victorian high country ?

[phs]

need some help selecting tracks to go on for my next trip to the high country over the holiydays.

heading to wood point or close toofor the first nights stay camping as im comeing lilydale way.

wanting to get from woods point to dargo in 2 days touring wanting to pass some good tracks on the way.

any suggestions would be good,

whats map would suit best ?

any adventure books or track booksthat would be good for the trek i want to do.
going with 2 other 4x4's looking to get really out into the remote area's on the way..


cheers phil

 

[Big Rig]

need some help selecting tracks to go on for my next trip to the high country over the holiydays.

heading to wood point or close toofor the first nights stay camping as im comeing lilydale way.

wanting to get from woods point to dargo in 2 days touring wanting to pass some good tracks on the way.

any suggestions would be good,

whats map would suit best ?

any adventure books or track booksthat would be good for the trek i want to do.
going with 2 other 4x4's looking to get really out into the remote area's on the way..


cheers phil

I'll be ther at Xmas, maybe we can meet up. We're heading sown through Mansfield - Jamison area to be at O'Tooles for new years eve then heading back up somewhere around Arbuckle Junction to Wonangatta.

 

[knot_gillty]

I'll be ther at Xmas, maybe we can meet up. We're heading sown through Mansfield - Jamison area to be at O'Tooles for new years eve then heading back up somewhere around Arbuckle Junction to Wonangatta.

Are you meeting anyone at O'Tooles Mark? I might see if we can make it up there for New Years.

 

[Traveller]

Hema High Country is a good map for an overall look at the area, with a Rooftop map of the specific
place you want to drive would be my suggestion. I'd look at Zeka Spur into Wonnangatta, then out
via Hearns or Wombat into Dargo area maybe. If it's dry then shouldn't be any trouble using those tracks
Two days easy drive. If it gets wet, well.....
Jok

 

[Big Rig]

Are you meeting anyone at O'Tooles Mark? I might see if we can make it up there for New Years.

I am gonna meet GG there just before NYE. I hope we can convince then to stay for a bit of a NYE bash. I have just been plotting some waypoints for the trip now. Once i'm done I might get your opinion on some of the tracks and conditions with the KK on the back.

 

[phs]

cheers jok ill look into the maps and see how i go, got no dramas with hard trks it will just slow us down but thats what the trip is all about see'ing the place and the challange to get there.

mark no dramas to meet up with ya, will be staying some where around wood piont boxing day then some how getting to dargo in the next 2 days staying where eva on the way 3 4bys only 2 seats a 4by so there should be me and 5 mates.

so for the terrain ? is it mainlt rocky ? will it after woods piont be mainly in 4x4 high and low range or is it only sections you need to be in 4x4? are we better of deflateing tyres from woods point on wards /?

iv never been there so dunno what to expect and never really gone on a long off road only touring trip. i useualy head to one area and focus on tracks around there, never really been out as remote as this

 

[GippsSurfer]

Are you meeting anyone at O'Tooles Mark? I might see if we can make it up there for New Years.

Like last year mate??? Went up to surprise you guys for dinner and you werent there!!! DOH!!

Nice arvo drive though.. and then we ended up there just after NYE for 4 nights.. had the place to ourselves for 2 nights... bloody wonderful.. lovely time by the campfire when no one is there and the kids are in bed fast asleep!

 

[Big Rig]

cheers jok ill look into the maps and see how i go, got no dramas with hard trks it will just slow us down but thats what the trip is all about see'ing the place and the challange to get there.

mark no dramas to meet up with ya, will be staying some where around wood piont boxing day then some how getting to dargo in the next 2 days staying where eva on the way 3 4bys only 2 seats a 4by so there should be me and 5 mates.

so for the terrain ? is it mainlt rocky ? will it after woods piont be mainly in 4x4 high and low range or is it only sections you need to be in 4x4? are we better of deflateing tyres from woods point on wards /?

iv never been there so dunno what to expect and never really gone on a long off road only touring trip. i useualy head to one area and focus on tracks around there, never really been out as remote as this

Thats pretty much my plan as well. I'll heat to Licola, Arbuckle Junction then up to Zeka Spur, down to Wonangatta Homestead ruins then up Wombat Spur to Cynthia Range track, down to Eaglevale then spend a bit of time without the kamper and check out Butcher Country and Billy Goat Bluff etc... From there we will go into Dargo then its anyones guess. Probably make our way through to Omeo the sasafras Gap and onward to Mt Pinibar. We'll make up the rest as we go.

