2025 Easter Getaway! Day 7 (Wednesday)

23 April 2025

I had packed my gear pretty well the night prior and was up and away early in the morning. I was due to meet with a regional team member in our Mt Gambier office that morning. They share a worksite with the local Ranger group and I couldn't help snap some photos of the desk decorations. 

I had about five hours of driving ahead of me, so I decided to program in a stop or two along the way, with the help of chat GPT, who told me about a great volcano museum. After a bit of a detour I was disappointed to find the centre closed because of the long weekends. No matter - I went to the nearby Mt Rouse, where you can drive almost right to the top. A welcome shortcut for the traveller with limited time! 

On the way down I pulled into the park to look at the crater site. My first delight, upon leaving the car, was discovering the butterflies - and especially one that was happy to pose long enough for me to take eleventy-billion photos. 

Feeling pretty chuffed and lucky to have such an encounter I strolled along oblivious to the many eyes that were watching me. With a start I suddenly realised that the area was a magnet for not only butterflies, but dozens and dozens of kangaroos and wallabies.

I had such a good time trying to get close up shots and seeing how close I could get without bothering them. At one point a couple of guys came along chatting and spooked the kangaroos causing a mass exodus. It was pretty neat seeing the mob moving together. 

There were enough brave roos to hold in the upper area, above the crater, so I resumed my photos until I was out of time. I did spot at least one Wallaby among the grass, which was neat.

After Mt Rouse I set the destination to Kilmore but without any sense of urgency. I stopped regularly and took photos frequently. I saw some great sights. At one point I noticed a hawk circling near the road so I slowed as I neared it. Out of nowhere another hawk swooped in, they flashed their feet at each other then flew away. It was so great. They were so close I could see the spotty pants.

There were some controlled burn offs, which were fun to see. I visited a lake town, pulled up into a dirt side track to look at some sheep and windmills at sunset. At one point I even stopped to roll the dice for the aurora - no luck, but a beautiful, crisp night. 

After a longer than it should have taken, I arrived in Kilmore safe and sound. Had a great catch up with the family before getting tucked away for a good night's sleep.