Corryong 16 November 2009

We enjoyed the marvellous sounds of the birds in the middle of nowhere and an amazing dawn chorus with the full orchestra. The last to finish was the lyrebird, slowly drifting past us and down the creek! We surprised ourselves with a very early start for a hike to discover more of the reserve. A few kms from camp, we found a small waterfall that raced through a tiny fissure, before tumbling into a cool pond. We decided to go for a skinny-dip as we had no gear! It was called the Spa and it lived up to its name! It was a very warm hike and the very cold water, cooled our skin down enough to make the walk back very easy - well, sort of!
Moved on to Corryong, the town where the tale of The Man from Snowy River originated. A local told us that Jack Riley (who lived in the shack in the mountains and is buried here), told the tale to Banjo Patterson. The story was probably a conglomeration of all the tough riders Jack knew and makes a better story because it represents the lives they lived. It feels like the edge of wild country even now and the background mountains are still marked with lots of white patches!
We went for a lovely drive to Bluff Falls and again drove through a lovely country valley full of farms and hay bails rolled up in the fields! The falls were in a natural bush with large rocks scattered about the base and very attractive. The air was again very cool around the bottom. Always take care of rocks at the bottom of falls when you try to get in! Heather had a memorable fall and nursed a few bruises! She got in quicker and wetter than she intended!
Camped in the town caravan park to do washing etc and enjoyed air-conditioning and a swimming pool - luxury! Back to the river tomorrow!