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'MudMaps In The Bush'

September 1996

• G'Day . . .
• 4 New Tours Feature the Wild Snowy River
• Internationals are 99%
• Emus - That Other Australian Icon
• Wulgulmerang's 'Springs' a New B&B
• Welcome Faxes
• BUSH POEM - 'The Man From Snowy River '- by A.B.. (Banjo) Paterson
• Banjo's Link With the Canberra Region
• What You Said . . .

G'day . . .

G'Day and welcome again to 'MudMaps in the Bush'.

Six years down the track, 3 tourism awards to our name and thousands of wonderful clients we're still innovating and growing. This edition we announce our 4 new Wilderness Series Extended Tours and open up another wonderful part of Australia to international tourists.

After spending months researching, testing and putting the new tours together we're very happy with the results and expect these tours to become MudMaps most popular trips soon. Anyway, enjoy the newsletter and as always please keep in touch.

Mark

4 New Tours Feature the Wild Snowy River

One of the most famous rivers in Australia - the Snowy River features in MudMaps new Wilderness Extended Tour Series. Launched at ATE a few weeks ago the new series comprises 4 different soft adventure interstate tours connecting Sydney and Canberra with Melbourne.

A key feature of these new tours is the travelling right through the heart of Australia's largest National Park system - the Australian Alps.

Deep in the park system around Willis, Suggan Buggan and McKillops Bridge you can really understand why Banjo Paterson's famous poem 'the Man From Snowy River' means so much to us Aussies. The country is wild, remote, sparsely populated and very, very beautiful.

Comfortable and modern 4 wheel drive vehicles are used due to the ruggedness of the mountains and lack of tarred roads.

Spending time talking with the locals is another key feature as we overnight in Farmstays and Bed & Breakfasts.

Two of the new tours are 3 Day Tours between Melbourne & Canberra, while the other two tours are 4 Day Tours between Sydney & Melbourne including a visit to the Canberra and overnight stay on Avalanche Homestead en-route. Available immediately from either end all four tours are available DAILY and operate year round.

Wilderness 4 Day Tour- Sydney to Melbourne
Wilderness 4 Day Tour- Melbourne to Sydney
Wilderness 3 Day Tour- Canberra to Melbourne
Wilderness 3 Day Tour- Melbourne to Canberra

Internationals are 99%

Many non-industry Canberrans are surprised to hear of the existence of MudMaps when talking with us. And even more surprised to discover that we've won 3 of the region's tourism awards for tour operators.

The reasons is simple in that MudMaps concentrates on servicing the 'international' visitor to Australia. In fact 99% of our clients come from overseas. While we've toured with people from just about every country in the world (from American billionaires and African Presidents to backpackers and unemployed) our major markets are North America and Europe. Many Thai people however are very much enjoying our day tours recently.

Emus - That Other Australian Icon

Two animals adorn the Australian Coat-Of-Arms, the Kangaroo and the Emu. While kangaroos are quite easy to find in the wild the Emu is another thing again. Typically the numbers of Emus in Australia are not nearly as great as roos, nor are their habitats as diverse or accessible as the macropods. The Snowy Mountains however is one region where emus often see wild emus abundantly. Visits to Blowering Reservoir, Geehi or the Snowy River will often result in seeing wild emus up close alongside the road.

Blowering is visited on our daily Snowy Mountains Day Tour, Geehi on the weekly Syd to Melb 4 Day Tour & Snowy River on the 4 new daily Wilderness Series tours between Melb & Canb/Syd.

Wulgulmerang's 'Springs' a New B&B

One of the reasons why the new Wilderness Extended Tours Series took so long to put together was the problem in finding suitable accommodation in the Snowy River region.

On one of our exploration trips we were very pleased to find the new 'Springs' Bed & Breakfast farmstay at Wulgulmerang. (If you can't find Wulgulmerang on your map - it's near Suggan Buggan).. Well off the beaten track and not normally on the international tourist routes due to the lack of tarred roads we discovered 'Springs' one Sunday morning.

Owned by 20 year locals Rob & Esme Boys they've converted their farmhouse recently into a lovely bed & breakfast location. Set high amongst the Snow Gums near the Little River on the Gelantipy Plateau this farmstay is immaculately presented by this very friendly couple who've also added a small local art and craft Gallery to the property.

Set way down in the back paddock is another lodge style building used typically by the trout fishermen who frequent the high country. Springs is certainly a lovely place to stay and now is a standard part of our new Wilderness Extended Tours between Sydney /Canberra and Melbourne.

Welcome Faxes . . .

Apart from performing great tours MudMaps also has quite a developed client service program.

One simple feature ensuring a good start to each tour is our Welcome Faxes. A day or 2 before a tour clients receive a fax at their hotel welcoming them to MudMaps, advising them of the guides name, vehicle, exact time and location of pickup and the all important 24-hour 1800 number should they have any concerns.

BUSH POEM -
'The Man From Snowy River '
- by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson

There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
That the colt from old Regret had got away,
And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound,
So all the cracks had gathered to the fray.
All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far
Had mustered at the homestead overnight,
For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are,
And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight.

There was Harrison, who made his pile when Pardon won the cup,
The old man with his hair as white as snow;
But few could ride beside him when his blood was fairly up -
He would go wherever horse or man could go.
And Clancy of the Overflow down to lend a hand,
No better horsemen ever held the reins;
For never horse could throw him while the saddle-girths would stand -
He learnt to ride while droving on the plains.

