How’s your Bucket List going? A perfect addition should be a visit to the Victorian high plains, also colloquially referred to as ‘The High Country’. The higher you venture the more interesting and different the landscape becomes. We were fortunate to visit Pretty Valley on Mt Bogong last year for the club annual ride. What a sight, almost prehistoric. I’ve never seen anything like the vast open plains at Pretty Valley, spotted with stands of leafless ghost gums. The historic mountain huts had a rustic beauty that conjured up all sorts of images and stories. Some had intact survival kits, meager, but enough. The imagination ran wild. 
The trip was meticulously planned and booked with Parks Victoria. The horses had a huge sturdy pen to share when they were not carrying their humans. The nights were cold and the days were glorious, filled with sunshine. We woke on several mornings cloaked in mist and late afternoons the mist rolled in through the mountain peaks towards us, welcoming the evening fun to follow.
The resourcefulness of the TRV committee has to be admired. They had organised cook’s assistants for the Bogong Ride … just in case. Just as well! The emergency crew, Rob and I, did ok. We stepped up and created a great menu between us. Rob has vast experience in cooking for large groups and is a fantastic planner, even on the run in a supermarket on the way to Mt Bogong. Rob functioned like clockwork every morning. The riders ventured out of their tents and floats every morning to a hot brew and a hearty cooked breakfast to set them up for the day’s ride. We were all very spoilt. Everyone made their own lunches from goodies on the lunch table to pack into saddlebags. Nibbles were waiting for everyone’s return in the afternoon. Dinners were varied – roasts, casseroles, bbqs etc.
Every evening we sat around the campfire and enjoyed getting to know the guests. Everyone talked about the how many brumbies were spotted and where. Pictures were shared (oh the joy of smart phones with cameras). We played games some evenings.
The walk to the camp dunny was cold during the night, and the hot showers were a luxury. A shower at home never ever feels as good, a mystery I will never understand. Perhaps it had something to do with being able to roll down the shower tent window to admire the view outside – this is my type of multi-tasking (don’t worry – the window is small and high so no nasty shocks).
The 2016 annual ride was a success, very enjoyable and may even deserve a second entry into my bucket list.
K