Ken saw a very appealing reference for a National Park camping ground only 2 half hours from home. This one you needed to register and pay a booking fee of $6.00.
The weather at home, the week before was dismal so I was beginning to wonder whether we should venture out at all. Luckily by Thursday the forecast was improving and on the Friday morning we woke to sunshine. We hurriedly got everything together, had an early lunch and headed off for our three-day adventure. The drive into the national park is a spacious valley of wilderness, a canyon with Red faced mountains climbing on either side, looming up into the sky. A few ruins of chimneys and machinery can be seen along the way. The road is narrow but not too much traffic to spoil the serenity of the drive.
On reaching the Coorongooba camping grounds we were not disappointed. They were isolated, but well managed with toilets and fire pits available. The grounds were situated along a river not far from the ruins of an old shale mine where they produced oil and petroleum during and after the war years. When we arrived most of the spots along the rivers edge were taken but there were many other level sites with park benches and barbecue pits available. We chose a flat area near a table, looking straight toward the trees along the riverbank. Above the tree line the red and grey cliff face reached for the stars. A very picturesque setting. It took us about an hour to set up and after a wander through the campsite we settled down with a beer and wine. We were pleasantly greeted by the locals. A very domesticated family of kangaroos happily hopping throughout the grounds, stopping to stare, taking their time to munch on some grass and then bounding off to entertain other campers. Just after that little introduction we looked down to see quite a large goanna making his way up from the river. He casually made his way up the rise, crossed the dirt road, and continued up the hill checking out all the fire pits, we assume he was looking for leftovers. He then, went merrily on his way searching for insects around the perimeter of the grounds. He seemed to have a set ritual, as we saw him repeat the process the next evening also. He appeared oblivious to us humans, but not completely unaware as we noticed, on a couple of occasions, they can move very quickly when necessary.
Dinner was underway, a curried chicken casserole with rice and the aroma was very encouraging. While we let the curry do its thing, we were able to sit and watch the setting of the sun continuously change the colours of the cliff face, from red, to orange to yellow with the green of the trees becoming more of a contrast. It would not be long before the night sky settled in with the sparkling of the multitude of stars occupying our thoughts.
Out came the binoculars to try to seek out the ZWF (Green Comet) last seen 50 thousand years ago by the Neanderthals. Ken was able to find it quickly but my skill at operating the looking glasses was pathetic so unfortunately, I was devoid of such a luxury.
The camp site lights turned off and the area grew quiet. It was time for us humans to rest and allow the nocturnal creatures to have their time.
The next morning before the sun was allowed into the valley, the air was cool and crisp. The Kookaburra’s were sounding off and quickly joined by numerous other birds stirring all around. The water boiled and a hot cup of coffee was placed in my hands. The best start to a brand-new day of sunshine and adventure. We started the day slowly taking the time to watch the sun fill the canyon and change the view substantially.
A short drive from camp led us to the old shale mining town of Glen Davis. Parking off the road we headed uphill along a dirt track. Small remnants of previous buildings are evident along the way.
There is a great overview of the ruined shale works when you near the top. Once a thriving community, the shale works was one of the largest employers in the area.
Further along quite a large structure remains. It is interesting wandering through the fallen archways navigating the levels and trying to figure out what its purpose was so many years before. Walking beyond the first ruin, you will find more partly standing buildings, covered in flowers and greenery making them attractive to the eye. Scattered with bits of dilapidated mining equipment, broken steps, crumbed walls your mind races once again with imaginary stories of the past. A huge black snake slithered quickly away, thankfully in the opposite direction, as we interrupted his sunbaking. Wandering further up the hill we found a closed off mining shaft. You could see down the shaft and marvel at the strength and conviction of those who had to delve into its depth, day after day. The weather was quite hot and the entry to the shaft heavily occupied by flies, so we did not stay for too long. Close by were a few very large rolls of cable, possibly used to lower the carts to the bottom of the shaft. Obviously too large to move when the mine was abandoned. We returned to the first ruin, found a low wall to sit with a drink and snack before heading down the hill, where Ken put the drone up for an aerial view of the area. There are tours which can be purchased, and we were told it was very interesting learning of the history of the area.
Reaching the bottom of the hill we crossed the road to the weir to paddle our feet. Today the water was shallow, but you could see the effects of previously high-water levels. It was refreshing on the toes but a bit of a scramble to get to the water’s edge. Moving on we drove to Glenn Davis, pretty much a ghost town now. There are residents still around but not many and no shops or industry to see.
A nice park and camp area with a community hall in the centre of town. Some information plaques which tell the story of the lifestyle of those who occupied the houses. It is a remote place and hard to believe there were once approximately 2500 people living and working in the area. We took off to find a café for lunch and found ourselves in Rylestone. Another country town with a huge history. A lovely park to wander through, a couple of pubs, cafes, and touristy shops.
Overall, it was an interesting day and we finished it with some wine and cheese, a chat with some regulars to the campsite, a great meal, and an early night.
The next day we decided to spend some time down by the river. The water was warm, and the sun was shining. We started walking up the river heading for the spot where two rivers met. It was a lot longer than we thought but was a beautiful walk. It was relatively shallow in most places. We came across a family of kangaroo’s standing in the water watching us closely. We slowly skirted around them so as not to disturb them from their routine. Neither of us had seen kangaroos standing in water previously, it was a bit of a surprise. We kept going and eventually after a bit of offshore walking we came to the join where the rivers met. It was a little deeper here and we were certainly hot by then. I laid down in the water floating aimlessly soaking in the sun. It was very relaxing and soothing on my aching calves. Walking in water is not something my legs were familiar with. We saw a few more kangaroos, and lots of birds throughout the journey. After some time, we trudged up the embankment, scrambling over some debris to find ourselves at the very end of the campsite. A slow walk back checking out the campers coming and going drained us completely, so we hovered near the campsite that afternoon. There were the usual goings on with the goannas and the resident kangaroos which kept us amused till dinner. I cannot remember what delicacy we had that night, but Ken is a whizz at camp cooking, so I am sure it was wonderful.
The next morning, again waking to a clear day, Ken decided to tackle a bush walk taking him uphill and down the other side to the creek. I chickened out and decided to read my book at camp side. I wandered down to the lower end of the camp area and sat myself down at one of the low bench tables for a good read. It turned out there was much entertainment right at my foot with several goanna’s searching for food.
Meandering in and about the trees and bushes and the table legs. I followed 2 of them closely and then to my amazement saw at least another 3. With trusty mobile phone in hand, I watched them fluidly manoeuvring tree stumps, grassy patches, bushes, and table legs searching constantly for insects. They were all on a mission and nothing stood in their way except maybe each other when they got too close. Ken arrived back a couple of hours later, tired but happy he had managed the climb. We chatted with some other campers, hearing about their interesting encounter with a snake and a possum the night before. After finding out about some other good sites to camp, we said our goodbyes and headed over to pack up our trailer. It had been 3 lovely days and we highly recommend the site to others. We suspect you would need to book well in advance if attending in holiday times though. Outside of that you should have no trouble.
Enjoying Life as a Senior 