Rivers | timbo.id.au

The river valley closes in ahead and becomes nothing but steep gorges.

Sometimes the river gorges are impassible. That means I have to climb up and above the gorge. Sometimes hours of hard yakka to get up, along and then find a way to get back down again. Hours to get no more than a couple of hundred metres further up stream. In this case I had to go very high and getting back down was a very hairy challenge.

Cascades and waterfalls. I can't be the only person to have seen this. But I'm certainly one of a select few.

Water falls off the waterfall on a lovely summers day.

Water threads its way through the rocks.

The best part of hiking up rivers (which I only do in summer - too dangerous any other time) is that you can strip off and jump in any time you like. There is nothing more luxurious than drinking clear, cold and pure as crystal mountain river water - while you are swimming in it.

A damp, humid and steamy night beside a river in Victoria.

This tiny little creek is the headwaters of a big river. You'd know it if I told you. River valleys tend to be lushly overgrown so finding somewhere to set up a tent can be hard. This handy, more or less flat, rock ledge has been kept clear by spring snow melts.

Camp on a hot night. To keep cool I ate my dinner sitting on the edge of this rock ledge - with my feet dangling in the water.

Cliff beside a river. A cliff few have seen.

A river with a well know mountain behind. You can still see the bush has not recovered from recent fires.

A water fall. This is actually a river with a lot of very tall waterfalls. But it's hard to get good photos of these magnificent falls in the trackless bush. The way the gorges are arranged, the vegetation, the lack of a viewing platform with artfully arranged positioning all makes it hard to take a photo that shows the grandeur of the vista. But lack of "facilities" is a good thing!

There is nothing nicer than swimming under thundering waterfall in a crystal clear mountain pool on a hot summer's day.

I'll give this one away. The Wonnangatta River at dawn. A famous four wheel driver destination and it has an interesting (and grisly) history. Google the "Wonangatta Station murders" for more.

These are images from hikes up and down rivers. These are all hikes without tracks - just following the river and setting up camp wherever and whenever I can find enough space. In fact sometimes I don't even take a tent because just a tarp is more practical and then all I need is enough space for a sleeping bag. Exploring the valleys and doing interesting side trips along the way. I am not going to say what rivers these are because some of these hikes are quite risky and remote and also because I want to keep them to myself. Some of these rivers are undoubtedly visited by other hikers because I have seen traces.

On one river in Victoria I I walked for two days down a river and stumbled across a major encampment with frames for tarps, camp furniture and all kinds of tools, implements and other bits and pieces. I then walked another two days to the nearest four wheel drive track. It was probably set up by deer hunters or fishermen - but how did they get all that junk there?

But some river hikes I have been doing for years without ever seeing the slightest trace of any one else. I'm sure someone must do the same hikes on occasion but it's very nice to think I am the only one!