Big River Country

With my kids growing up and having their own commitments it’s getting harder and harder finding the time to get away and do what I love – camp. But, where there’s a will, there’s a way! A few more years and they’ll be doing their own thing and we’ll be just a couple of (hopefully not so) grey nomads so I guess we have to make the most of trips away with them while we can.

Fortunately we live pretty close to some amazing bush camp spots. Such as this one – Big River State Forest, accessed through the mountain town of Marysville. About two hours from home. Think mountains, pristine rivers and waterfalls (plus a bit of four wheel driving thrown in!) and you have a perfect getaway.

The mountain town of Marysville and its surrounds was almost completely destroyed during the devastating bushfires of 2009. But time and nature’s rejuvenation has once again transformed this area into a lush oasis. The loop road, Lady Talbot Drive, leads to stunning waterfalls, cool rainforest and tranquil bush walks. A beautiful place to get away.

There are loads of good campgrounds in Big River State Forest – Big River Camp, Married Mens, Fishbone Flat and Miners Flat. Our destination was Vennells campground which was the most remote of them all. We crossed the bridge (above) and just over the other side of the river we had the entire camp ground to ourselves. It was perfect.

Just a short hop from our site and we were at the river. Nothing beats the sound of flowing water, especially when you have a camp fire going. It’s very conducive to just sitting, relaxing and doing nothing.

It may not look like a roaring camp fire below but trust me, by the end of the night, it was blazing hot and we were able to cook some golden crisp spuds and succulent eye fillet steaks on the grill over it. Throw in a glass or two of red, chocolates afterwards … Aah, the joys of camping!

True campers know that nothing beats a good campfire, not just for cooking and warmth but the camaradarie and the joy of just spending time in the great outdoors with the people we love. We only had one night away but it was absolutely quality family time. And isn’t that what matters?