Six Day Horse Ride in Kosciuszko National Park Part 2

DAY 4

 

We woke to a very wet campground. During the storm overnight, one of the shelters collapsed under the weight of the rain. Everyone was looking very tired but a few didn’t even hear the thunder. We had a group meeting based on the weather forecast for the day and the black clouds on the horizon. We all decided to do a drive to historic Curango Homestead and also view the snowy scheme tunnel. We stopped a couple of time to see the wild brumbies on the side of the road. The second time we saw a big herd so we pulled over and got out for a closer look. This turned out to be a highlight of our tour so far. Not because we all managed to get within 3m of a brumby, but because we got to witness a mare give birth and a foals first steps. We also saw the lengths the mare goes to to protect her foal from the stallions, and the stallion chasing off the other stallions from his herd. It was an amazing experience to be there at that moment. Our guide Brad said he had never actually experienced that as well. I was too far away to see the birth, but managed to get the first steps on video.

We left the herd and made our way to the Snowy Hydro Scheme tunnel project. They are drilling a 30m wide tunnel between Lakes Eucumbene and Tantangara. A total of 27 km and elevation difference of around 1000m. There are 2 camps with 1500 and 2500 workers. The idea is to pump water from the lower lake to the higher lake and then use that water to go back and drive the water turbines for electricity generation. I am no electrical engineer but I figure to pump water through a 30m tunnel 27km and uphill 1000m is going to require as much power as it can generate and it seems like a false economy to be doing it. Just my thoughts, but I am sure it is a feasible project, if they can stop the drilling machine from breaking down.

Lake Tantangara and tunnel scheme

Leaving the project we headed to the homestead. Not too far down the road we came across a Toyota 4wd and 4 horse float that had come to grief on the side of the hill. It could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for the tree holding them both up. Further investigation found that it had 3 horses in the float and everyone got out unscathed. Even the vehicle and float only had minimal damage.

Eventually we arrivedat the homestead and the heritage listed cottages. This is such a picturesque setting and I could quite easily live here. The caretaker, John, showed us around and let us have our lunch on the lawns. You can hire the cabins and homestead for accommodation and it might just be something we plan to do at a later date.

Curango homestead

We left the homestead and had a quick drive out on the plains. This is normally where the highest population of brumbies are. We saw a few but nowhere near the numbers the bean counters pretend are there. Heading back to basecamp we came across the group of brumbies again. We saw the new mum and her baby who was now feeding from mum and looking very steady on his feet.

Back at basecamp some of the riders went for short afternoon ride and a few of us stayed back at camp and just talked about whatever came to mind. We prepared the feed bags for the horses and did a bit of grooming on some of the horses. Ann and I gave Django a make over after the past couple of boggy crossings. We joked with Brad about him being a centrefold for Playcob! The group eventually came back from their ride and after feeding the horses settled in around the fire before dinner.

Django All Groomed

 Having some background from our Army days, Hoff and I did a bit of hat remoulding. Our Globetrotting guru Mercedes got a bit of a down turn on the front and a slight mould to the head. She is now officially an Aussie Country chic!

Dinner this night was a traditional country fare. Thai green curry and rice 😀. We all settled in around the fire with a few refreshments. I made the silly mistake of saying I was disappointed there was no sing-along yet. Brad our tour leader didn’t disappoint and got everyone singing a song in a harmony. Maybe singing isn’t the right way to express it but it was good fun and everyone had a great laugh. The overnight forecast was a chilly 1degree C and around 10:30 PM most of us pulled up for the night.

Tucked into my not so warm sleeping bag, hood pulled over my head I tried to get to sleep in between the chattering teeth. It didn’t take long for the sleeping bag to warm up and I was knocking out Zzzzs in no time.

DAY 5

Frosty start to the day.

Waking up the next morning my feet felt like ice cubes. They were the closest part to the tent door flap and were feeling the full effect of the overnight low. Going outside for a toilet stop, I saw how cold it actually was. The towels we hung on the back of the car to dry out were white and crispy. I made a beeline for the kitchen for the biggest cup of coffee I could find. Not because I was thirsty, but the big cup meant I could wrap my hands around it to warm up. After warming up and another hearty breakfast we prepared our horses for a big ride.

