Headed south towards Moruya looking for another coastal camp… very busy and expensive, so decided to go inland and start heading north. Again, excited by the back roads and adventurous tactic that I have come to love so much, took the Araluen Road west up the escarpment and coastal foothills into Deua National Park.

Found the best campsite alongside the Deua River and stayed four nights in this Eucalypt forested highland wilderness. SCORE!

Set up a little bush studio amongst the acacias, read my book, wrote letters and had excellent fires everynight. The weather was pretty warm through the day so got to swim in the river and take in a couple of bush walks where I spotted an owl!!! Seriously turning into a bird lady!!! A few people stopped in over the days for a night here and there so it was very very peaceful with daily visits from this massive goanna that just plodded through the camp at leisure and went about his business… man they can scale the trees pretty quickly chasing the birds…

Riverside studio. Too lucky with the riverside camps and love love love having a fire.

I drove out of the camp and continued on to Araluen through the most beautiful countryside that was so green and rich. When we were young we used to come out here to collect mushrooms and it was so funny seeing a sign on a gate that read “NO magic Mushrooms here” Was not quick enough to get a shot of that and probably should have gone back cause it mnade me laugh out loudest longest time ever. The village was totally gorgeous and I am a bit fixated on some of the glorious churches out in the country.

Back through Braidwood and onto Goulburn to stock up and finally get myself out to Bungonia National Park.