Porepunkah 3

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Yesterday we spoke to the owners of the Caravan Park who suggested a loop drive from Porepunkah to Bright, Mt Beauty, Bogong Village, Falls Creek, Omeo, Dinner Plain, Mt Hotham and back to Bright then Porepunka. It was 244 kms and estimated to take about 8 hrs because of the twists and hills. We thought it would be a good day out so after a pancake breakfast in the morning we set off.

We had a very quick stop at the lookout over the Kiewa Valley and Mt Beauty.

Misty view over Mt Beauty and the Kiewa Valley

Down in Mt Beauty we went into the Information Office which has some excellent displays of the early Cattlemen, Aboriginal cultural life, a working model of a hydro plant and helpful staff. The lady checked the Falls Creek weather on a webcam, it was looking lovely in bright sunshine.

Looks cosy

Remember the women pioneers.

Record breaking long Gumleaf – 81cms

At Bogong Village stopped near a lovely park with stunning leafy trees beside Lake Guy. We were amazed to be able to walk through the dam wall.

Power plant

Beautiful park beside Lake Guy

Crimson Rosella

Entering the Dam Wall

Inside the Dam Wall

Beautiful Tree Ferns

Downstream of the wall

Dam wall

DON’T TOUCH THAT TAP!

Our next quick stop was at Falls Creek the stop was quick because the weather had changed drastically with rain, mist and consequently limited visibility.

No need for snow-chains at this time of year.

Do they think we’re unaware of the “drop offs”?

Miserable weather at Falls Creek

Imaginative throne made from old skis.

By the time we reached the turnoff to “Wallace Hut” I’d somehow managed to be accompanied by a mad Scotsman. Who else would have thought it was fine to set off on a 750 m walk to the hut in the rain without any rain gear apart from a golfers umbrella that happened to be in the car? I decided the man probably thought he was simply on a Scottish holiday, so much seemed familiar.

The madman… but who’s the one not under the umbrella?

Erica?

Looks like Heather to me.

The hut was worth the walk in the rain.

 

Are we in Scotland?

Wallace Hut

Dunny in the centre background.

Old Timers, no flash Akubras then.

Shingles under the new corrugated iron.

A seat?

Racks for hanging wet clothes, maybe.

Madman looks as if he belongs.

The Dunny complete with new additions

There were interesting things to see as we walked back to the car.

Some kind of Daisy maybe

Not a Sparrow as the madman thought.

Beautiful colours on a tree trunk

Interesting plant

After the Wallace Hut walk there were parts of us wet to the skin/bone and even the mad Scot thought it was a bad idea to continue on the loop. (At times the visibility was less than 10 m) We returned to Falls Creek which didn’t look very lively so we passed straight through. By the time we reached Fainter Falls the weather had completely cleared so we decided to do the walk. It was 800m to the Falls a lot of it up rocky steps but it was worth the effort.

Walks take longer when you have stop often to check things out.

My entry for the Long Gumleaf Competition

Mossy rocks

The Falls

Thanks for your support, Boulder

After the walk in the better weather I didn’t feel the need for a Hot Chocolate anymore I was after a cool drink! We stopped at Mt Beauty which had plenty of places open and Alex (the lunatic Scot had disappeared) was able to get a delicious Toastie and coffee, no GF for me but I did enjoy the local Iced Coffee.

A BELL not a siren for the CFS … backup maybe?

Does my foot look big in this?

We arrived back at our campsite, right on time, 4:30 the only thing was we’d only done 70 kms not 244kms!