Homesteads and Horses

May 22, 2012
You might find yourself passing some of the old Eskdale homesteads on your soon-to-be sojourn.If it's still light, take a second to admire the architecture. These places were build back in the 1930's when the owners and their families lived on site, along with a troop of roustabouts and stock men.
One of the homesteads has 24 bedrooms! I've included some photos for you.

Today, they're maintained by caretakers/managers, with a few young hands staying on site. One of the owners, Max and his wife Barbara, often stay on the weekend.It's like being on one of those country homestead retreats you see on The Great Outdoors.
One of the homesteads even has a cricket pitch!

 One thing that hasn't changed over the years is the controlling effect of the weather.
On your travels,you'll definitely  see remnants of the recent floods,with scoured out creek banks often pulling you up.Don't forget my previous tip about "making like a cow."
Take a look at the photo below of a tree that had the soil completely washed away beneath it. Yet it clings on!

Also, back in January 2011, with all those creeks, the water got quite high around the homesteads. The following photo of a large pump gives an indication of the height of the water, with debris still clinging on.

Another interesting fact about this area is that the Bicentennail National Trail runs through it from North to South. This trail starts at Cooktown and runs all the way down the east coast to Healesville in Victoria.
If you see the following sign on a fence post, then you're on the trail.

Watch out for cyclists or horseriders!

If rogaining is too short for you, you might want to trek the trail sometime.Chech out the webiste on www.nationaltrail.com.au.
Well, there are only a  few dozen teams entered in the rogaine at the moment
Don't forget to get yours in! Entries close 10pm on Wedsnesday, May 30th.