The Yellow Walk this morning around the very quiet streets of Ben Lomond. It was obviously quite a big place in years gone by with three churches. Google tells me there were 230 houses in the 1930s but it doesn't tell me why it was such a large village - more research is required. There's not a lot there now but the 2+km walk was lovely and the village had a "community" feel about it. Interestingly at 1,370m elevation Ben Lomond is the highest village in Northern NSW - beaten by Perisher in the alps at 1,721m (and a few others) as the highest in Australia.
Called in at Glen Innes, filled a gas cylinder and the Prado, called in at Coles for some groceries and the National Parks Office for some information on Gibraltar Range National Park and Mulligan's Hut Camping Area.
Collected some firewood along the way and called into Rasberry Lookout just inside the western boundary of Gibraltar National Park. Spectacular views over the Bindery-Mann Wilderness Area.
Arrived at Mulligan's Camp Ground mid-afternoon to find that all the sites are quite small and not well set up for a van eg fireplaces on the wrong side. We did get the camper into one with a lot of mucking around and jacking to get it level.
Walked down to Little Dandahra Creek (which isn't little at all with lots of water) and checked out Mulligan's Hut. The spot has an interesting history. Bill Mulligan built the hut here in the early 1900s with the intent of building a hydroelectric scheme to power a copper mine further east in the foothills of the range. He got as far as building two were on Dandahra and Little Dandahra Creeks. For various reasons the scheme never went ahead but the weirs and the hut (restored) remain.
Dinner on the campfire tonight.
