The Road to Becoming OZ Experienced - Gelantipy from Phillip Island

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On The Bus...
We left Phillip Island having eaten a good cooked breakfast at Amaroo YHA. Our first stop was at Tara-Bulga National Park. 'Tara' is the name of an Aboriginal tracker who was part of the first European expedition to these parts, and 'Bulga' means 'Man'. The National Park protects a small pocket of rainforest in a hilly landscape that has been turned over to logging and farmland.

Before Europeans came to these parts, the whole area was 'Cool-Temperate Rainforest'. The Loggers and Farmers left this small pocket of rainforest intact so that they'd have a place to spend their weekends. For many years they even kept Tara-Bulga a secret so that it wouldn't get overrun by weekenders. When word got out there was still some rainforest left, it was declared a national park. We hiked a short distance through the rainforest and across a suspension bridge before meeting a bus in a carpark lower down the valley. Although very beautiful in it's ancient way, it is sad to think that this is all of what is left of a huge rainforest.

We hit Sale just in time for lunch at the Gippy Hotel. The Gippy Hotel, which is also a pub, offers great value meals starting from $4. After lunch we were soon at Wyanga Park Winery for a FREE wine tasting session. Geoff, the owner, told our driver when we walked in that it was a good day for us to visit... he was half pissed.

The wine was lined up on the bar for us to taste. I was introduced as a journalist and he asked what that meant. I explained that it meant he should fill my glass with more wine than everyone else's glass. He replied by telling me to "f**k off" and I conceded, but it was worth having a go.

Geoff went on, with true charm, to explain about the different wines. One variety of white-wine is called 'Boobies' and Geoff insisted that the wine was a great help to flat chested women. He then pulled a set of rubber boobs that he offered as a before and after measuring device. I'm no wine connoisseur, I don't spit, I swallow, but the wine tasted good to me... It was wet, it was free and it was definitely worth the visit to meet Geoff.

Gelantipy
Oz Experience drivers get pretty excited when pulling into Karoonda Park YHA, (03 5155 0220), at Gelantipy. No wonder, the home made food comes in big portions and over several courses, complemented by ten dollar bottles of wine. To find Gelantipy on the map you have to have a reasonably detailed map as it's a pretty small place. The route here takes us into the Snowy Mountains and the land of the Snowy River. Karoonda Park has just completed building a brand new dorm complex especially for backpackers. It is well designed with GOOD MATTRESSES and heating.

The accommodation and food is just the beginning of a list of things that Karoonda Park has to offer travellers. Before our feast we hit the indoor climbing wall. At one end of this big sports hall is a series of bolt on climbs. We all split into pairs and Katy Claxton from the UK and myself went straight for the overhang. We soon worked up an appetite as we climbed and fell, climbed and fell.

After our feast we all jumped into a trailer attached to a 'Beaut Ute Mate' for a tour of the park with a huge spot lamp. We were out looking for wildlife in the dark. Apart from seeing wombats and possums, the highlight of this little trip was getting stuck on a hill. The 'Beaut Ute Mate' just couldn't get a grip and we all had to bail as the trailer slid backwards for a wee while… should have bought a Land Rover Mate.

Staying On...
There is a lot to stay on for at Gelantipy. On site are tennis courts as well as the climbing wall. The hostel can also arrange caving trips to the nearby Buchan Caves, horse riding, bush walking, and white water rafting on the Snowy River.


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