Waking up in the Pyengana Recreation Reserve was a treat for the soul. We opened the door to those rolling green hills and thought, what more could we possibly ask for? The air has a crispness here that we just don’t get back home in WA, and the silence is only broken by the occasional bird or the distant sound of farm life. Steve was quite content to just sit with a cuppa and watch the mist lift, while Lisa was already eyeing off the walking tracks.
We decided a waterfall walk was the perfect way to spend our morning, so we headed out to Halls Falls. It didn’t take long for the bush to put on a show for us. Almost as soon as we stepped onto the path, this absolute character of an echidna wandered right across our path.
The kids would have loved seeing him; he was quite unbothered by us, just snuffling through the damp leaves and mossy logs looking for his lunch. It was a spectacular way to start the trek. The track itself felt like stepping back in time. We crossed a little timber bridge that sat nestled under massive tree ferns that towered over us.
The forest here is so dense and vibrant. We followed the sound of rushing water, passing sections where the creek was cluttered with fallen logs and surrounded by those lush, prehistoric-looking ferns. It’s a very different kind of beauty to the dry scrub we’re used to.
When we reached the falls, we weren’t disappointed. The water was flowing beautifully, cascading over the dark rock ledges into the pools below.
Lisa found a great vantage point further down where the falls split into two distinct streams, rushing over the mossy boulders. We stood there for a good while, just taking in the sound and the cool spray.
By the time we made it back, we’d worked up a bit of an appetite. Since we were in the heart of dairy country, we couldn't pass by the Pyengana Dairy Company.
We stopped in for a look and were absolutely fascinated. This is the first fully automatic milking dairy farm we have ever seen. It’s quite something to watch the cows just doing their own thing, waiting their turn in the yards to head into the milking station.
Steve was mesmerised by the technology of it all—the way the machines take over without a person in sight. It’s a far cry from the old hand-milking days! We couldn’t leave without a bit of a taste-test, of course. We’ve certainly been spoiled for choice with the produce here, but there is something special about eating cheese right where the cows are grazing. It was a perfect end to a very grounded, Tassie day.
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