From Coast to Alpine Lakes

Wow, and wow again is the only way to begin to describe the drive from Merimbula to Jindabyne. It starts out gently through small patches of trees and farmland before the Snowy Mountain Highway branches off and turns inland and upwards. The road becomes increasingly surrounded by forest all the while twisting and turning as it climbs, eventually we reach a view point and safe stopping point. The view through the trees to the coast is breathtakingly beautiful and amazingly the walkways are all block paved to further view points in the forest. Glad continues to climb sometimes reduced to a crawl, often round hairpin bends until without warning we’re on a flat plateau 1110 metres above sea level. This is obviously  a big sheep farming area as there are sheep everywhere you look. After some considerable time the road starts to descend and we get our first sight of Lake Jindabyne. The whole area reminds us strongly of The Alps, steep sided wooded mountains surrounding a huge azure blue lake and all the while the scent of pine reaches us through the open windows.

The campsite here is on the shore of Lake Jindabyne with gorgeous views through the trees of the lake and at its edge a small boat hire jetty. We can walk from the site into the village of Jindabyne along a walking track by the shore of the lake, it’s hot and sunny with cloudless blue skies, the only things we see are birds (feathered variety). There’s hardly anyone here as this is considered to be a skiing area so isn’t popular until the snow falls. We can only say lots of people are missing out on a beautiful area.



Dave & Jan at Lake Jindabyne

It’s too far to walk back to the village to eat, so Dave will have to suffer my cooking tonight, mind you the view from the table will make up for any faults in the meal.