Day 5: Ghost Gully Campground to Kiandra 34kms, 9 hours, ascent 930m,  48k steps, 0 snakes,  1 hiker

Last night was sooooo windy.  In our rooftop tent we could feel the car shaking with each gust.  It was cold too – you know it’s cold when Jubble wears a puffer jacket to bed!  Thankfully, overnight, it stopped raining, and at 3:30 am, when I got up for a wee, it was a beautiful, clear, starry, windy night. Last night was also the first night I could roll over without my back hurting – yay!  We slept in and I didn’t head off today until just after 8am.  Jubble walked the road section with me to the point the route goes off track. It’s a really lovely section walking with no defined track,  just a faint foot pad and the occasional AAWT yellow triangle to let you know you’re on track.

I stayed on course for a while,  but then totally went off piste (off pissed?!?) and lost my bearings.  I’ve no idea where I ended up,  but I’m pretty sure no one has taken that route to Kiandra before. I really hoped I wasn’t going to be the second bush walker lost near Kiandra!  But I finally got myself back on track just before the descent to cross the Murrumbidgee River.  I crossed then walked to Tantangara Creek to meet Jubble for a cup of tea and a Jubbie Bar before setting off again.

The rest of the day was on management trails, so no chance of going off track. I saw my first alive brumby, a poor old thing that was gingerly walking along and didn’t care about me at all. Bit sad to see it like that by itself.

I love the big open plains of tussock grass, all silvery and shimmering under the sun. And the big open plains with wildflowers everywhere. I love the huge expanses that are unlike anything in my day to day life. I came across several brumbies, some close enough to see that we were both very interested in each other.

Towards the end of the day I came over a hill and saw Kiandra in the distance and the Jubbie mobile right near the river I had to cross to finish my walk.  My feet were warm and dry and the last thing I felt like was a river crossing!  I walked the road section and up the hill ready to start the off road section again tomorrow, or so i thought.

I’d planned to walk tomorrow to a point that Jubbie could meet me,  then take two days off so I could attend the NAWO AGM and also get through on the weekend the section of the AAWT that is closed on weekdays at the moment for feral horse shooting.  But alas, Jubble checked the roads out today, and he can’t get to the pick up point.  That means when I start walking again,  I’ll be out for three nights by myself!  So we headed for Cooma tonight for a rest day tomorrow.