Lake Lyell

We rolled into Lake Lyell Recreation Campground on Friday around 4pm — Bec, Andrew, the girls and me — only to find that Cassie & Richard and Lindsay were already there, looking suspiciously relaxed, like they’d been waiting hours to say, “Oh hey, finally.” The drive up the mountain was lovely, mostly because we’d dodged school-zone hours and therefore maintained the will to live. We hit a bit of roadworks as we turned onto Magpie Hollow Road, which was half tarmac, half sand, and fully committed to confusing everyone’s suspension. Once camp was set up, the boys instantly reverted to cavemen and hauled the trailer up the hill in search of firewood, because apparently the campground was running a strict “bring your own trees” policy. Meanwhile, the girls took Cosmo and Ellie for a walk. We did discover a tragic shortage of poo bags… but nature provided. I will let your imagination run wild with the reeds situation. As more people arrived, we held an impromptu dog meet-and-greet: Misty, Cosmo, Ellie, Jazz, Peggy and Frankie. They all behaved like perfect angels—except when they decided ankle-deep water was the height of adventure sports. By the time Meg & Wayne (plus their visitors Janelle & Michael), Bec & Danny, JD & Michelle, Cherie & Matt and Shelly arrived, the fire was crackling… and so was the light rain, which politely refused to stop for the rest of the night. Didn’t bother us — we sat under umbrellas like a determined, slightly soggy social club until the wee hours. Saturday: The next morning, some of us emerged from our campers looking like we were in a witness protection program — hoodies up, sunglasses on, avoiding daylight. Some didn’t emerge at all. At 1pm the ladies headed off to the Japanese Bathhouse just 7km away. None of us knew what to expect, but hot baths at 38–41 degrees and cold dips at 18 degrees turned out to be the perfect combo of “ahhhh” and “OH DEAR GOD WHY.” There was also a steamy herbal sauna room (tea tree and eucalyptus, we think), which basically felt like sitting inside a Vicks Vapour Rub jar — 10/10, would breathe again. After soaking, sipping herbal tea, and achieving peak relaxation, we returned to camp to find the boys had the fire going. This made the decision for after-5 drinks extremely easy. Another brilliant night around the fire — AND it didn’t rain! The excitement was real. Sunday: At 6am, the heavens opened with the enthusiasm of a busted water main — torrential rain for a solid 20 minutes. Just long enough for us all to go, “Oh great… packing up wet gear.”But the sun came out almost immediately, drying everything surprisingly fast. The girls even snuck in a paddleboard session, because why not? Thankfully the office granted us a late checkout (we must’ve looked desperate), and we eventually headed back to reality at a very casual, very unhurried pace. Huge thanks to Meg and Wayne for putting this trip together — it was a cracking weekend. Can’t wait for the next adventure!

Report: Lynne Holding

Images: Cassie Keller, Bec Impellizzeri, Lynne Holding & Meg Bishop