The Island camp area, Lake Eiildon Vic

A family + friends weekend at “The Island” @ Delatite Arm Reserve, Lake Eildon  this started off as a drive and swag for 4 days as a family event to the Snowy Mountains but turned into a camper weekend of doing not much!!! After some tracks were closed so Luke decided to go camping instead.

Arrived on the Thursday (Aust day) with Scott + Sue not long after Luke +Monika, Kirstie and a few of Luke’s friends arrived and set up camp, quick meal of prepared Spag Bowl and a night around the fire with a few drinks.

A camp of “Idiots” not far from us then thought having the music on to 2am would be a good thing! the music did not stop all night fortunately this only occurred on the first night

Friday a pretty lazy day around camp not long before Hutchie + Wendy arrived an afternoon of nibbles around camp dinner of chicken and salad the set up for a few drinks and laughs that finished late, very late

Saturday, drove into Mansfield to visit the Market, coffee at the bakery and a search around town for more grog as I either missed counted or drank a lot eventually found a bottle shop that sells Tooheys NEW and life was good again. Arrived back to camp where a few cars were set up that had awnings near the water’s edge Linda borrowed the kids kayaks and spent some time out on the water, now apparently we need a kayak !!!

Back to camp where we cooked the vegies while Hutchie cooked the roast, excellent feed again sat around the camp fire as usual with a few drinks to around 10pm off to bed early

Woke Sat morning early to start to pack up as the weather over the weekend was quite warm and in the low 30s so we wanted to get out early before the heat, everyone and the same thin in mind. A Maccas stop on the way home for breakfast (Linda loves her pancakes) and Home before midday, another great weekend out, now to organize the next one

Snakes Reserve, Jamieson VIC

We travelled out again (2^nd weekend in a row) this time with the camper instead of swags to a place called “Snakes reserve” in Jamieson around 17kn past the Kevington Hotel 1 of many camp grounds around that area. The weather at home was forecast to be around 37deg’s over the 2 days and Jamieson low 30’s. Arrived mid-morning after surveying other camp grounds along that road we finally settled on this area, not a lot of people in the camp area and a fair size are as well with clean toilets, fire pits and tables around the camp ground

We set up camp with close access to the river a 50m walk from our camper to the river took the chairs down and sat in the river for some time before going back and getting a dinner of spaghetti and herb read ready, set up a small fire near by and watch the stars to around 10:30 then off to Bed.

The fly’s were enormous and plentiful (thousands) apparently the bigger the bigger flys are called “march flys” fortunately Linda brought some ‘fly squats” see pic below and they came in quite hand and literally killed 50+

Sat woke to more flys and stifling heat, it was hot just did nothing around the camp all day and back to the river in the afternoon visited by the local Police who it appears just drives up and down this road visiting and talking with all the campers back to the river the pizza for dinner a little fire and off to bed.

Woke Sunday morning and a quick pack up (would have been quicker except we had problems with the camper packing up as I had left the spreader bar in place and it would not fold, lesson 101!!!!) stopped in at Jamieson for breakfast and coffees, Linda checked all her Facebook messages as the camp ground itself did not have coverage which I think drove Linda mad over the weekend

Nice weekend but too HOT and the bloody fly’s were incredible, need to really think this through “camping above 30 deg” in future

                                                                                                        

Blades Camp area, Buffalo river Vic

Location:The Blades camping area is accessed off Abbeyards Rd in Buffalo River State Forest, which is 35 km south of the township of Myrtleford. The Buffalo River winds its way along the western edge of Mt Buffalo National Park, south of Myrtleford, about 14 km beyond Lake Buffalo. No internet

After a lot of discussion on what to do on NYE 2016 we decided to swag overnight and camp at the Blades camp area with Scott and Sue for NYE. Arrived around 1pm NYE set up camp slowly as well as picked up some fire wood for the evening.

Once we had set up camp we wandered down to the river itself to sit for a while as the temp was around the low 30s and Humidity was quite high so this certainly hit the spot 
for “cooling down” in the heat.

Back up to camp late afternoon a few drinks around camp in the shade followed by a quick dinner and a few drinks around the fire and watching the night sky (stars were actually brighter than I ever remember seeing them off to bed in our swags (been 12 months since we last swaged”. 

Woke early to a dew and a little fog around the area ground was quite wet considering how hot the days have been, breakfast of “hotcakes” a slow pack up and on the road home by 9:30am. There are a number of camp spots along this stretch of road that I’m sure we will be back to camp at a nice part of Vic with the creek/river so close to camp is always a bonus.