Essential Australia

Author's note: I wrote this post about 2 weeks ago but due to a technical issue it didn't get published to the blog. More on the Australia trip is in the pipeline. Thanks for reading.

Waking up to the maniacal laughter of kookaburras  in the trees reminds me that I’m in Australia. Opening my cabin shades to see kangaroos munching on the grass lets me know I’ve found the essential Australia.

I’m near the town of Hall’s Gap in the state of Victoria, surrounded by the Grampians National Park. We’re staying at the Hall’s Gap Valley Lodges, a moderately priced set of self catering cabins set along a tree-lined drive just off the main road going into town. Hall’s Gap is so named due to being in between the Grampians ranges and the Wonderlands mountains.

The mountains with jagged sandstone cliffs rise up in all directions, and deer, kangaroos, and rabbits roam across the green lawns. Sulphur crested cockatoos squawk loudly and perch on the cabin roofs, enjoying the attention of visiting photographers (us!).
Many other birds we can’t identify add to the background noise. This is a perfect base for exploring the mountains, the small towns and the Brambuk Aboriginal Culture Centre.

Hall’s Gap is under 3 hours west of Melbourne, and is a popular holiday destination in Victoria.
I’ve been on a 5 day tour from Adelaide, in the state of South Australia, to Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, courtesy of AATKings Tours, and the tourism boards of South Australia, the Great Southern Touring Route, Grampians, and Victoria.
We’ve been able to experience many of those essentially Australian activities, from “cuddling” a koala, becoming master wine makers by blending our own wine, learning of the Aboriginal heritage and history of this area, and seeing the sights, from city museums to natural wonders.

Now, some people think that essential Australia has to include visiting the Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef, but this trip has shown me there’s so much more to Australia, I can’t wait to see more.

Husband Takes Wife Fishing, Marriage Survives.

It doesn’t get much better than a few days in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The Road Show was in the beautiful Teton Mountains in Wyoming and Idaho for some R&R and a 2-day fishing trip. D. is now an avid fly fisherman, and thought I would enjoy the scenery and the adventure.

We spent the weekend in downtown Jackson Hole, WY where we enjoyed some great food at Rendezvous Bistro and Trio American Bistro,  a few drinks at the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and The Wort Hotel, visited the Saturday Farmer’s Market, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art. We also went to the rodeo at the Teton County Fair.

We rode the chair lift up Snow King Mountain (the in-town ski area)and hiked down. 

 

We took a walk around Jenny Lake in the Grand Teton National Park.

We were having a good time, enjoying the summer ambience that is Jackson Hole in the summer.

And then came the fishing trip…I was a little nervous since I don’t really know how to fly fish. How much fun would it be to ride for 2 days in the boat with 2 guys who really like to fish?

We had booked with World Cast Anglers ,an Orvis-affiliated outfitter that has 3 different shops in the area. We drove over Teton Pass to Victor, Idaho, to meet out guide, Brian G. and get on the water. We would be fishing 26 miles of the South Fork River over 2 days, and camping out at the South Fork Hilton Camp at about the halfway point.

 

So the weather was pretty discouraging at first. I wore a rain jacket and waterproof pants. Brian G. had us do practice casting and hook setting in the parking lot. I threw it out there and hoped for the best.

We loaded up our gear and some food and drinks and got on the water. The current is strong, and the guide sits in the middle of the boat and rows to keep the boat in the right place and at the right angle to the bank so that maximum fishing ensues. One person sits/stands in the bow and one in the stern, so both can fish at the same time. Sometimes Brian G. would throw out the anchor on a gravel bar and we could get out of the boat and fish from the banks.

Luckily, Brian G. is an excellently patient and good humored guide. He worked with me to get my flies out there and I did have success pretty quickly. I caught a brown trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout in succession. If you can listen to your guide, and get the fly where he says to put it, follow the directions for setting the hook and reel in line properly, you, too, can catch fish. Not that hard…..

 

So I was happy, D. was happy, and Brian was happy. I could sit back and watch the scenery go by and fish if I felt like it. Brian could concentrate on getting more fish for D. D. could work on his casting and setting the hook to reel in the big ones. Of course, a large part of fly fishing for trout is getting the right flies on the line, and Brian was great at that, too. You really need to know too much about bugs for it to be very interesting to me, but I could see the results when the right match was made.

At one point it rained quite hard. I stayed dry, but felt clammy and my hands definitely did get cold.

The weather improved late in the day, and the fishing was pretty steady.  We saw many bald eagles and hawks, and they watched us go by with interest. I’m sure they were wondering if we had any fish in the boat. Sorry, no-it’s all catch-and-release here.

We got to the South Fork Hilton Camp before dark and enjoyed a great dinner and time at the fire pit. They had hot water in basins for us as we got into camp, and the beer was iced and wine open. There was just one other couple in camp, the rain having scared away the others, so it was a quiet group. Steak and potatoes with salad and broccoli, homemade peach cobbler for dessert. Plenty of good food.

The platform tents were just ok. Nothing luxurious, but definitely adequate. Each tent is set back in the woods away from each other, but don’t forget earplugs if snoring bothers you…..Noises carry at night.

Up pretty early the next morning, and after a hot breakfast of eggs and meats, as well as yogurt and fresh fruit, we got in the boat again for the rest of the trip. I caught a few more fish, but mostly enjoyed eagle spotting and the scenery.

The weather held up and it was a great day. Once again, Brian G. helped us catch fish and made sure that he stopped the boat at the only official rest stop with toilets on the river. Now that’s a thoughtful guide…..We got to the boat ramp around 3 pm and were back in Jackson by 5 pm.  I really enjoyed this trip immensely and would definitely do it again.

We stayed at 2 different hotels in Jackson, first the Ranch Inn, a motel property just 2 blocks from the town square, and then The Alpine House Inn., a gracious small inn with a homey Scandinavian feel. We would go back to The Alpine House Inn, for sure. It was only a few blocks from the Town Square, and on a quieter street. They had a hot cooked breakfast in the morning, and just nicer spaces and amenities. And for about the same price as the Ranch Inn.

Oh, and D. had plenty of photo ops with fish, too.