The recent Australia Day weekend trip to the Deua River and Bendethera Valley provided the  participants with an interesting mix of steep and winding tracks and great scenery.  The group camped for two nights by the old homestead site in the picturesque Bendethera Valley, travelling out for a day trip along the Mongamulla Track, which skirts the valley and includes some steep terrain and a number of Deua River crossings. The river was much lower than usual and presented no challenge.   Significant earlier storm damage was evident in a few places along the Deua River, but the tracks were in good condition.

On Saturday, the group travelled  the iconic Merricumbene Firetrail to Dry Creek and on to a great Youcamps site – Full Circle Farm, where a dip in the Buckenbowra River was very welcome on such a hot day.

The final day of the trip included a drive through Currowang State Forest before the group headed home via Braidwood.