Ahhh….Falls Creek

Lying on the grass on my inflatable watermelon, on the very top of the mountain in Falls Creek (it’s 5 degrees at midday) staring at the slow moving clouds which seem to be so close up here, reminiscing on the day that was…

A nice drive through Bogong (as we contemplate the big issues….imagine you were a bogan from Bogong! What would that sound like?!) On through Mount Beauty where we see an Illy sign – it’s like an oasis…coffeeeee!!! I’m driving, so I pull into the driveway of the carpark, clearly we don’t fit into a normal parking bay so I park on the side of the driveway on quite a steep slope. I pull up the handbrake nice and tight and we head inside. As we do, I think to myself, I hope I pulled the handbrake up hard enough. I should have known better, when we think things like this, it’s a sign, and we should act on it! We sit down, soy latte for me and a skinny capp with extra choc for Frank! A few minutes later, a slow moving white object catches our eye. Oh shit…..the van is rolling. 20 odd people in the café see the same thing, as we RUN out the front door. Bung knee, wearing thongs, I bolt to the drivers side, unlock and without hesitation jump into the moving vehicle and yank that handbrake up. Frank has made it to the passenger side and opens the door as adrenalin turns to emotion and I have a mini meltdown. I move the van to a flat spot and walk back to the cafe, where Frank has already received a little round of applause by the other café patrons. Time for a strong coffee as I think to myself….what a doozy…

Thankfully the van has not moved again and we set off for around 25km of winding narrow road as we climb the mountain in the rain, headed for Falls Creek. A few beautiful stops along the way to take in the vast expanse of somewhat baron but still green landscape that is usually covered in snow and find a pretty little free camp named ‘Raspberry Hill’. We are severely inappropriately dressed, coming from 40 degrees days to just 2 degrees overnight!

We collect some lovely damp firewood as I am adamant to have a fire, but after around 40 minutes, I come to terms with failure, but give myself 10 points for effort!

We make an antipasto platter instead and retreat to the van for Uno championships. I lose.

The rain eases so we take a wonder and bask in some sunshine, in our layers upon layers of clothes. Such a peaceful place. So incredibly silent. Barely the sound of a bird or insect and only the wind in the trees. A feeling of complete and utter contented isolation.

Laptop movie, a good sleep and off to Omeo tomorrow, headed for Lakes Entrance.

JT xo