The Victorian High Country
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FEBRUARY / MARCH An Interrupted Tour of The Victorian High Country TRIP participants Day 2 John & Jenny Malcolm 100 Series TD (Trip leaders) A beautiful day greeted us the next morning so camp was packed up Allan & Helen Kidd 105 Series and we continued down into Victoria where the road name changed to the Snowy River Road. We had a look at the Suggan Buggan Day 1 – February 21 schoolhouse, which was built around 1860. It was essentially a slab hut with one table and a huge fireplace at one end; I guess at most, We left home early on Monday morning, well before Sydney peak- it held about six students. After morning tea, we then backtracked hour(s) to meet up with John and Jenny Malcolm at Jindabyne. It a few kilometres to the first real 4WD of the trip – Ingeegoodbee was partly with exhilaration and a lot of trepidation (I suffer from Track leading onto Macfarlane Track and Cobberas Trail. acrophobia) that I viewed the coming days exploring the Victorian There were dire warnings from Parks Victoria on a notice at the start. High Country. John had promised we would drive a track called The track was rated as “Double Black Diamond” with words such “Billy Goat Bluff” and proceeded to expand on the views that would as “diff locks and winches recommended”, “drive in groups of four be available from both sides of the track – OH JOY! vehicles”, and “experienced drivers with high clearance vehicles and We knew before leaving that some of the tracks John had researched recovery gear”. We were to find out how right that warning was. were closed so we would have to use common sense in deciding We aired down then proceeded up the steep climb at the start of where we would go. the track. There were wonderful views of the surrounding country. Having met at Jindabyne, fuelled both the vehicles, and ourselves, The track did not seem as fearsome as implied by the sign and we we proceeded up the Alpine Way to Tom Groggin where we had made steady progress. We came to our first creek crossing and John intended to cross the Murray River and make our way down to (trip leader) volunteered to walk it. The lone traveller we had met Native Dog Flat via Davies High Plains. The first of our challenges the night before, Greg, was waiting at this point and asked if he had arrived. We found two places where a crossing was shown on the map but the river was quite deep and running too swiftly to A short water crossing attempt, and it was not even deemed safe to attempt it on foot. After perusing the maps we decided to backtrack to Jindabyne and then go up the Barry Highway. The Barry Highway was a lovely drive. A lot of which was beside the Snowy River, particularly after the blacktop turned into a dirt road (still called a highway) and eventually into something more resembling a track. We eventually pulled into the Pinch River bush camping area a bit later than expected. There was plenty of wood and a great place to camp. A lone traveller called over to say g’day; we were to see more of him later. Getting ready for one of the many deep crossings on the trip 46 TLCC NEWS OCTOBER 2011 MAKIN' TRACKS could come along with us. We were very pleased he did since we Day 3 were able to make use of his chain saw on several occasions. My son was supposed to have returned mine before the trip but somehow John took pity on us and allowed a late start at 10:00 am. There was a forgot! We then agreed on a crossing strategy, which we then very heavy dew/frost in conjunction with zero degrees overnight, so successfully followed. At this point the first hint of trouble raised its our weary bodies appreciated the luxury. John also promised an easy head – John found some plastic under his vehicle and found that day; so after saying goodbye to Greg (and his chain saw), we headed several blades of his radiator fan had come off. We continued on off on Nunniong Road past Murphy’s Hut to Moscow Villa Hut and till the next water crossing where we had lunch. I then found that the Bentley Plain Hut. These huts were in excellent condition and the the wiring on my new dual wheel carrier was dragging under the bush camping area at the Bentley Plain Hut was marvellous. A sign car so a quick fix was implemented. After John walked the creek (a at Moscow Villa informed us that the hut was built in the 1940’s by job he seemed to relish), and fitting tarps to the motors, we again a local bushman Bill Ah Chow and the acronym stood for “My Own successfully crossed and continued to the Cobberas Trail. John did Summer Cottage Officially Welcomes Visitors Inside Light Lunch not notice any radiator heating issues, however there was some Available”. Unfortunately no light lunches were seen! vibration at idle. After setting up the camp we headed off on the short trip to The Most of the track was not too difficult until we came to a steep climb Washington. This is a steam winch used in the 1960s for hauling with deep wheel tracks and high protruding rocks. John made it timber up the slopes and loading. The winch started its life in the up, and I was around 30 metres behind when I saw the difficult forests of Western Australia and was purchased by the Victorian section that John had just traversed. My vehicle slipped off a small government to recover timber from the valley floors following one sloping rock and into the deep wheel tracks where one of the rear of the more severe bushfires. tyres sustained a large cut in the sidewall. This left the vehicle in a Day 4 difficult situation as the rear diff was just behind, and substantially lower than a protruding rock I had wanted to avoid. After securing We headed south and on the Bentley Plains Road and onto the the vehicle with the winch, the high lift jack was used to change Woodhouse Creek Track, Campoven Gap Road, and the Mt Tom the tyre. This was a slow, methodical, and potentially dangerous Track. On a few occasions, it seems the GPS maps we were following process; and due to the terrain, it was very difficult to walk up the were somewhat out of date and a bit of head scratching and track to secure the tree protector. Once the tyre was changed, we checking ensued to confirm we were headed in the right direction. commenced road building to gain clearance over the rocks. Using In some areas it seemed we were the first people to use the tracks the winch and some small throttle, the vehicle eventually made it in some time. I was now regretting not hassling my son to get my to the top. Our tag-along buddy then decided to use the winch and chainsaw back! We continued on Watts Creek Rd and eventually made his ascent without any further fanfare. So after two and a half found ourselves in farm country and pulled in at Ensay for morning hours of recovery, it was a tired group that finally made camp in tea and to air up the tyres. Native Dog Flat at around 6:45 pm. It was only later that I realised OK, I knew John was not going to let me off that easy. We headed that John had 33” tyres to my 31”. No doubt, that would have helped down the Alpine Road it was time to air-down again as we turned him over the obstacles. onto the Angora Range road. After travelling through several One item to mention is that we did see what looked like specks of lookouts (it goes without saying that this is wonderful country if gold at the various creek crossings! you are not scared of heights) we then turned down the Stirling Track on our way to the Haunted Stream Track. And there it was – a The difficult and dangerous wheel change on the Cobberas Trail TLCC NEWS OCTOBER 2011 47 Trying to negotiate the fallen Crossing the Dargo River tree on the Stirling Track large tree somewhat across the road. Someone had already cut it Day 5 but I think it must have been a small vehicle since there was just enough room to get the Land Cruiser through a diagonal gap across The tyre was repaired and we were finally on our way to Cassilis the road but then there was not enough room to turn the vehicle Road and then onto the Birregun Road. We then visited Boney’s before disappearing over the edge. We gave it a shot but decided to Grave. Boney was a Kelpie and constant and loyal companion of one back out and try to come down via the Dawson City Track. of the local bushmen by the name of Peter Meehan. We wondered We managed to get down to the Haunted Stream and had lunch in at how the impressive granite monument might have compared to a lovely bush campsite. We then proceeded up the Haunted Stream his owner’s grave. Track to find the old town site of Dawson City. I guess it was there Continuing down the road, John stopped and said it was time to but the track was so overgrown it was hard to see anything.