The beginning of March brought in our special helper, our grandson Mason. I talked about him in the last blog. He was a great help as we cleaned and prepped the Rec Room, repairing some of the rear verandah and using a pressure washer to clean and freshen. What we also did was we found a table soccer game, which one of our guests called foosball… so much fun! We also found four quarters of a table tennis table and we’ve set these on the old pool table, complete with net, bats and balls. Now, it’s certainly not a competition table by any stretch of the imagination, but it is great fun, and it really sharpens your skills and gives you a laugh when the ball hits the centre join of the two pieces and ricochets all over the place.
Easter Weekend rolled around pretty quickly, marking the opening of the Dirt Bike Season as we move through Autumn and toward Winter. Peter and I spent the Thursday and Friday revamping the Top Camping Ground; tidying and scraping out some camp pads, and making the place very dusty but also very usable. Which was funny, in the end, because even though there were many campers, the Top Campground didn’t actually get used.
Just for interest, there are a few camping areas at Binacrombi.
The Junction is a well-known and loved favourite at the far end of the property. Unfortunately, a 4WD is necessary to reach it and the amenities need some TLC but if you are self-contained and want a quiet space… this is for you.
Up around the cabins we have the aforementioned Top Campground, complete with amenities although atm there is the delightful charm of a donkey-boiler for hot water, which could change very soon as Peter and I have been donated two hot water systems in the past week. We also have the Shearer’s Campground; a sole group space near the entry/exit to the 40 Acres where the original caretaker’s cabin used to be… until it burned down during our full-time stint years ago. A separate space, it however has nil amenities as yet.
Cabins 5 & 6 have a lovely section of grass which can be used for extra guests in these cabins, using their amenities, or as a very comfortable grassed camp area with amenities close by in the Top Campground.
At the bottom of the hill, along the river is a firm favourite with the Chapel Campground. This has simple amenities – one group of guests happily dubbed it Shrek’s toilet – but until we upgrade with one of the new hot water systems, the shower is a cold one. This area is fairly large and can hold numerous guests and has the benefit of being right beside the river. I know that the large group of campers that joined us for the long weekend thoroughly enjoyed this space and found that Binacrombi is a great base camp with plenty of day trips around the local area, for example, Wombeyan Caves.
Another river favourite, but one we use cautiously and name accordingly, is Camp Flood. This is a small section to the left of the old pump shed on the river and, as the name suggests, it is part of a flood zone. During good weather (always watching upstream reports), Camp Flood is perfect for smaller groups with a slightly difficult entry, but it sits directly beside the river. There are no amenities but when the Dorm is empty, we use the bathrooms here. Watch for updates on Camp Flood, however, as this past weekend has seen some intense flooding, and this camp might no longer exist.
A surprising camp area popped up on the long weekend as well… some guests with caravans parked in the unused Dorm carpark, which gave them both amenities and close access to the river. I know they found it highly enjoyable. Please feel free to chat with Peter, myself, Dave and/ or Amanda as to how your weekend can look as we are always open and flexible to adjusting our spaces to suit your needs.
And finally, a new campground that’s emerged for the long weekend was a grassy area accessed by 4WD off the 40 Acres exit and tucked at the end of the rocky link from the Chapel Campground to the 40 Acres. Although this area has no amenities, it’s a large area that is quiet and slightly set apart from the rest of the cabins/ camping. The group of guys that graciously claimed this one for the long weekend had the task of naming it and so, it is called Kabapi Corner, after the 400 or so sausages they brought to feast on. 😊
Over the long weekend, cabins 5 & 6 were also filled by some of our amazing regulars, who were an absolute delight. They filled the days with the sound of laughter and bikes, the nights with music and dancing and our bellies with shared goodies off the BBQ. One of their boys was game enough to go a round with Dave in the ring for the Saturday night Bush Bash, which was a massive hit right across the campsites and cabins, with many people getting involved and I think Dave was both surprised and exhausted by the hours of fun and interaction that were had.
And so, the Easter Long Weekend has been and gone and left some incredible, joyful memories for us and guests alike. We really do look forward to seeing you out here and sharing the beautiful spaces we get to enjoy on a weekly basis. Again, feel free to chat with us as to how we can make your holiday at Binacrombi one to remember.
Looking forward to seeing you out here soon.
Pauline 😊
