Along the trout-laden Goodradigbee River which rushes into the village from its headwaters in higher and more remote country to the south-east are a number of recreation areas. Each has its own attraction (great kids' playground at Billy Grace Reserve) and quirks (60-year-old tin fishing shacks at Swinging Bridge Reserve), but my pick is the camping reserve at Micalong Creek. Sure, during school holidays it's crammed with campers, but for the rest of the year there's plenty of room for day trippers to throw a frisbee or kick the footy.

If it's warm, laze the day away on the shady banks or teach the kids how to kayak in the slow flowing shallow waters of the creek. You might also get to rub shoulders with some of the regular campers, many of whom feel quite territorial about their patch. For 33 consecutive years there's been an annual New Year's cricket clash between locals and campers, and there are some campers who haven't missed a clash since its inception.

If you want to work off a big picnic lunch, and don't want to start your own game of bush cricket, take the short scramble up to nearby Micalong Falls. Despite its somewhat grandiose name, it's more a series of cascades linking a number of swimming holes, but a worthwhile side-trip.

Even though it's only 500 metres away, the constant lure of the expansive river flats back at the campground means there's a good chance you'll have this little climb (it's on uneven ground and involves a bit of rock hopping) to yourself.

The track beyond the falls leads up to the bluff overlooking Micalong Gorge and the camping reserve, but involves a rope climb and should only be attempted by experienced bush walkers.

If you don't want to while the day away at Micalong Reserve, for the more adventurous, there's canoeing and fishing along the Goodradigbee River and nearby Burrinjuck Dam, wild and guided caving (Carey's Cave) along with more strenuous bushwalks, including part of the Hume and Hovell Walking Track.

I'm often asked what my favourite Sunday drives or day trips around Canberra are, and in early autumn, after good rains, it's hard to go past Wee Jasper.

If you've got any photos of local waterfalls during this week's heavy rains, I'd love to see them. Especially those that only flow during flood events.

Still on waterfalls, the push for a national park at the currently off-limits Ginninderra Falls on Belconnen's outskirts is gaining momentum.

Dr Dirk Bouma, a member of the recently formed Ginninderra Falls Association, is about to display a wonderful array of his delightful watercolours depicting the falls area, which he hopes will raise public interest in the park proposal.

Dirk's interest in the Ginninderra Creek began when he settled in Belconnen in the early 1960s. ''They were years of good rainfall, and the creek flowed lustily through the paddocks. I often took my young boys out trout fishing, and you may not believe it but one of the boys, about six years old or so, caught his first nice brown trout in one of the holes in the creek in the area now called Giralang,'' Dirk says.

''Later I became interested in the downstream area where the creek runs into the Murrumbidgee through an area of exceptional beauty via gorges and waterfalls, alternating with quiet pools. Before the area was completely closed [since 2004], several times I took overseas visitors to the area who were invariably impressed and amazed by the many varied natural, geological and biological features of the area.

''With the Canberra population now at 350,000 and likely to reach 500,000 by the middle of the century, a Ginninderra Falls National Park would be a wonderful attraction to have on our doorstep.''

Dirk's exhibition, Discovering Ginninderra Creek and Falls Area, will open on the evening of Friday, March 9, and remain on show at CSIRO Discovery Centre, Clunies Ross Street, Acton, until Thursday, March 22. The opening will be preceded by a free public lecture by Dr Bryan Pratt about the falls and their importance. More info: www.ginninderra.org.au

Given my name, I'm always on the lookout for others with branded with similarly unusual monikers, so imagine my intrigue when earlier this week I heard rumours that a ''Crocodile Man'' was visiting the south coast. I did a little digging and discovered that this so-called Crocodile Man is actually made of wood and is part of Sculpture on the Edge, an exhibition featuring dramatic sculptures set on the headland and beach at Bermagui. According to its creator, Adam Rish, Crocodile Man is, ''a reflection on climate change with the smiling figure of the crocodile happy to have his habitat extended as far south as Bermagui. He cunningly has a remote control to change the weather to suit himself.''

Whatever your take on climate change or abstract art for that matter, I just wish the abesea and wax Croc Man would pay a visit to Canberra and use his remote control to give us a bit more sunshine.

Sculpture on the Edge runs until next Sunday, March 11. For more info: www.sculpturebermagui.org.au.

By the way, I managed to uncover this recent image of the Croc Man in his creator's Sydney studio, but would dearly love to see a photo of him shaking hands with one of my far-flung south coast correspondents. Now there's a challenge.

Got a comment on today's stories or an unusual photo? Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write to me c/o The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie Street, Fyshwick.

PS: While I've been a Tigers fans since shortly after birth, it would be good to see the Raiders get off to a good start this season with a win tonight against the Melbourne Storm. Let's hope Campo lasts more than eight minutes this year.