As for the terrain I haven't been in this exact area before but i'm sure it will be the same as the North West section of the Alps. Whenever i'm down there I always lower my tyre pressures to about 20lb and take the tracks as they come. As long as you go steady you have plenty of opportunity to select the right gears. Get yourself a copy of the Rooftop maps "Jamiso-Licola" and "Dargo-Wonangatta". They are great maps. Keep an eye on the actual topographical features and you will see how steep some of the tracks get. These maps even have notes on whether you need any particular recovery gear for the tracks. It would be a good idea to get yourself a copy of the Hema High Country map.

If your not in a hurry your welcome to travel with us for part of the journey.

 

[bmurray2250]

If you came down there on the weekend of the 19-20 I would catch up around Mansfield before heading in the Snowy Mountains. Would like to do Craig's Hut but touring as a family means no other vehicles. Would expect to be around Mansfield on Friday no later than Saturday

 

[Nickj]

Phil
We will be camping just near Arbuckle Junction New Years Day, Sat and Sunday doing Butcher Country and Caledonia Tks and a few huts. If you only have a couple of days stick to what others have said above, but if you have a few more, be a shame to miss doing Blue Rag Tk to the north of Crooked River area. Will need more than a couple of days though to get across and back unless you go in via Bright/Mt Hotham Rd. The scenery is absolutely awesome! Nothing too challenging just awesome scenery all round.

Nick

 

[phs]

thanks nick, wont be able to say till new years day thow unfortunetly every one gonig has comitments, for new year and after.

im really lost as i dunno the area and want to see and do some good tracks just not sure where to start and finish

after looking into it a bit over the last few days im keen to go through crooked river and wonguarra as i can see on the trks map theres a few good trks up there may be even go up as far as blue rag range trk... what maps are the best for these trks ? rooftops dargo - wonnangatta adventure map ? will that have crooked river on it/ ?

and i guess im still up in the air about where to start from too im comeing from warrandyte

 

[Big Rig]

Well i've just about gotten the East section of the high country planned. We have a lot of country to traverse but i thing what we are planning is well worth it. Just got to get some local knowledge to verify whether the KK will go where i want to so i'll get a basic list of the tracks we intend doing on this thread.

 

[phs]

cool mark, where are you starting and what day ?

 

[phs]

im thinking camping the first night not too far east of licola, only about 3 hour from my house to there that way ill be able to head to through crooked river donig all the good trks through to blue rag range.

caldonia river trk
billy goat bluff
collingwood spur
basults knob trk
bald top trk
wambat ragnge trk (maybe as it might be a bit out of the way but if we do well with time will do it)
king spur trk
blue rag range.

if any one has any trks that hey think as good and on the way please add them ...




should be able to cover that much ground from licola in 2 days ?

 

[Big Rig]

cool mark, where are you starting and what day ?

Well, we will start at Merijig, hopefully the morning of 28th. The plan to start with is to head hot to Frys Hut then just bum aroung there for 2 days, maybe go out to Bluff, Bindaree then Craigs.

Leave Frys 29th and head to Jamison, Woods Point then on to O'Tooles to meet up with GG and Knot Guity if they are comming for a few days over the New Year period.

On about the 2nd we leave O'Tooles and head up Creek Rd then onto the Morning star track to meet up with Mt Useful Spur Track on to Burgoyne Gap to the Heyfield Jamison Rd. From here we will hed up to Licola. Not sure on the timeframe here but if we can't do it in one day we will just stop and cam where we feel. I guess this first section will give me an idea how the kimberly will follow and what the whole combination will safely handle.

From here we will make our way up to Arbuckle Junction then on to Zeka Spur. I'm keen to spend a couple of days on the Wonnangatta river fishing.

This should cover me for a week or so but then the tracks get a bit harder cuz I want to tow KK up Wombat spur then onto the Cynthia Range Track all the way to Eaglevale (i have done this before with a cruiser loaded to 4 t) I hope I can get the KK up and over. We'll probably stay here or at Kinswell Bridge for a couple of days to do Billy Goat Bluff and Moroka Hut.

From here onto Dargo then up the Dargo High Plains Rd and probably camp somewhere around the evening star mine so we can do Blue Rag Range Track.

