As I creep around a grassy clearing in the Pilot Hill Arboretum near Tumbarumba, it's quiet. Completely, utterly quiet.
Encased by towering trees, this place feels like an entirely different world - the sort of hidden valley where time stands still. The only sound is the disembodied call of birds echoing from deep within the pine canopy. The low, late-afternoon sun casts long rays across the grass, plunging the clearing into a soft twilight.
Suddenly, I sense that someone else is here. There shouldn't be.
The Yowie-mobile is the only vehicle in the carpark. I haven't spotted a living soul since leaving the highway six kilometres back to tackle the dirt track masquerading as Kopsens Road.
As I look behind me, my heart does that sudden, violent skip that comes with pure fight-or-flight. Only 20 metres away, a solitary figure is sitting quietly on a log.
I freeze. He isn't moving. I step closer, squinting through the dimming light, half-expecting him to blink or ask what I'm doing.
But he doesn't move.
That's because he is a sculpture.
I draw a breath of relief and glance down at the small sign beside him. He is actually called Seated Man by English artist Sean Henry, part of the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail.
I'd heard whispers about this trail over the last few years, but I've never really paid much attention to it. But boy, am I paying attention now.
I'd only made the detour because I was en route to Khancoban and curious to revisit the historic arboretum, which I first visited 30 years ago while studying forestry. It still boasts more than 50 tree species from around the world, with plantings dating from the 1920s and 1930s. Miraculously, this beautiful grove survived the devastating Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20.
But today, the forest is doubling as a sprawling outdoor gallery, with a cluster of the trail's 60-plus sculptures spread across this 150-kilometre stretch. The map at the far end of the clearing shows 11 pieces nearby. Heck. What do you even call a cluster of sculptures?
While some pieces sit in the open, the adjoining Alpine Ash Walk winds 1.5 kilometres into the native forest, hiding another eight works. Desperate to make it to Khancoban before total darkness sets in, I scurry along the path.
It feels half treasure hunt, half fairytale - you have to venture down narrow side tracks, discovering art tucked away like lost relics.
Ahead, two massive granite rocks shimmer as if coated in water, though it hasn't rained for days. Thankfully, it's not the result of some localised meteorological phenomenon; it's just Rain by Chinese artist Shen Lieyi.
A little further on, I cross a trickling creek and find another figure staring right back at me from the shadows.
I'm no art connoisseur - far from it - but encountering such realistic sculptures deep in the bush is unexpectedly uplifting. It is certainly more interesting than that long-ago university field trip when we spent hours estimating tree heights using trigonometry.
With the sun finally setting, I make a quick beeline back towards my car.
Almost back at the highway, my headlights illuminate a large emu sculpture on the side of the road. Odd, I didn't notice it on the way in.
Suddenly, the 'sculpture' moves - right into my path. I slam on the brakes, dust flying, just before it vanishes into the scrub. Phew! A head-on collision with a galloping emu has never been on my bucket list.
Driving the last kilometre out to the highway at a cautious crawl, I notice a clearing on my right. It's the former site of the iconic Sugar Pines. Planted in 1928, those massive, cathedral-like giants were a favourite winter haunt for many. Seeing them blanketed in thick snow was pure magic - which made them one of the most heartbreaking natural casualties when the Dunns Road fire tore through the region.
Regular readers of this column may recall that only a handful of those historic trees survived the inferno, but the site has been reborn. Only metres from the road sits my favourite piece so far: Shiver House V4 by design studio NEON.
It actually looks alive. Inspired by traditional Finnish huts, thousands of tiny, counterweighted shingles cover the structure, each one responding to the mountain breeze. A single row ripples, then the movement spreads until the whole building flutters in perfect, fluid unison. It is pure magic.
By the time I finally roll into Khancoban, although my brakes have stopped smoking, my mind is still buzzing. Tomorrow, I'm supposed to be hiking deep into the rugged Geehi wilderness to give my newly broken-in walking boots a good workout. But I've decided to ditch those plans.
