Day 224 Tin Mine Hut to Cowombat Flat

 NSW Day 82 Tuesday 4th January, 2022 16.5km

4478.4 / 620.5km

Rain persisted till about 8.30pm. Looks like a fair bit is due for rest of the week.

Low cloud but fairly warm. Much the same as yesterday. Wandering through forests the track gradually climbs all day. Not much viewing to be had when wandering through these forests.

Misty Mornings

I meet the track junction of Cowombat track and Snow gums track.

The Fire Damaged Trees

I wonder where Cowombat came from. The AAWT heads down SnowGums and as I'm sitting there a young man walks by. We have a chat for a while. He is cleaning up some of the Alpine Areas he missed. It's easy to do as you can follow many different paths and it's hard to pick up everything. I think I could spend the whole 8 months wandering around here. It would change so dramatically over the seasons. The snow/ice patches I walked through is my sole experience with the white stuff. Belinda and I have promised ourselves a snow holiday one year.

The trail

The trail then winds down to the Cowombat flat and the Murray River. I meet some ladies coming up. They are doing a section walk. It's getting warm and the thunderheads are forming.

I get to the Murray River and remove my 3 litres. Hope that doesn't cause the farmers downstream any trouble. Then it's a step across the water and I'm in Victoria.

A Step Across the Murray River

Just a short walk to go.

I climb up the flat buy looking at the sky decide to prop here for the night. About 3 o'clock the thunder starts and we start to have showers. I only just get my tent up and am sitting inside when a group of 3 walk in. We decide to share the patch of ground I'm on. I'm glad I did as Neville had some army ration cheese he offered me and Nadia offered me an apple. Both welcome.

Plane Remains A DC3

They are camping for two nights and visiting the head of the Murray River and visiting the Black/Allan cairn which marks the survey line from the head of the Murray to Cape Howe. The straight bit of the NSW/VICTORIA border.

On my desk at home is the beginnings of a plan to follow the Murray as one of my adventures. The visiting of the cairn is on that plan with a kayak down all the navigable Murray. Might be something Belinda could do with me.

The afternoon Storms moving in.

There's another tent already here and they roll up later. They have been up The Pilot ( a mountain). Another couple walk past about 6pm. They camp down by the Murray. Apparently people park at a car park 10k up the track and walk in.

My resupply bucket will have to wait till tomorrow. It's got my woollies single serve fruitcake. It's surprising I have short days but I feel I could sleep a lot more. Maybe it's for the best considering the terrain coming.