It was wonderful to cycle through the wast valleys along the Murray River. The strong, clear, cold blue water, that is captured around Tallangatta to form Lake Hume, stands in great contrast to the dry, «toasted» farmland with the few gumtrees growing in it. Animals were hardly seen. Maybe it was simply too hot with 38°C. On the other hand the native animals are mainly night active species and the cows were laying around in the shade of the few trees. Only an Echidna crossed our way one morning. This hedghog like animal with the front legs bend backwards belongs to a very old species. Anyway, it was the first time we had found on them out in nature!
The high country rail trail lead us the first section, then followed by the Murray Valley highway and the Alpine Way, both roads with very little traffic. It is an excellent stretch to do for european travelers, as it rises from the typical Australian flat farmland with windmills and scarce gumtrees into more and more narrow hills, to Mountains with dens green forests. Here we camped with a mob of kangaroos, Kookaburras… and always we could have a quick cooling bath in one of the rivers!
After a wonderful rain shower one evening the air in the thick forest was soaked with aetheric aromas: Eucalypt, Teatree… an excellent inhalation therapy! Ideal for the 1600m climb that waited to reach the highest gap, dead horse gap, in Kosciuszko NP. Kosciuszko NP is home of the highest Australian mountain, Mt Kosciuszko with 2229m reaching over the treeline, offering that barran but sturdy alpine flora and landscape which does give a deep sense of rough nature and freedom. The Nationalpark is covering a huge area with many hiking trails, huts, campsites, New South Wels´ largest skifield as well as a complex hydroelectric system with dams, pipes, turbines. The water roof of Australia with several river sources, among them the Murray, Snowy and one of the creeks feeding the Murrumbidgee River.