Halls Gap, Dartmoor

 Have booked my spot at the Lakeside  cp for the jazz festival in Halls Gap next February 8^th -9^th.  Just missed this year. They are looking for volunteers to make coffees etc and have a session at the park as well as at the town hall. Population about 280 people at Halls Gap so plenty of help needed I guess.

The Brambuk local abo centre is an amazing building = supposed to look like a bird with wings spread out. Interesting display and I must admit I came away feeling very sad after reading the history of the local tribes. What an arrogant ignorant lot the early colonists were – both governments and church!  But I guess there are no more ‘untouched’ tribes in the world where ‘conquerors’ could take a different approach these days and get it right for once. Had a delicious lunch at the info centre of bread fingers and dips– bush tucker ones with lemon myrtle dukka , native mint etc. Also do croc, emu, roo meals but had all those before.

The fire is now 25,000ha and has crossed the main highway from Horsham to Cavendish so won't be going that way when I leave here. Still moving west though so that is good. No smoke here at all.

Fri 22^nd  
Drove to Ararat via back road. Groceries, photos from lookout hill, fuel, then back to Grampians Winery. Bottle of port (Sheepyard) and coffee & muffin.

Got left tyres sorted at Stawell, $30. Same job in Werribee was going to be $50! Nice blokes. One wanted to know the secret to make scones. Checked tyre pressures also. Now have warped rim on spare underneath.

Fire now 35,000ha.

Lovely quiet drive down the valley to Dartmoor today via Dunkeld between these amazing peaks and in pretty bush. The small black boys are thick under the trees that have had a fire through down the southern end – maybe with in the last year. The roads into the park and camp areas seem to be blocked off - signs or red tape across them. Not sure why - the fire is no where near this area. 

Masses of smoke haze north to south from Dunkeld until almost Hamilton then it cleared. Went via back road from there to Digby and Dartmoor. Driving through large areas of gum plantations and some pine. Very much a forestry area. Quite hilly from Digby to Dartmoor but not too windy. Road is ok – just not very wide.  Nice free camp area beside the river on 2 levels, but yuk toilets – long drop with lots of spiders, flies etc.  Quite a  few here. Chatting to young Germans for a while – then they and another couple sat outside and talked until 1.30! AND kept banging their ‘whizz bang’ van doors …. So not a lot of sleep.  Very warm also.  
Amazing figures carved out of old tree stumps all along the drive down to here.

Having a quiet Sunday - eating fruit and cucumbers before I cross the border into SA tomorrow! Already been offered onions and cucumbers by others. What a pain. Almost need a charity box in Dartmoor for 'people like us' who dont want to waste food.