TRIP REPORTS
Back to Towong and something completely different . A complete new fence on flat land , without having to pull down an old one .
We only had Allan to instruct us so off we went in his very capable hands .
Day 5 . Thursday 9th
Same conditions again this morning . Bob & Sheena had to go home for family reasons so they packed up and left before breakfast . That left only Strahans and us .
Arrived back at the farm near Towong and started replacing the fence on the steep and boggy section . First the star pickets which had to be put in using the hand drivers as it was too steep for the tractor . Then string the wires which in the little valleys ended up about 3m in the air above the pickets when they were strained . The sun came out after lunch and it was very pleasant . Kath & Forrest left us to go home to Numurkah to “ mow their lawn ”. We finished the fence and cleaned up all the old wire , wooden posts and pickets , put it all in its respective piles and it was knock off time .
Our much smaller group spent another evening around the campfire then early to bed .
This new fence was from start to go about 400m long . Except Allan had put in the corner post at the other end before we got there but we had to put the stays in to hold them in place once the wire is strained . So as I was the only one who could weld ( sort of ) I got the job . I had not used an inverter welder before so I was very surprised how good the welds turned out . The pickets were put in , the wires run , strained and the barbed wire fixed at the top . Graham and Joy had to leave also to go home and “ mow their lawn ”.
We cleaned up and put all the tools and equipment away and it was knock off time again .
So back to camp and tonight was Fish & Chips night so that was all organised , consumed and another night around the campfire this time dodging the rain .
Saturday and Sunday were spent lazily touring around what roads we could find open and spending a little money in some of the struggling towns .
Footnote
I have to say the people from the Uniting Church Emergency Fencing Group are an amazing group of people . They are all in their 70 ’ s and do a very full days work and it is all voluntary . They have been working in this area since the 9 th of January ; the only time they have stopped is during the first Covid Lockdown and to go home occasionally to “ mow their lawns ”.
Kath says “ there is still more fencing to be done than there has been done ” so you can see the size of their task .
Day 6 . Friday 10 th
Different weather this morning , weak sunshine and not as cold , rain predicted for the night .
I intend to organise another trip up there as soon as we are able to go .
Laurie Finlay # 267