Snowy Mountain Wilderness December 26Th - January 1St
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MAKIN' TRACKS Snowy Mountain Wilderness December 26th - January 1st Trip Leader Ken Ribbons & Diana Morgan - 100 Series Mount Delegate is situated just across the VIC border and because of Participants Vehicle its height, at approx. 1325 m, it now has several telecommunication Rod & Karan Perry 100 Series towers providing services to both NSW and VIC. These are built onto Piet & Renee De Beer Prado 120 a Forestry lookout that is used to watch for fires. The lookout guide was in residence and came down to talk to us, explaining about his Douglas & Ruth Gault 80 Series job and the tower. On a clear day he can see Bass Strait and we were Robert McLaughlan 70 Series fortunate as he allowed us a closer look at the tower. Robert & Rachael Sharrock 100 Series It was a lovely hot afternoon as we left for the Delegate River Stuart, Michael, & Amy Robertson 80 Series campsite. A large bushy campsite that they say is beside the Delegate River, although Robert and Rachel went out to find it and Richard & Sheila Eiffert 100 Series gave up. So after setting up camp, we just relaxed and enjoyed happy hour while getting to know each other. Ken had started a Day 1 – Wednesday campfire, which was nice, and then suddenly it got a bit cold. Within Eight vehicles met at 2:30 pm at Bombala. After quick introductions an hour, everyone was huddled around the fire as it just kept getting to each other and the mandatory group photo, we were headed off colder and colder. Layers of clothing started being put on until the in convoy to begin our trip. cold drove us all to bed. Ken, as our Trip Leader, led the way and Stuart took up tail end Day 2 – Thursday Charlie. We headed south, down to Delegate where we stopped at We had a cold start to what was going to be a great day. Everyone the local Bombala Platypus Reserve, which is located 4.2 kilometres was up early and there was a bit of discussion about how cold it had from the town centre. Even though this is an ideal spot to see been through the night. Karan was heard to express gratitude that platypus, we unfortunately did not see any. However the raised she had brought the doona. We were ready to leave by 8:30 am until viewing deck was great and the on-site information board provided it was discovered one couple had stopped to have another cup of us with comprehensive details about the platypus. coffee. They were promptly fined. Back on the road we headed down to Delegate a small town in NSW Back on the track we took the Pretty Gully Track to the Delegate that lies just a few kilometres from the state border between NSW River Tunnel. The site is listed in the Victorian Heritage Register and and VIC. We continued south to Mount Delegate where we hit our was created during the Victorian gold rush. In 1889 the tunnel was first dirt going up on a fairly graded track that offered us our first dug so that a bend in the river could be mined for alluvial gold with taste of the spectacular views we were going to see and the fun we the tunnel being used to divert the waters of the Delegate River, were going to have on this trip. effectively cutting off a long section of the original river course. TLCC NEWS APRIL 2013 37 MAKIN' TRACKS We left and saw our first bit of bush pin striping as we used the Koola Link Track, which I guess hadn’t been used much and was more like a scrubby pathway. This led us onto the Koolablak Track and then onto the Bendoc/ Bonang Track. Here we met our only locked gate of the trip and had to turn around. This seemed like a good place to stop for morning tea anyway. Backtracking put us onto the Bonang Highway for a little while before everyone was pulling up to air down their tyres. We turned right onto the Tingaringy Track to go down into the valley. It was one of those tracks that starts so steep that you are unable to see the actual track as you turn onto it, and you just have to take a leap of faith. The actual track is quite challenging with two small rivers crossings, and there are steep gravely sections towards the top. The highlight was of course the Mt Tingaringy summit at 1500 m, where you could see forever in all directions. On Mount Tingaringy we got our first really spectacular high country views. Here we definitely had lunch with a view before heading down onto the Laurie Track, which gave great adventure to all our 4WDers with some great climbing and descending. Here we had our only serious incident of the trip with Robert casually calling that he had stopped and was hanging over the side of the mountain, having slid off a rock onto the soft edge. The section was single lane with a very steep drop and very little room to the side. Rachael was out of the car after having crawled over Robert to get out of the driver’s window. Everyone stopped and recovery options were discussed. We were extremely lucky to have Stuart behind us in the convoy that calmly took charge of the situation and told us what was going to be done. He used his hand winch and a tree on the high side to pull Robert’s car sideways to safety. It only took him about 30 minutes once he had assessed the situation to perform the TLCC NEWS APRIL 2013 39 MAKIN' TRACKS A 400 metre walking track lead to a cliff-top lookout over the gorge. It is to the west of McKillops Bridge and downstream from the junction of the Little River Falls. It was magnificent. Offering dramatic and unexpected cliff-top views over Victoria’s deepest gorge, and dropping 610 m off the Wulgulmerang plateau. Further along the road we found the Little River Falls car park, with another 400-metre walk to a viewing platform to see the falls. Then recovery and it was done to the book. Just like I had seen it done at we started back to Little River Junction which is where the Snowy Driver Training, it has made me consider doing the recovery course! and Little River meet, we stopped and had a late lunch here and I commented on this to Stuart who quietly smiled then said he had wished we had all brought our swimmers as the Snowy River was at done many years as an instructor at Driver Training and apparently her best here and it would be a great place to cool off. using a handheld winch is like riding a bike - you just don’t forget how. We returned to our camp to spend a relaxing evening and enjoyable happy hour together. Just as Robert told all of us to be aware of a Next we were onto the Armstrong Track, which had an extremely really cheeky possum that had come into the camp area, a torch steep descent and gave us a taste of the some of the tough tracks caught Renee and Piet’s rooftop tent, clearly showing the cheeky we were going to experience throughout this trip. We then headed possum three quarters of the way up their ladder going into their south to the famous McKillops Bridge, which gave us access to the tent. eastern side of the Snowy River where we stayed for the next two nights at McKillops Bridge campsite During the evening we all became aware that a medical problem had occurred for Michael. We tried to help alleviate the pain but Day 3 - Friday during the night it became obvious he needed emergency medical As the previous day had been pretty full on, and we didn’t have to help. move camp, we had a later start this morning with the convoy out Unfortunately help could not be raised before 6:00 am and would by 10 am to explore the Snowy River area. not arrive until 10 am the next day. First, we had a look at McKillops Bridge, which is one of Victoria’s Stuart and his family was the first of a few members who had to sites of historical interest as it represents an example of early withdraw from the trip - our first DNF. European settlement and land use. This bridge is one of only two We continued on with all our heartfelt concerns being left with bridge crossings of the Snowy River in Victoria, and significantly Stuart, Michael, and Amy. marks the area that was worked for silver and lead in the 1890’s. Then we were off to see Little River Gorge, Little River Falls, and Day 4 - Saturday Little River Junction. To get there we had to use Bonang/Gelantipy We were back on the track by 8:30 am. Going back across McKillops Road. The ascent up to Little River Gorge from McKillops Bridge was Bridge and continued east for about 700 metres where the Deddick very narrow making dealing with oncoming traffic very precarious. Trail is found on the right heading south. It is on the eastern side of 40 TLCC NEWS APRIL 2013 MAKIN' TRACKS Day 5 - Sunday By 9:00 am we were leaving our Snowy River Camp and going into the township of Buchan for a needed refuel and re-stock.