Instead, I'm going to explore more of the trail toward Tooma and Maragle. The Tooma section must be worth exploring, as local icon Fanny Lumsden is launching her brand-new album, Traditions, at an outdoor show at the Tooma Recreation Grounds on Saturday, October 31. Haven't heard of Maragle before? Neither had I, but apparently there's even a cellar door out there.
Mmm... if you had a choice between huffing and puffing up the western face of the Main Range or wine tasting among open-air installations, which would you choose?
Sometimes, it pays to take the detour. Just remember to slow down - especially on those winding dirt roads. You never know what's lurking in the shadows when the veil between reality and art becomes this thin.
Oh, and if anyone is in the market for a pair of walking boots (hardly used!), please let me know.
Getting there: Drive south from Canberra via the Hume Highway, taking the Snowy Valleys Way (B72) exit toward Adelong(about 2 hours, 15 minutes). From there, loop east to Tumut before heading south through Batlow to Tumbarumba and beyond to Khancoban (allow at least 2.5 hours of total driving time without stops to account for the winding mountain roads... and the odd emu).
Ash to Art: The Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail was created by the same team behind Sculpture by the Sea. Launched in May 2022, this permanent public collection was funded as a bushfire recovery project to stimulate regional tourism and support local community resilience after the 2019-20 fires. And yes, I can't believe I've only just 'discovered' it. Better late than never.
A growing trail: Initially spanning seven locations, the trail has rapidly grown into a premier regional art destination. It covers more than 150 kilometres and features more than 60 sculptures by Australian and international artists from 14 countries. Notable recent expansions include new installations in Tumut, Khancoban and the Sculpture Forest at Pilot Hill Arboretum.
+ Paddys River Falls: An 18-metre waterfall near Tumbarumba featuring a viewing platform and a short walking track to the base.
+ Local Cellar Doors: The route passes cool-climate vineyards. Stop for tastings at boutique properties like Courabyra Wines or Johansen Wines.
More: Free admission to all outdoor public sites. Most town-based installations and lookouts offer flat pathways and family-friendly picnic areas. View itineraries and download the digital collection map on the Sculpture by the Sea Overview web page.
Rating: Medium
Clue: It's not there anymore.
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to [email protected]. The first correct email received after 10am, Saturday September 26 wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema.
Last week: Congratulations to Hilary Kinraid of Nicholls who was the first to correctly identify last week's photo as a sculpture near the entrance of Tulip Top Gardens at 20 Old Federal Highway, Sutton. Hilary just beat Peter Stevenson of Macarthur, Julie Armstrong of Griffith and Roger Shelton of Spence "who was there last Monday to catch the great blossom display". The privately owned display gardens are open from 9am daily (last entry 4pm) until Sunday October 11. Admission from $22 for seniors/ concession. Full details: tuliptopgardens.com.au
This column's regular South Coast correspondent Matthew Higgins not only spotted a female platypus swimming along with a bunch of water plant leaves curled tightly in her tail but also managed to capture this clear photograph of the rare sight.
"I've been watching the platypuses at Kisses Lagoon near Bega for the last couple of years," Matthew says. "But recently, for the first time ever, I saw a female carrying nesting material curled up in her tail. I've read about this, but I've never seen it before. I got a perfect view."
It turns out these fascinating creatures need a serious upgrade from their usual sleeping spots when it's time to grow a family.
"Platypuses use regular burrows to rest in all year round," Matthew explains. "But when they're breeding, the females dig special nesting burrows, and they're much more complicated. They can be over 10 metres long into the riverbank, with all sorts of twists, turns and dead ends. That's where they safely lay their eggs."
"It's the best photo to date of the behaviour," states Geoff Williams of the Australian Platypus Conservancy.
CONTACT TIM: Email: [email protected] or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, GPO Box 606, Civic, ACT, 2601
