I crossed first and took some photos as Bec and Kevin followed. On the other side we parked near the old copper smelter and took the rather rickety bridge walk to the copper mine. Once again we forgot our torches to have a look inside. The bridge getting in is very old and is missing a lot if it’s rails, so I would not suggest taking very small children or anyone who is not sure footed across there.

We continued our way up the “Short Cut” track to the Brunton’sBridge Road. The rain had made it a bit slippery and we had a short stop for Kevin to air down his tyres. The rain stopped long enough for us to get out at the Bridge for a morning tea snack and have a look around. The forestry has done a lot of work to the road and the entry/ exit from the river, which is now a highway. Kevin and I had a little play in the water before we headed off to Walhalla. There are a lot of “History Boards” around now that tell the story of what was where in the Old Day’s and we stopped to read most of them.

The rain would not go away in Walhalla but that didn’t stop us looking around with our umbrellas. We were not the only one’s out braving the cold.There were quite a few other “rubber neckers” with Umbrella’s around.  Kevin cooked his lunch on his new Fathers Day present and Bec took advantage of the free B.B.Q’s, while I cheated and bought a pie. A trip to the lolly shop after lunch and we were back on the road.

Being a weekend the train was running, but at $15 an adult and $9 per kid, we decided to give it a miss, but did check out the station at Thompson. Two lovely ladies had the fire going, so we lingered awhile to defrost our fingers. Back in the cars we headed up the track behind the train parking area, which brings you out behind the Rawson Caravan Park right out the front of the new Hotel “Stockman’s”, which I hear has great counter meals. That made 3 pubs we had driven past already, so we took a little drive around Rawson then through Erica, which made 5 Pubs in all. Bec suggested we return another day to have a drink in each. Erica has a lot of tracks that run everywhere behind the town and we took one of these tracks as we hadn’t done enough driving yet and it was still early. Because I haven’t been out the back of Erica for age’s (at least a year), I didn’t recognise the track we were on till we got a couple of K’s in. After a couple of very slippery down hill climbs, Bec and I too aired down our tyres and continued on our way. We arrived at a fence line I remembered to be a very very sleep climb out of a soggy creek, where we had been stuck on another trip. We decided to turn around having challenged our selves enough for now. We still had to get back up the hills we had come down! This went well till Kevin had a mishap that stopped his momentum and when he went backwards got a little “off track”. Bec and I walked down to where Kevin was and assessed the situation. The track was very wet and slippery so we didn’t want Bec (next in line) to have to back too far down and risk her being stuck too. Remembering a “Dear Daryl” page I joined three snatch straps together (using Sticks as joiners) so Bec could snatch Kevin up the hill. This was Becs first snatch and she did very well. Back on track, we started down the road again pulling off to check out another un-named track a little further down.

As we got out to walk down and check the track a girl ran over from a two wheel drive car, and asked for our help as her friend had gotten his, also two wheel drive car, bogged further down the road. Being the friendly and helpful people we are, we followed them to help out. A few K’s down the road Kevin (now leading our group) announced over the radio that there was a head on crash! Upon turning the corner Bec and I could see the car we were following had ploughed into another vehicle coming the other way! It got even weirder when we got out checking if everyone was OK. The car that the first one ran into, was their friends coming back from the bogged car that was still bogged!! Both cars were un-drivable, so Bec drove a driver of each into Erica to call tow trucks and their parents (all “P” plater’s.One driving Mums car!) So Bec finally got her drink in the Pub! While Kevin, Michael and I helped get the two smashed cars off the road and then went to get the bogged car out! Luckily no one was seriously hurt and they all had their seat belts on. We showed the bogged guy where his tow point was and used a snatch strap and shackle to pull him out. Kevin had now done his first recovery too! (Previous attempts by the kids to tow themselves out with “tent rope” had broken the plastic bumper in half! Also when Kevin was pulling him out the kid had his foot flat to the floor with the car in park! You gotta wonder about some of the people you meet in the bush!)

At the top of the road again, Kevin, Michael and I walked down the un-named track or tried to anyway.   It was way too slippery for us! So we went back and pumped our tyres up, while we waited for Bec to get back. When Bec returned we all had a laugh about our day and decided to head on home. Going our separate ways in Moe at 5:10pm, 20 minutes ahead of time!