We happened apon King Valley by a trick of fate......

We had planned to meet good (well travelled) friends at Mansfield for a 'taste' of bush camping at the site of Ned Kelly's hut. Unfortunately some bad medical news halted their travels and we couldn't meet on the expected dates.

Having travelled 'all the way' to tour Victoria and we weren't turning around to NSW, just yet.

We stumbled upon King Valley by a short post on Fodors and a few comments from friends in Melbourne.

We compromised and stayed at the Gentle Annie Camping reserve. There are powered sites available and an amenties block but really 'back to nature' style camping besides the king river and cooking over fire pots (ps: able to bring own stove as well).

My personal 'payoff' were the gourmet produce:

Cheese (Milawa)
Olives (Whitfield)
wines (all over the valley)
Chocolate (Milawa)
preserves (whitfield)

DH payoff was:
the camping reserve
Harry power lookout and trails (Ned Kelly was Harry Power's apprentice - great for DS for school projects!)
the wine

DS payoff:
outdoor playground (read: river, hills, climbing, swimming, 'discovering' caves at the lookouts and exploring)
food

great place the lets you unwind, turn off the freeway, turn off the phones/internet (if you desire) and relax.

Wake up to billy tea, wind down to sleep with potatos in thier jackes from the coals of the fire. all by the river and in peaceful surroundings.

Basic camping for me when much younger was a piece of tarp, a billy, matches, spears and a half axe. Now I need a list of equipment longer than my arm.

lol AlanJG, that would be how DH would prefer it! To DH this site was 'luxury' rather than 'basic'/

A great place with non powered sites and more secluded/basic camping on the other side of the river.

Sounds divine to me!

We camp in the Howqua Valley, part of thw watershed of the King / Howqua / Delatite rivrs. I wrote a little about it a couple of years ago.

http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...-australia.cfm