TRAVERSE 167
temple surrounded by tranquil monastery gardens, surrounded by the sound of cicadas in the middle of the bush.
In 1989, local resident Elizabeth Gorski donated 100 acres to a Buddhist Monk, Phra Ajahn, and his disciples. Today it houses an impressive temple and gardens that the public can visit, walk through the gardens, and listen to the teachings of the monks. It is open to the public on Sundays from 10am to 2pm. A steady flow of cars flowed into the carpark while we walked back to our bikes after a walk around the grounds. It’ s definitely a place to return with my wife for a better look.
Following Kareela Road brought us to Wingello. The village has a relaxed atmosphere with a few houses occupied by people wanting a tree change. It is serviced by a general store, school, and train station. Wingello Forest campground is accessed by turning onto Forest Road in Wingello and onto Caoura Road. Entering the forest border, mature radiata pines have been harvested leaving bald hills with a few strands of trees remaining. From the air, straight lines etched in the ground show where the trees once stood. The road was in good condition, easily navigable and lacking potholes.
At the time we visited, although closed for refurbishment, the campsite was reasonable with a toilet and kids play area. While the surrounding trees had been harvested, the campsite was open to the elements and lacking any sort of a windbreak. It would be an ideal location to set up a telescope and watch the stars as light pollution would be non-existent.
The forest was littered with numerous tracks to explore. Most are sign posted and will take you through young pine and old growth forests. Phil and I took a couple of tracks that degraded to 4x4 tracks
TRAVERSE 167