My theory for anyone who rides someone else’s horse like this is; listen to what they say. They know their horses best and even if it isn’t the way you do it, respect their views and methods of tacking up and riding. They have an investment in their welfare and a good all round horse like these is worth somewhere in the tens of thousands of dollars.

This ride was the highest elevation and the longest ride of 1758m elevation and around 27 km. We were going to the top of Mt Tantangara. The climb started fairly, easy but got steep really quick. Our horses are used to this terrain and they handled the job well despite the different peoples riding styles.

View to Lake Eucumbene from Mt Tantangara

As we neared the top of the mountain we could see Lake Eucumbene in the distance. The 360 degree view from the top is spectacular. After a brief stop at the top we headed down to Australia’s first ski resort for lunch. It is very basic by today’s standards but back in the day would have been very comfortable.

Australia's First ski Resort

After lunch, sharing some pineapple with Django and Joker, and a cup of billy tea, we mounted ready to head back to base. Mounting blocks aren’t available in the bush so you improvise where you can. I couldn’t find anything suitable so went full cowboy and mounted from the ground. I even amazed myself doing this! We head off and this is where the fun started. It was a very tight undulating terrain to begin with. About an hour in Django took a corner a bit too close and smashed my knee into a tree. It wasn’t the first time I have had this happen and probably won’t be the last. It ached pretty much all the way home but I managed to deal with it with some help from Ibuprofen. We changed our route home to go over Boggy Plains again and once again found several boggy crossings to encounter before heading up the hill and then our descent. A few time Django broke into a trot to catch up so I had to modify a sit trot to cope with my aching knee. Our last little creek crossing came up and all the horses stopped for a well deserved drink.

The ride group on the way back to base camp

Breaking through the last of the trees the Wares Yard Campground ground came into sight. I was determined to get Django into a canter so grabbed the end of the left reign, gave him a kick and a flick on the hind with the rein and he went straight into a canter. It was like riding a great big armchair and much more comfortable than his trot. Back at base he got a big hug and cuddle from me, and he rubbed his head on my chest. I took his saddle and tack off and gave him a good brush down. It was going to be a cold night so hosing the horses down wasn’t an option.

After taking some Voltarin and rubbing my knee with Rapigel, I made my way to the fire. Brad had cooked another great meal for everyone once again. We didn’t sit around the fire for long and this night we grabbed a rug off Brad to put over our sleeping bags. We were very toastie overnight.

DAY 6

We woke to another frosty morning with a heavy fog covering the campground. We didn’t want to get out of bed but our bladders thought differently. I think I set the record for getting dressed this morning. The cold air helped my knee and I was feeling pretty good considering. Breakfast this morning was another fine fare. Pancakes with a variety of toppings. I am not big on pancakes but figured I need to have something in my belly so treated myself to one with jam and cream. There was a discussion about maple syrup and bacon which is apparently a Canadian thing. Two of our fellow riders from the west had banana and maple syrup so I gave them a try. I could be converted to eating pancakes..... if my weight control can deal with it!

Meandering creeks and more great views

As the fog lifted, the makings of another picture perfect day emerged. The clear blue sky allowed the sun on the horses back, highlighting the great condition they are in. We had a choice of riding or sight seeing some historic sights in the area. I was a bit torn between the two, but decided on riding. We were riding out to Schofield’s Hut. We were riding between 15 and 18 km of mostly gentle undulations. Riding through the valley you get the feeling of solitude even though you are surrounded by other riders. The track turned onto a road and then back on a track. On the road Michaela spotted a baby copperhead snake so everyone gave it a wide berth. Everything has a reason to be on the planet, even snakes, and this little fella deserved a good crack at life. A little further down the road we came across the remains of a brumby trap. These were used to trap brumbies and then rehabilitate them for domestic use. The brumbies are a very versatile and hardy breed and I know of people who actually look for and prefer a brumby. Back onto a road, that appeared rarely used, we had a chance to go for a trot and canter. I didn’t even give it a second thought. To get my horse for another canter was worth every minute of the day. The ride was so smooth. Even when my feet came out of the stirrup I felt safe. Pulling him up, I got my feet back in we went for another canter. All up we covered around 500m at a canter as we approached the hut for our lunch break.