Then on to Hotham then Omeo and onto the Blue Duck Hotel for dinner. Best steak around. We'll probably stay at Big River again then do a day trip up to Wallaces Hut etc.

Thats as far as my planning goes at this stage. I do want to get over to Sasafras Gap and Wheelers Creek but I have always wanted to camp on top of Mt Pinnibar. Does anyone have an opinion on whether I would get the KK up and over to Tom Groggin. Again i have done this loaded to the hilt in a cruiser with no worries but towing is a different ball game. I've gotta add, the Prado is a much much more capable car than the cruiser though.

 

[Grumpy]

Are U towing a camper Mark

 

[Grumpy]

Well, we will start at Merijig, hopefully the morning of 28th. The plan to start with is to head hot to Frys Hut then just bum aroung there for 2 days, maybe go out to Bluff, Bindaree then Craigs.

Leave Frys 29th and head to Jamison, Woods Point then on to O'Tooles to meet up with GG and Knot Guity if they are comming for a few days over the New Year period.

On about the 2nd we leave O'Tooles and head up Creek Rd then onto the Morning star track to meet up with Mt Useful Spur Track on to Burgoyne Gap to the Heyfield Jamison Rd. From here we will hed up to Licola. Not sure on the timeframe here but if we can't do it in one day we will just stop and cam where we feel. I guess this first section will give me an idea how the kimberly will follow and what the whole combination will safely handle.

From here we will make our way up to Arbuckle Junction then on to Zeka Spur. I'm keen to spend a couple of days on the Wonnangatta river fishing.

This should cover me for a week or so but then the tracks get a bit harder cuz I want to tow KK up Wombat spur then onto the Cynthia Range Track all the way to Eaglevale (i have done this before with a cruiser loaded to 4 t) I hope I can get the KK up and over. We'll probably stay here or at Kinswell Bridge for a couple of days to do Billy Goat Bluff and Moroka Hut.

From here onto Dargo then up the Dargo High Plains Rd and probably camp somewhere around the evening star mine so we can do Blue Rag Range Track.

Then on to Hotham then Omeo and onto the Blue Duck Hotel for dinner. Best steak around. We'll probably stay at Big River again then do a day trip up to Wallaces Hut etc.

Thats as far as my planning goes at this stage. I do want to get over to Sasafras Gap and Wheelers Creek but I have always wanted to camp on top of Mt Pinnibar. Does anyone have an opinion on whether I would get the KK up and over to Tom Groggin. Again i have done this loaded to the hilt in a cruiser with no worries but towing is a different ball game. I've gotta add, the Prado is a much much more capable car than the cruiser though.

If your towing a camper I would recommend u do White Star instead of Morning Star, Morning Star not really good for campers it's got a steep climb straight after Swithback and White Star is more scenic anyway.

As for Burgoyne's Gap that should be doable with the Camper but maybe arse clinching stuff going up past the Helipad and down the Staircase, would not even consider this in the wet, alternately u would have to take the long way round through Donnelly Creek-Edwards reef to Heyfield then on to Licola. Going that way I wouldn't miss doing Walhalla either.

Was talking with BUSHNUT last night about maybe doing Mt Pinnabar Tom Groggin and he said it wasn't camper freindly but PM him that's his area and he knows it well. Cheers

 

[Big Rig]

Thanks Grumpy, I did see pics of the Staircase and it frightened the shit outa me. Don't think i'll be attacking that with the KK. The drawbar is pretty long.
If I go up White Star to the McEvoys Track, would that be easy going to Heyfield. I'll take your advice and go the long way round?

 

[BUSHNUT]

Don't like the idea of Burgoynes with a camper trailer, dry maybe , but if wet , forget it especially if it has had the grader through recently .

Forget going down from Pinnibar to Tom Groggin with one , I have left Corryong on a fine sunny morning and it has been pissiantly raining up there, you could quickly become a holder of a Darwin award, they don't recommend trailers going up to Davies High plains either, a slight drizzle can make those tracks very slippery and lethal, on that trip it had snowed 50 meters higher up in elevation from Davies Plain Hut . Your juice bill will be horrendous ! In that country you have to be prepared for anything because that is very likely what you will get - towing a trailer would be pushing your luck, I feel !

 

[bmurray2250]

I am at the understanding Tom Groggin has a camp area before heading up to Thredbo. The plan to scamp a night there, is it a good stop?