Gotta love April. THE best month for trips into the bush..
On the road early heading east through Borambola to Mates Gully Road for the run up the valley to Tarcutta.
Westbrook Road behind the Police Station runs up the Oberne Valley. The paddocks are remarkably dry so they haven't had the rains that Wagga has had.
Into
Tumbarumba for 5-star coffees and bacon and egg rolls at the
Bakery.
East out of
Tumbarumba on to West
Burra Creek Road. This is a dirt road through farms and eventually into the pine forests. Lots of clay that is baking hard in the current dry spell but would not like to be here in the wet...
This track winds up to 900m ASL through some beautiful alpine forest until it reaches Parkins Road. Along this trach was plenty of evidence of the local brumby
population and eventually we found some. So why do they do their droppings in the middle of the road???
![Brumby in the Bago State Forest]()
Brumby in the Bago State Forest
Another easily navigated track leads down to
Paddys River Dam passing a grave in the bush of 9 year-old girl and a story about the old village of Quartzville that used to stand here.
At over 1100m high, this area does get very cold at times, even during spring and autumn, however summer is magic.
Paddys River Dam is a great little trout dam and is a perfect spot for kayak fishing. Launching is easy right from the
campsite and some big brown trout can be had. You will need a NSW fishing licence to angle here.
![Paddys River Dam]()
Paddys River Dam
It is a very attractive area with bushwalking tracks, and plenty of forest trails to explore through the
state forest. We had lunch at the Dam. Occasionally you can spot a platypus here but we saw none today on the walking track that passes around the dam.
Out to Bullongra Road, then up to the old navigation tower on Mt
Granite. At 1440m ASL this spot is covered in snow in winter but makes for a good stop.
Out past the delightfully named (but badly vandalised) Big Bog Hut and out on to the Powerline Track south to pick up the Elliot Way back to
Tumbarumba.