Schoefield's Hut lunch stop

With our trusty steeds tied up we settled for lunch. This was a perfect spot for our last lunch. Hoff got the fire started and laid back to wait for the billy to boil. It wasn’t too long before the billy boiled and Hoff was still relaxing. It was another hard day at the office for him. We all had our tea, coffee or chocolate and finished off with fresh pineapple. Like any other day I had 2 pieces, one for my boy. Because he has a habit of rubbing the saddle when tied we have to short tie him. It seemed only fitting he has treats when the other horses can graze. He enjoyed the treats and I untied him so he could graze while I held his rein. Soon, we had all mounted and started our trek home. We rode along the side of the hill, taking in the view of the creek that meandered its way across the plain. Its a really special place and we are privileged to be allowed to share this on horseback.

Spectacular views in every direction.

We had one more chance for a canter before the last leg to home and once again my boy didn’t disappoint. It was a little sad knowing the adventure was coming to an end. I wanted to savor the last moments on Django. I got to know him well and he got used to my signals, even some vocal commands like a ‘click click’ from my mouth to a command like ‘dig in’ to pull up a hill. Even some simple rein and knee commands and I had him turning on a dime and backing up. We made it back to the creek crossing at the campground where the horses had a well earned drink and graze. The campground now had a lot more campers here for the weekend and a horse truck and float with some penned horses ready for the weekend riding.

The final leg of the epic ride

Back at basecamp we took off our saddles and and tack and stored them for the end of the ride. We sponged and hosed off the horses and turned them out to the long paddock for the afternoon graze. I took Django down and he went for a roll in the grass. Seeing such a big and magnificent creature enjoying himself in such a playful moment sought a smile to my dial. Before long they all started making their way back for the evening meal. I helped get the nose bags ready and we got them to the fence line ready to feed. Out of the blue one of the horses, Laddy, broke through the fence so it was all hands on deck to control the horses and get the feed out. Mission accomplished, fence repaired, we all went back to enjoying our last night together around the fire.

Brad had cooked another great meal for us, gnocchi and tuna bolognese. The meals here have been outstanding, catering for gluten free, vegetarian, as well as regular meat and veg people. We all talked about our favourite moments, and the day we saw the foal born and first steps topped the list. Overall the entire adventure has far exceeded our expectations

Saddles and tack all ready to be packed

DAY 7

The overnight low wasn’t as cold as the past 2 nights but was still cold enough. The morning coffee was a welcome start to the day. It was a bit of a sombre occasion leaving our new found friends, but especially our trusty steeds. They have served us well over the past few days and will now have a week off on a big paddock. I thought I might start the car and get it warm while we packed, but the power banks being charged overnight had somehow drained the battery and it wouldn’t turn over. Fortunately, Brad had a set of jumper leads and we got it going. Maybe it was a sign we should stay longer!

We packed our cars and cleaned up our tents. One by one we all said our goodbyes and eventually it was our turn. Ann and I went to the horses for one last cuddle before thanking our hosts for a fantastic experience. Brad was hand feeding one of the horses when we were saying our goodbyes, but this wasn’t your normal hand feeding. He was spoon feeding the horse leftover beans from breakfast and the horse was loving it. It reminded me of the movie Blazing Saddles and a couple of particular scenes in it.

Brad spoon feeding beans to one of the horses

Overall, this was an experience one can only dream about. To be able to ride in the high country and see the brumbies in the wild in itself is purely awesome. But to witness the birth of a foal and see it take its first steps is something only a few may have seen. Brad, Michaela and Hoff (Michael), run a very professional operation and provide the best for us and the horses. The food was excellent and the accommodation was perfect for the experience. Would we do this again? In a heartbeat!

We really didn’t want to leave but knew we had to get back home to our own horses and other animals. Very soon we were on our way home via Canberra, reminiscing a fantastic week. After dropping Frances off at the airport, we refuelled the car and made our way to Yass for lunch.