The revival of the bush in the mountains after the 2020 fires is on show.

We stepped out of the car at lookouts and interesting places. Big burnt trees may look sad, but they also create "hollows" for wild birds and animals.

Perhaps you'd like to prepare your family for what they might see.

Google "ABC + bush changed after fires", a story which starts with a pessimistic view about regeneration, but is optimistic in later updates.

For a good video of the fires at Yarrangobilly, Google "ABC + riverina videos yarrangobilly bushfires", to see how they saved the 1901 wooden Caves House and the other timber buildings.

My grandmother lived at Adaminaby and visited the Caves House when it was new. As a child I was told it was "a most wonderful place".

We saw burnt trees as we turned into the tortuous road into Yarrangobilly. I began to wonder if the picnic areas would look devastated. But no, the whole place had been saved from the January 2020 bushfires.

The recently restored Caves House had escaped the fires, too, and still looks wonderful, but maybe owes its life to firefighters - and luck!

We had our picnic lunch - most important because there is no cafe - so we set up in a barbecue shed.

Soon a mob of curious kangaroos joined us. I have been there when the animals would eat out of your hand, but perhaps this mob has missed people-training during COVID?

We tossed some apple slices. It took a while before the kangaroos came really close. The mothers with young joeys displayed them right in front of us.

Not so shy were the currawongs and white backed magpies. A currawong swooped onto the table with all the skill of a dive bomber, and was away. The magpies waited politely in the rafters. Make sure your kids note the white backs on the mountain magpies.

The nearby gurgling creek is always an attraction and is quite safe, unless a snake happens to slide along to join the party. I have seen plenty of snakes in Paddys River near Tumbarumba, but I have never seen a snake in the creek at Yarrangobilly, and I have been visiting there with kids since the 1970s.

So entertaining had the kangaroos and creek become, that I had to urge our group to move on to the caves. I hate driving home at "kangaroo time". The number of carcasses we had seen on our way, near Blowering Dam, reminded me to not be late getting back to Tumut.

As we walked to the caves, we talked about the fires, but recovery was everywhere - burnt trees glistened in the afternoon sun with brand new gum leaves, and young trees and shrubs were thriving. The river caught the sun. Our phone cameras were busy.

If you've never entered these caves, be warned. There are wet patches. Slippery shoes are not recommended! The walk is steep in parts with many steps. Young people take all of this in their stride.

We normally finish by washing away the perspiration with a swim in the year-round thermal pool, but this year they were ready for home. Usually, the home run would be via Kiandra, Cabramurra and a dinner stop in Tumbarumba.

Luckily, I'd rang 132 701 and asked if The Elliott Way was open. No, closed - bushfire damaged trees, and landslips.

I have written about this before. The Elliott Way is a shortcut to the coast for Riverina motorists. It brings tourist traffic to Tumbarumba. It has been closed since January, 2020. This is a forgotten corner of NSW. Tumbarumba Council should be screaming about this delay.

But Tumbarumba doesn't have a council. It was merged with Tumut. Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock's recent review recommended demerging Tumbarumba Council, but she did not accept the recommendation.

The COVID delay for local government elections gave Shelley Hancock plenty of time to save face and compile Tumbarumba Council electoral rolls. Tumbarumba urgently needs its own council.