The grey bush calling.... Traditional Cache
The grey bush calling....
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Did you hear the grey bush calling...
A line from my favourite Henry Lawson poem, 'On the Night Train' which starts "Have you seen the bush by moonlight...here a patch of glassy water, there a glimpse of mystic sky?"
That grey bush is always calling to me, and on an October weekend McPhan, RexTrex and I enjoyed the call of the bush, camped in the valley of the Cotter River. No moonlight this time but the river was high and fast due to spring rains, and it was all glorious.
I have wanted to walk in to Cotter Hut for years, and that longing was rekindled in May when we sat up high on Coronet Peak and looked down into the valley. Cotter Hut turns out to be something of a disappointment compared to the rustic stockmen's huts elsewhere, but there were at least two earlier structures in this location, linked to use of the valley for grazing. Old fences run everywhere across the river plain and up the clear sides of the valley. Near the ford across the river there are a few remains in the way of fence posts, hinges and a poplar, all associated with Cotter House. There is not much left to be seen, but the views up to the peaks around the valley are wonderful and the river itself is delightful.
There are several approaches to this area. We came in by the Cotter Hut road, 21km of easy walking without too many hills, and went home by the AAWT over Cotter Gap which involves a lot of elevation gain but magnificent views and lots of flowers in the right season. You could also access from the south from Yaouk, or from the Franklin Road with significant change in elevation and about 24kms of walking. Camping is permitted in the valley, but campfires are not permitted - you must bring a fuel stove. Access by mountain bike is also forbidden, and campers must restrict their party size to six, camp at least 100m from the river and 500m from the standing hut. Sounds like a lot of rules but they are not hard to respect - it still leaves lots of great spots to camp in the peace of the valley, and it protects the quality of Canberra's water.
Thanks to McPhan and RexTrex, my companions for a memorable weekend walking into the valley for a superb overnight camp, and particular thanks to McPhan who volunteered and carried the cache in all this way. Nice !
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ubyybj va gerr - cyrnfr er pbire jryy.