027. 21st July 2007. Pinevale, a new place to visit….

 

This has been a well-kept secret. Very few people in the Sugarloafers had heard of this place and had certainly not visited the site. It is part of the Pioneer Valley and is on the banks of the Pioneer River

Campsite from Across the Pioneer River.

in the upper reaches not far from the escarpment. It is also on private property but a public road winds

Public Road on Private Property.

through the property allowing access to farms further along the valley nearer to Eton.

Generally a good number of Sugarloafers arrive Thursday or Friday to set up in choice positions.

Campsite on Riverbank.

We generally arrive on a Saturday. This trip was no different except Donnis was working and I arrived alone.

What a delightful clean and open spot this is. Pleasant in the winter but probably hot as ummm, errrr,… an oven in summer. I guess that is why there is a really fresh clean river to swim in.

So I arrived mid morning to be greeted by excited earlier arrivals showing photos from this morning.

Frosty Morning.

It seems there was a really heavy frost at dawn. It looked liked snow had fallen. In fact most of the bushes near camp had dead leaves. The frost killed them!

Member’s Len & Lyn were kind enough to take photos of the frost and give them to me for my album.

The only walking trail here is the gravel road, which is used to reach other farms. Considering the area is little known I reckon there must be a lot of farms up that road. Crikey, there must have been a car or truck every 10 minutes!

Sugarloafer friends Glen & Fran showed up in their new Hino conversion, which they sold a few months later and they have now moved to the Sunshine Coast.

Of course walking the river pebble beds can take you as far as you want to go although it is hard going as the pebbles and soft sand are not easy to walk on and in some places is very wide and seems to be a natural sun pocket. It seemed hotter on the pebbles and a lot more dehydrating.

Horses and cows wander through the area, which is quite large and could fit literally hundreds of rigs with ease. The horses and cows keep the grass nice and low while the owners have located large wire baskets for winter fires. We were told one of the motorcycle gangs had a wedding here a few months before and they supplied the fire baskets.

Of course we had our little fires for camp oven cooking and for keeping the billy on the boil.

As usual a quiet relaxing weekend.

Looking Out My Back Door. My only door actually.