Day 7: Bullock Trail Campground to Kiandra 4/12/19

I had the best night’s sleep so far! I think in hindsight I’ve been cold (although with all those layers, who knows how), so in the middle of the night I wrapped my spare puffer jacket around my legs which made me toasty warm and I don’t remember waking up again til morning. At our campground there were six people with their horses from SA. They come here every year for holidays. It takes them two days to get here, having to stop every two hours to let the horses out of the floats to walk around and do a wee. They had little electric fences around their horses – apparently when they’re out camping outside campgrounds they put double fences up to stop the brumbies from making contact and stealing their horses. Apparently the brumbies will try to steal away any horses, even if they boot them out of the group later. It was also nice to learn that brumbies don’t do any inbreeding. Apparently the dad’s have enough good sense to leave their daughters alone until some male comes along and steals her. Occasionally you see lone brumbies – very sad, particularly when you see how close they act as a group. Those ones have probably been kicked out of the group by the stallion and haven’t yet found their own group. If things get too dire, a few boys will team up and try to steal some mares. Of course, before long one will try to become dominant and it all starts again.

Juber dropped me off at Tantangara Creek for my second crossing. I watched him drive away from the other side thinking too bad if I didn’t want to be alone! It’s really easy to see how people mistakenly wander off on brumby trails (like me yesterday!) They look like real tracks.I also came across the brumbies’ morning bath spot.

Another day of big open plains. It’s bizarre how everything looks dead. Obviously from a fire a long while ago. The walk today was along fire trails, at first Bullocks Hill Trail and later Nungar Creek Trail. It’s nice not having to think about navigating and it’s generally pretty easy walking. Soon after joining Nungar Creek Trail l came across Witzes Hut, the hut l would have stayed at last night had we not camped together. It’s a quaint little hut in a peaceful setting.

Along the trail there’s always interesting stuff to see. I came across these fresh boot prints and wondered if they belong to the guy l met on the trail yesterday. It would make sense – he’d have been walking through the rain or at least straight after it.

Shortly before lunch I came across a big group of brumbies right on my trail. I had been walking through a beautiful plain of silvery grass and was almost at the end of it. I’d even passed water with tadpoles. With the ups and downs of the trail and me walking like a ninja, I was pretty close to them before they saw me. Warning, 3 minute video below!

Again it was super windy most of the day. Sometimes passing through the forests it sounds like old dead enemies dueling each other with their branches. The walk finished with another crossing, this time across Bullocks Head Creek at the bottom of Kiandra. I feel like I’ve got this thing down pat now! Incidentally Jub asked Parks about the condition of the track from here. They said there’s been a lot of snow and crossing Tumut River might be tricky. Ask me again then how much I’ve got this thing under control! Having made it to Kiandra, my Juber met me and we wandered around the old ruins of the gold rush town before heading back to camp for a Jubbie bush shower hair wash (last for five days) and a wine. And of course, delicious dinner. With a cute little orange breasted bird dancing around for company. It was a beautiful location for camping, right on a lake. How spoilt am l??

On a sad note, I learnt after coming home that the bushfires went through Kiandra in January 2020 and the courthouse among others was destroyed.