And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast;
He was something like a racehorse undersized,
With a touch of Timor pony - three parts thoroughbred at least -
And such as are by mountain horsemen prized.
He was hard and tough and wiry - just the sort that won't say die -
There was courage in his quick impatient tread;
And he bore the badge of gameness in his bright and fiery eye,
And the proud and lofty carriage of his head.

But still so slight and weedy, one would doubt his power to stay,
And the old man said, "That horse will never do
For a long and tiring gallop - lad you'd better stop away,
Those hills are far too rough for such as you."
So he waited, sad and wistful - only Clancy stood his friend -
"I think we ought to let him come," he said;
"I warrant he'll be with us when he's wanted at the end,
For both his horse and he are mountain bred.

"He hails from Snowy River, up by Kosciusko's side,
Where the hills are twice as steep and twice as rough;
Where a horse's hoofs strike firelight from the flint-stones every stride,
The man that holds his own is good enough.
And the Snowy River riders on the mountains make their home,
Where the river runs those giant hills between;
I have seen full many horsemen since I first commenced to roam,
But nowhere yet such horsemen have I seen."

So he went; they found the horses by the big mimosa clump,
They raced away towards the mountain's brow,
And the old man gave his orders, "Boys, go at them from the jump,
No use to try for fancy riding now.
And, Clancy, you must wheel them, try and wheel them to the right.
Ride boldly, lad, and never fear the spills,
For never yet was rider that could keep the mob in sight,
If once they gain the shelter of those hills."

So Clancy rode to wheel them - he was racing on the wing
Where the best and boldest riders take their place,
And he raced his stock-horse past them, and he made the ranges ring
With the stockwhip, as he met them face to face.
Then they halted for a moment, while he swung the dreaded lash,
But they saw their well-loved mountain full in view,
And they charged beneath the stockwhip with a sharp and sudden dash,
And off into the mountain scrub they flew.

Then fast the horsemen followed, where the gorges deep and black
Resounded to the thunder of their tread,
And the stockwhips woke the echoes, and they fiercely answered back
From cliffs and crags that beetled overhead.
And upward, ever upward, the wild horses held their way,
Where mountain ash and kurrajong grew wide;
And the old man muttered fiercely, "We may bid the mob good day,
No man can hold them down the other side."

When they reached the mountain's summit, even Clancy took a pull -
It well might make the boldest hold their breath;
The wild hop scrub grew thickly, and the hidden ground was full
Of wombat holes, and any slip was death.
But the man from Snowy River let the pony have his head,
And he swung his stockwhip round and gave a cheer,
And he raced him down the mountain like a torrent down its bed,
While the others stood and watched in very fear.

He sent the flint-stones flying, but the pony kept his feet,
He cleared the fallen timber in his stride,
And the man from Snowy River never shifted in his seat -
It was grand to see that mountain horseman ride.
Through the stringy barks and saplings, on the rough and broken ground,
Down the hillside at a racing pace he went;
And he never drew the bridle till he landed safe and sound
At the bottom of that terrible descent.

He was right among the horses as they climbed the farther hill,
And the watchers on the mountain, standing mute,
Saw him ply the stockwhip freely; he was right among them still,
As he raced across the clearing in pursuit.
Then they lost him for a moment, where two mountain gullies met
In the ranges - but a distant glimpse reveals
On a dim and distant hillside the wild horses racing yet,
With the man from Snowy River at their heels.

And he ran them single-handed till their sides were white with foam;
He followed like a bloodhound on their track,
Till they halted, cowed and beaten; then he turned their heads for home,
And alone and unassisted brought them back.
But his hardy mountain pony he could scarcely raise a trot,
He was blood from hip to shoulder from the spur;
But his pluck was still undaunted, and his courage fiery hot,
For never yet was mountain horse a cur.

And down by Kosciusko, where the pine-clad ridges raise
Their torn and rugged battlements on high,
Where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze
At midnight in the cold and frosty sky,
And where around the Overflow the reed-beds sweep and sway
To the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide,
The Man from Snowy River is a household word today,
And the stockmen tell the story of his ride.

Banjo's Link with the Canberra Region

Banjo Paterson, arguably Australia's most famous poet is attributed to the writing of Waltzing Matilda, Clancy of the Overflow and many other famous bush ballads.

While he was born near Orange, NSW (west of Sydney) in 1864 his family soon moved to a property named Illalong near Yass (about 45 minutes drive from Canberra) where he spent is his childhood.

The Murrumbidgee River (aboriginal for 'wandering water') flowed near Illalong and it was around this 'Upper Murrumbidgee' area leading to the nearby High Country that heavily influenced the young Banjo. In fact much of his youth was spent exploring the area now called Canberra, the Brindabella Valley and the Snowy Mountains.

As a youth though it wasn't long before he was packed off to boarding school in Sydney and later to become a lawyer and live in Sydney for the majority of his life.

The rural urge did grab Banjo later in life and he did return to live in the bush on a property (farm) named Coodradigbee adjacent to the village of Wee Jasper, now on Lake Burrinjuck about 1 hours drive from Canberra at the intersection of the Goodradigbee (aboriginal for 'straight water') and Murrumbidgee Rivers.

What you said . . .