Today is my sister's birthday, so I'm going to write about one of the items that she gave me for her bucket list. I must admit, I wondered about her choice at first. The Snowy River flows through a very remote portion of the Victoria Province of Southern Australia. It includes several national parks, including The Snowy River National Park. The Snowy River National Park is home to all the wondrous outdoor activities you can imagine, from 4 X 4 off roading, to hiking, to camping, to kayaking and more. My sister doesn't gravitate towards that stuff, other than the hiking and camping. What was I thinking? I wasn't sure. What happened was I did a lot of research and I finally found what I knew I was looking for.
The Snowy River runs through one of the roughest toughest and most beautiful parts of Southern Australia. The Little River Gorge is one of the deepest in the country. McKillop's Bridge over the river is one of the best known spots with an amazing view, and one of the few bridges in the entire park. There are beaches along the river. There are places to climb rocks. There are waterfalls. It is a truly amazing area.
However, my sister is not only an outdoorswoman; she is a horse woman. After searching the area to figure out what could be of bucket list interest to my sister, I found the tiny town of Corryong. This amazing little town has barely 1,300 people living in it. Everything there looks a bit like a frontier town from the 1950's in the outback of Australia. There isn't much in the way of chain businesses in Corryong. It's almost as if you need to know where it is to find it at all. Why would anyone want to visit here? You might want to consult Banjo Patterson. That was the author of "The Man From Snowy River." That poem became a legend, and that legend still lives on in Corryong.
Every April, the world of horse folks descend upon Corryong for The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival. This is one of the premiere back country horse festivals anywhere. All of a sudden, this tiny little town explodes with horse lovers from all over the world. And the area has a lot to offer.
With several National Parks in the region, there are hundreds of thousands of acres of land to horseback ride on. There are guides who can take you on a tour. There are campgrounds to stay at for long rides. There is a plethora of varying types of scenery to look at. The roads in most of the parks are dirt. There isn't a shopping mall anywhere to be found. There is the river and all of its glory. There's mountains, gorges, beaches, waterfalls, Aboriginal sites and so much more. Most of this vast area is accessible by horseback.
The Snowy River is a great place for other activities as well. Rock climbing and kayaking are two of the more popular activities in the area, along with hiking and back packing. As with anything that falls onto my bucket list, it has amazing views. I am an advocate of getting out of the city and seeing the world as God intended. Sydney and Melbourne are world famous cities, but this area that falls directly in between them is a natural wonder that is so bucket list worthy, I have a hard time finding the words to accurately describe it. If you choose to come in April, you will see an amazing collection of horses and the amazing people who love them and spend their lives sharing the world with them. Horse owners are a special breed of people. It's a cultural experience for those of us who are not in the club.
So, if you love new experiences, love learning about culture, and love a great view; come to the Snowy River area of Victoria, Australia. Come and see the many national parks in the area. Come and see the wonder of the tiny town of Corryong and its giant Man From Snowy River Bush Festival. Come and wander. Come and see. Come in April to get a true appreciation for the wonders of the area.
It's history, it's literature, it's nature, and it's culture. So come, experience all that Southern Australia has to offer along the Snowy River and Enjoy!
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