Far East Gippsland Back Road Tours Continue travelling north on the Orbost-Buchan Rd 4.5 kms Stringers (START of Tour 7) turn left onto Monument Tk travel 2.5 kms turn right onto Tower Tk travel 100 m Stringers Knob Knob Historic Fire Tower. This experimental single pole Mottle fire tower was built in 1941 following the disastrous 1939 bushfires. 1 Range The fire spotter's cabin is perched on top of a 28 m tall pole made of 2 massive logs (red iron bark & yellow stringy bark trees) spliced 2WD in dry weather only. lengthwise. Discover a unique monument to a bushman’s ingenuity return to Monument Tk turn right travel 5.3 kms Mottle and impressive flora. Range Flora Reserve. The only known naturally occurring stand of Spotted Gums, Eucalyptus maculata, in Victoria. 2WD 4WD Classification: Easy Spotted Gums, [Optional Side Trip: Long Pt.- Difficult ] Eucalyptus maculata continue travelling on Monument Tk 0.6 kms turn left Distance: 81 kms onto Mottle Range Rd travel 9.2 kms continue south onto Duration: Easy Half Day Wairewa Rd travel 6.5 kms East Gippsland Rail Trail. Further Information: None www.eastgippslandrailtrail.com (at Trestle Bridge). This shared Warnings: Log Truck Traffic. Watch out for cyclists! use path has been developed on the abandoned Bairnsdale/Orbost Optional Side Trip- The road to Long Point has a steep railway corridor for walking, cycling, horse riding. descent, requires a high clearance and is unsuitable for trailers due to a limited turning area. See 4WD classification. Continue travelling on Wairewa Rd through Wairewa 1.3 kms turn left onto the Princes Highway travel 24.3 kms START at Orbost’s Forest Park carpark. Turn right Newmerella Picnic Ground. An old log checking station. onto Nicholson St travel 100m turn left onto Lochiel St travel 0.5 kms turn right onto the Princes Hwy travelling Continue travelling on the Princes Hwy 4.5 kms turn left to 0.7 kms over the Snowy River turn left (under bridge) Orbost. onto the Orbost-Buchan route viewing (on left) the Rail Trestle Bridge. The longest in Victoria, goods trains used this from 1916 to 1987. This section of the route partially follows the western banks of the Snowy River. Since 1957 the Snowy River Hydro Scheme has diverted the upper catchment snowmelt waters from the Snowy Mountains to the western side of the Great Dividing Range into the Murray-Darling Basin. Rehabilitation works are underway on the lower Snowy flats including fencing and revegetation of river banks. Regular flooding replenishes nutrients ensuring high fertility soil that supports a niche seed corn industry. From the Princes Hwy intersection follow the signs to Buchan travel 20.9 kms [Optional Side Trip (See Warnings): Turn right onto Long Point Rd travel 7.5 kms Long Point Picnic & Camping Ground. A pleasant site on the Snowy River. Stringer’s Knob Historic Fire Tower return to the Orbost-Buchan Rd turn right] DSE regional locations: The 4WD track ratings for these tours are advisory only and Orbost 171-173 Nicholson Street, Orbost 3888 have been estimated for travel in dry conditions. Even after very light rain, many tracks can become extremely slippery, and Phone: 03 5161 1222 more difficult to negotiate safely. The stated ratings may not be Bendoc Nichol Street, Bendoc 3888 accurate after rain or heavy dew, and greater care needs to be Phone: 02 6459 0500 exercised. Cann River Princes Highway, Cann River 3890 Phone: 03 5158 2100 Fieldwork has revealed that odometer readings can vary from +/- 200 metres per 10 kms depending upon the vehicle used. The DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186 tour description distance does not include optional side trips. call from anywhere within Australia for the cost of a local call (excluding mobiles and public telephones whichcincur additional costs) [email protected] Victorian Bushfire Information Line 1800 240667 © State of Victoria, Department of Sustainability and Environment 2007, 2008. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. ISBN 978-1-74208-808-2 (Print) ISBN 978-1-74208-809-9 (Online) This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not A Victorian guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or consequence which may arise from Government you relying on any information in this publication. First Published in 2008 by the Victorian Government. Land and Fire, Orbost, East Gippsland Area, Project Department of Sustainability and Environment. Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne. Printed by E-Gee Printers. Second Edition printed in November 2008. Parks Victoria & East Gippsland Shire Council. Far East Gippsland Back Road Tours Jacksons Crossing Camping Ground. Aboriginal relics have been found in this area. It is likely people of the Waratah Kruatungulung group of the Kurnai Aborigines hunted this area. Loop Returning to the Yalmy Rd turn left to continue travelling north 39.1 kms turn left onto Waratah Flat Rd travel 2.5 kms Waratah Flat Campground. Camping on the 2 Rodger River. 4WD only. A taste of the Snowy, rugged continue to travel on Waratah Flat Rd 14.2 kms turn countryside and tall forests. right onto Monkey Top Tk travel 7.1 kms turn right onto Yalmy Rd travel 5 kms turn left onto Mt Jersey Rd travel 4WD Classification: Medium 9.2 kms turn right onto 36 Mile Tk travel 10.6 kms [To Woods Pt & from Youngs Ck: Easy ] (END of Tour 7) turn right onto Bonang Rd travel 11.6 Distance: 242 kms Moresford Tk kms Martins Creek Scenic Reserve. Adjoins the Duration: Full Day or Overnight Warm Temperate Rainforest, Martins Creek Flora & Fauna Reserve. Further Information: Forests Notes- Woods Point Camping Ground continue travelling south on the Bonang Rd travel 27.1 Forests Notes- Young’s Creek Picnic Area kms turn right onto Cooney Ridge Rd travel 4.9 kms Park Notes- Snowy River National Park turn left onto Eleven Bob Tk travel 0.5 kms Mt Buck Warnings: Log Truck Traffic. Should be undertaken by Fire Tower. Used by DSE over the summer for fire spotting. experienced 4WD drivers only. 4WD low range is required with high ground clearance. Some tracks are narrow, returning to the Bonang Rd turn right to continue rocky and have slippery sections. Varneys Tk into Jacksons travelling south 3.8 kms turn left onto Coulsons Rd travel Crossing is narrow and involves crossing the Rodger River. 4.6 kms turn right onto Iron Chimney Tk travel 2.1 kms START at Orbost’s Forest Park turn left onto Nicholson turn left onto Storers Tk Youngs Creek Picnic Area. St travel 0.2 kms turn left onto McLeod St (Orbost Club Includes walks to a waterfall and the old Orbost water reservoir. Hotel) travel straight ahead 0.3 kms road turns into ‘B’ Rd (road turns to gravel, goes over a cattle grid following From the carpark turn back onto Storers Tk travel 2.5 kms signage to Garnetts Tk travel 10.1 kms turn right onto turn left onto 4.5 Mile Tk travel 2.3 kms turn left onto Garnetts Tk (continue to veer right) travel 6.6 kms turn Bonang Rd travel 6.3 kms Orbost. left onto Wood Point Rd travel 4 kms Woods Point Picnic & Camping Ground. Camping on the Snowy River. Returning onto Garnetts Tk travel 21.5 kms turn right onto Moresford Tk travel 0.9 kms turn left onto Raymond Creek Falls turnoff travel 0.3 kms Raymond Creek Falls Walk. A 400m walk to the falls that plunge 20m into a pool within a spectacular amphitheatre of volcanic rock. returning onto Moresford Tk turn left travel 8.9 kms turn left onto Yalmy Rd travel 6.2 kms turn left onto Varneys Tk travel 6.3 kms exploring either turn left travel 0.9 kms Hicks Campsite. &/or turn right (crossing the Rodger River) travel 3.9 kms before the Snowy River crossing turn right travel 1.7 kms View from Jackson’s Crossing Campground DSE regional locations: The 4WD track ratings for these tours are advisory only and Orbost 171-173 Nicholson Street, Orbost 3888 have been estimated for travel in dry conditions. Even after very light rain, many tracks can become extremely slippery, and Phone: 03 5161 1222 more difficult to negotiate safely. The stated ratings may not be Bendoc Nichol Street, Bendoc 3888 accurate after rain or heavy dew, and greater care needs to be Phone: 02 6459 0500 exercised. Cann River Princes Highway, Cann River 3890 Phone: 03 5158 2100 Fieldwork has revealed that odometer readings can vary from +/- 200 metres per 10 kms depending upon the vehicle used. The DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186 tour description distance does not include optional side trips. call from anywhere within Australia for the cost of a local call (excluding mobiles and public telephones whichcincur additional costs) [email protected] Victorian Bushfire Information Line 1800 240667 © State of Victoria, Department of Sustainability and Environment 2007, 2008. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. ISBN 978-1-74208-808-2 (Print) ISBN 978-1-74208-809-9 (Online) This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not A Victorian guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or consequence which may arise from Government you relying on any information in this publication.