The return back to Australia means that we are also returning back to the tradition of large family gatherings at various picnic and outdoor sites around Canberra. There is no shortage of various parks and reserves around the national capital, after all... it is the bush capital. However, we do have some favourites... and the picnic and swimming area at Uriarrra is definitely one of them!
Getting to the Uriarra Crossing Recreational Area is best done by car... of course, if you feel like biking (and I know some people manage...) it is a good 30-45 minute bike ride over roads that aren't designed for cyclists AND cars. If you plan on walking... well, that might be easier but much slower than cycling!
Anyway, there are about three small parking areas at the site... on a warm sunny day or other similar perfect picnic weather days, expect them to be pretty full in the late mornings and early afternoons. Also, be prepared with stuff to keep your steering wheels and cars as cool as possible as they are unprotected and if you miss out on the constantly moving shade... well, you are going to return back to a mobile oven!
Even just in the car parking area... there were interesting things to be seen!
A vast gathering of butterflies on the ground.... I'm not exactly sure what was attracting them back to this little patch of ground, but I suspect that it was a pool of water and moisture in an otherwise pretty warm and dry day!
The area is surrounded by pretty typical Australian trees and shrubland.... obviously, it isn't too overgrown but as you venture a bit further out from the recreational area, it can get a touch dicier with trying ot figure out where snakes might be lurking!
... but if you stay in the recreational area, you have lots of grassland to set up your stuff... and more than enough space for everyone to have their own patch of privacy and quiet!
Or even more space if you feel like breaking out a cricket set!
One downside is the relative lack of tables... there are about 10 picnic tables, and so if you see one... grab it before the hordes arrive! There are a couple of BBQ constructions, but most people are likely to bring their own hot plates and Webers. That said, you do have to keep an eye out for the fire rules and restrictions in the hotter months of summer!
On the sides of the Murrumbidgee River, there are shallow and secluded areas where kids can paddle around in. They are often shaded by trees that have grown out into the water. On this particular day, the Murrumbidgee was a bit swollen due to recent heavy rains... and it was too dangerous for anyone to swim out past the tree line... the current was strong and fast-moving... if you went there, you would end up about a kilometre downstream in short order!
I'm not such a fan of swimming in the coastal desert or the river muds... so, I often find myself lying down on the ground... searching for meaning in the clouds of the sky!
Thankfully, there are toilet facilities at the recreation site. Actual private toilet stalls and all of that... plus potable water taps. This isn't always a given, so it is nice to have them... more fun than using the bushes!