March 22, 2021

A stunning location for a beautiful wedding

McKillops Bridge

Whilst in the Victorian High Country we drove to see the historic McKillops Bridge over the Snowy River in the Deddick Valley, Snowy River National Park, near the NSW/Victoria border. 

And what a spectacular drive it was. 

The road is considered to be one of the most dangerous roads in Australia… it is steep with sheer drops, narrow with tight bends... not one for the faint hearted. 

The deck on McKillops Bridge is 255m (836ft) long and was initially built in 1933 but 11 days before its opening a flash flood that exceeded the historical river height washed it away. It was rebuilt 5m higher and officially opened in 1935.  

A herd of 700 cattle were used to test the bridge, to approximate the bridge design load and test for movement, as the traditionally used steam rollers and traction engines could not be used due to steep terrain and remote location. 

Flash floods still occur along this part of the river despite the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme and large dams that were built in the mountains to divert water inland. 

The Snowy River is one the wildest and most unpredictable rivers in Australia. 

Black Summer

The summer of 2019-2020 became known as Black Summer because of the intensity and severity of fires through-out Australia. In January 2020 three major fires in the Victorian High Country joined to become the Snowy Complex fire. It burnt 663,000ha. 

 It was through this area that we travelled on the weekend. 

Amongst such devastation...

there is beauty… 

there is hope.

February 3, 2021

Mt Delusion Hut, Victorian High Country

January 16, 2021

Time well spent

December 28, 2020

A must see when it’s family that makes the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery billboard.

September 20, 2020

Sunday drive… such a contrast to home

August 22, 2020

Rain on the plain

June 21, 2020

Bundalong - where the Ovens River meets the Murray River

March 8, 2020

Horseshoe Falls, Mt Field National Park, Tasmania

October 5, 2019

Sometimes you just need to walk away and take the evening off.

July 8, 2019

Taking a peek over the edge at the Dandongadale Falls.

At 255m Dandongadale Falls (centre of photo) are the highest single drop waterfall in Victoria.

July 7, 2019

When the mountains beckon

May 19, 2019

City lights

March 18, 2019

Here's another photo from our weekend away:

Walking across the salt pan of Lake Tutchewop.

March 17, 2019

The Murray River near Red Cliffs 

(river distance of 970kms downstream from Tocumwal)

March 11, 2019

Yesterday we attended the Lost & Rare Trades Fair at Kyneton, in central Victoria. 

The 2 day fair celebrated and showcased over 100 traditional artisans and makers who are reviving old trades. 

The fair was held at the picturesque Kyneton Racecourse. 

Here’s a little of what we saw:

Olivia O'Connor hand carves traditional wooden rocking horses.

Pete Murphy is a luthier, a maker of handmade guitars and ukuleles.

 

Jeff Donne calls himself a spoonsmith and makes wooden puppets and spoons by “axe and hand”.

The Basketmakers of Victoria

Combining Australian cattle horns with fine Italian pewter is what Ross & Gill from Crofters Craft do, handcrafting them into spoons, drinking vessels and walking sticks. 

 Metal cookie cutters shaped by hand by Daryl of Bisk-Art.

 Young Max Tucker, the blacksmith. At just 16 years of age he was one of the youngest artisans. Max was making fire pokers with an intricate rams head on top.

Samantha Fray of Wood Duck Press with “Miss Daisy” a 114 year old letter press.

More Silo Art

Silo Art projects are popping up around rural Australia as many towns embrace the potential of these huge blank canvases. Here’s a couple more that we recently visited in northern Victoria. 

 Rochester Silo Art

The Rochester silo art is by Melbourne based street artist Jimmy Dvate and were finished in July 2018. They depict a Squirrel Glider and an Azure Kingfisher alongside the Campaspe River that runs through Rochester. 

Tungamah Silo Art

These silos are at Tungamah and were one of the first silos to be painted in northern Victoria. They depict the Kookaburra and a pair of dancing Brolgas and were painted by Western Australian artist Sobrane.

If you missed seeing other silo art we have visited see here & here.

November 25, 2018

Wildflowers putting on a colourful display on the Bogong High Plains in the Victorian Alps.

Sheep Stations & National Parks

Last weekend we went for a drive west to visit two of our state’s newest National Parks. 

Yanga National Park may be located on the main highway between Sydney & Adelaide but it is really quite isolated.

Yanga Station homestead

Yanga Station was once a 240,000 acre sheep station, first settled by explorer William Wentworth in 1843. It ran 80,000 mostly Merino sheep for wool production. In 1974 30,000 acres was donated to the local council for use as the Yanga Nature Reserve. In 2005 the NSW government purchased the station for its natural, cultural and historic values with the aim to protect the Lowbidgee Floodplain, an important wetland ecosystem & breeding site for water birds during flooding and also an important habitat for wildlife including the endangered Southern Bell Frog.

The Yanga homestead was built in 1862 mainly from Murray pine using ‘drop log’ construction with bark still intact. 

Galvanised roof iron now covers the wooden shingles which can still be seen from below. 

The gardens, which are maintained by volunteers, overlook the Yanga Lake. 

The stables

Yanga Station woolshed

The Yanga woolshed was once the largest and most modern woolshed in the district with 40 stands and could house 3,000 sheep.  

The 100m long woolshed was built in the late 1850’s alongside the Murrumbidgee River and used paddle steamer transport to get the wool to market. 

Murrumbidgee River

  Camping in Yanga National Park.

Shingleback Lizard 

200kms east near Carrathool is Oolambeyan National Park. It was a 55,000 acre sheep farm before it was purchased by the state government in 2001. 

It was deserted when we visited apart from hundreds of kangaroos.

Oolambeyan Station homestead

The old windmill shrieks and groans eerily above the empty homestead, the garden is kept well-trimmed by the wildlife, the prized roses long gone. 

Outlook from homestead

Oolambeyan Station was purchased to protect a significant area of native lowland grassland & the habitat of the endangered Plains-wanderer, a small quail like bird. Ironically the Plains-wanderer requires habitat that has been grazed, so sheep are sometimes agisted onto the national park to ensure the pasture is at the optimum height for the Plains-wanderer. 

When we were there it was a haven for kangaroos, both red & grey kangaroos and ironically again for a national park - the kangaroos are watered via windmills and troughs.