirably to catch it. Although he had several good bites, with the fish also breaking the line, it managed to evade him in the end. As well as enjoying the river near the campsite, we also did a bush walk up a nearby hill (where I realised I need to work on my fitness level!) and we drove to a deep swimming hole where Daniel and kids jumped in from the rocky cliffs above, whilst Henry and I cheered them on from below.

It was lovely to spend time with our parents before we had to say goodbye for who knows how long.

The van is going well but I have already reconfigured the ‘pantry’ a few times after a whole cupboard full of food ended up on the floor after we left home (as I didn’t latch the door properly) and then I ended up with a bruised foot after a container of rice attacked me when I opened one of the cupboards above the table! It’ll be a while yet until we have everything the way we want it, but it is already starting to feel like home.