21

Outlaws, bushrangers and hidden treasure

12 June

Canberra Nature Park – Rob Roy

Hiking

Out the front door, like Bilbo Baggins on his big adventure to tangle with dragon, we walked around the side of our hill. A management track then snaked us up and down and around about into Rob Roy Nature Reserve and eventually to the high summit of Rob Roy itself. So close to home we were immersed in the bush.

Vistas from high on the range over the suburbs and grassy fields to the blue Brindabella Mountains in the distance. Mt. Tennant, named after our local bushranger, lay proud and tall in the south. Legend has it that his treasure of gold is still hidden on the mountain.

Wombat, kangaroos, feral pigs, eagles.

The outlook from Big Monks sensational.

16 km “there and back again”.

Canberra Nature Park is a series of bushland reserves close to or within the urban area of Canberra. The hilltops are part of the reserve system. Most of the suburbs have easy access to one of these areas. The reserves and the proximity to the mountains help to make the city the “Bush Capital” of Australia.

Robert Roy MacGregor (Scottish Gaelic: Raibeart Ruadh MacGriogair; baptised 7 March 1671 – 28 December 1734), usually known simply as Rob Roy, was a famous Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the early 18th century, who is sometimes known as the Scottish Robin Hood.Rob Roy is anglicised from the Gaelic Raibeart Ruadh, meaning essentially “Robert the Red-Haired”.     From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Roy_MacGregor

Today our treasure is to have these areas preserved so when we make time to visit them on a beautiful winter’s day like this one we can feel like we’ve struck gold.