Shepparton Adventure Club home
TRIP REPORTS
THE VIKING with Benalla Bushwallkers – 7-8 November 2009
Reading a plug in our last newsletter about an
upcoming hike to The Viking with The Benalla Bushwalking Club certainly caught
my eye. For many years I have admired it across the Terrible Hollow from the
Crosscut Saw and promised myself a visit. A phone call later and I was booked
in. So on Friday 6th I met up with a friendly bunch of
bushwalkers in Benalla and we headed up to the picturesque
So at about 9.15 seven hikers
bid farewell to our drivers and headed up the rocky foot track to
From the saddle we climbed
up and over
It was up and at ‘em early next morning and we were soon steadily climbing up
through the tree line and the conglomerate cliffs of the Viking, with views
improving all the time. Eventually the path up through a scrubby gully led us
to a chimney, where we had to pass up packs and make a 4-5 metre scramble up to
the top of the cliffline. From here the view was fantastic! We could retrace
our path from yesterday’s trek and clearly see beyond back to
Continuing on was rather
slow going, as so often happens in a wilderness area, the track was rather
obscure. We were very grateful for the occasional marker to reassure us we were
on the right track. Once we got to the end of the summit plateau we had to
negotiate two extremely steep gullies that led us down off the Viking and we
all managed without any major mishap. Eventually we arrived at Barry Saddle and
all cheered when we saw two vehicles waiting for us. Doug was ready to help us
celebrate a successful trip with an assortment of cold soft drinks, beers and
even a thermos of tea. Thanks heaps Doug, that beer was like gold!
So completed a terrific walk
and I am greatly indebted to the Benalla Bushwalkers for inviting me along. My
sincere thanks to all for being such a friendly group and making me feel so
welcome. It would be good if we could foster more participation with our
neighboring clubs and I can certainly recommend Benalla as a great group to go
away with.
… Brendan C
We all travelled
to our camp spot on Friday with some arriving and setting up as early as
We camped both Friday and
Saturday nights at Pioneer Bridges 2km SW of Everton. This is a camping area on
the
Marty brought along a gas
BBQ, long table, some spare chairs, lights and a cool box and fridge that we
could all use so we had all mod cons.
The Bike Ride:
As there were only 6 riders
plus Marty and Steve not riding we loaded up two vehicles on Saturday morning
with bikes and people to travel the 60kms to the Bright Railway Station. Marty
and Steve then drove back to camp leaving us to ride the trail without having
to worry about a car shuffle which was a great help.
Riding Day 1, Saturday:
Bright, Porepunkah,
Eurobin, Ovens, Myrtleford, Gapsted,
Bowmans,
That evening we all took
advantage of the BBQ and prepared our tea using it. Marty also took some wood
along and lit a campfire which provided for a very convivial evening.
Riding Day 2, Sunday:
Pioneer Bridges back to
Everton and the Rail Trail, Everton Station, Tarrawingee
Station, Londrigan Station site, Bowser, Wangaratta (
Total Distance: 34 kms for the day. As we headed down the highway on our way
home we noticed that really strong winds had developed. By the time we got to
Shepparton they were gale force. We were extremely lucky to complete the days
riding when we did!
Participants Riding: Chris & Len, Richard G, Lea W, Patricia P,
Suzannah T.
Camp Minding and
Relaxing: Marty and Steve.
Thankyou to you all for a great weekend.
by Chris T
MID WEEK
On quite a warm day a group
of 12 mid week walkers followed the almost unused road track along the ridges
and
A fairly lengthy day
by Richard G
MIDWEEK
Elaine led a chatty bunch up
Mt Black for the May mid-week walk. Mt Black is just west of Nagambie on the
It was a beautiful day with
very clear visibility all the way across to Mt Major with the
This is a very picturesque
picnic spot and well worth a repeat visit. A nice coffee by the banks of the
Chris H
HUME & HOVELL WALKING
TRACK - 6 to
Back in 1824/1825 a couple
of blokes by the names of Hamilton Hume & Captain William Hovell and six
assigned convict servants and a selection of bullocks and horses explored a way
from Appin (Sydney) to Corio
Bay Port Philip (near where Geelong is today) and
return. I guess little did they think that 163 years later a walking track
would be established in their memory. But that’s what happened in 1988 when
after quite a number of years in the planning by various enthusiasts the “Hume
& Hovell Walking Track” was opened as a bicentennial project. Today’s
walking track commences at Yass and finishes at Albury, approx. 450 kms.
On
The first day was possibly
the most demanding with a 700 metre vertical climb in
the first 4 hours. That was a bit of a test for tight muscles and heavy packs.
It was decided after the end of day three that the last 20kms could be done in
one day instead of two, with Marty taking the overnight packs in his vehicle
and the remaining seven walkers taking day packs. It took them 7 hours, a good
effort as it had quite a bit of ups & downs. The weather was just about
perfect with clear skies, light winds and temperatures in the high teens/low
twenties. We had a short shower of rain shortly after arriving at our starting
point, after which it remained fine for the rest of the trip. Prior to
commencing the walk the Ranger warned us to be on look out for snakes, we only
saw two which livened everyone up. Also after he returned home Bruce found that
a bush tick had attached itself to him.
The track has formal
constructed campsites with pit toilets and undercover areas and access to water
at approx one day intervals. We were somewhat spoilt by Marty as he carried
folding chairs, had the fire alight when we got in each night and a shower
available if we wanted one.
He always had nibbles and
availability of a cold drink for those who wanted one. He had even dug a bush dunny at our one informal bush campsite. The track is well
signposted throughout making navigation very straightforward. Track notes and
maps and a guide book are available (for a reasonable price) through the NSW
Dept of Lands office in Wagga Wagga.
Altogether a great walk,
good company with lots of laughs. What else could you wish for.
Richard
MIDWEEK
Wednesday 26th of March, six mid-weekers met at
We headed back to the cars, with the intention of having lunch at Rocky
Ned’s Lookout. As it turned out we had lunch trackside and then it was time for
some bushbashing – straight up! Fortunately we
eventually found a track, which led us to the lookout and some great views of
the valley, sunshine to the east and rain heading our way from the west. We got
back to the cars rather wet, but there were no complaints.
We got back to Shepparton about
Marj T
HIKING IN THE GRAMPIANS
- April 2008
Marg and I met up with Helen, Lea and Pattie at
the
Our first hike was my long
time favourite – the
Our second day took us on a
climb to the summit of
The next day we bid a fond
farewell to Lea and Pattie who unfortunately had to return home to the dreaded
work commitments. Meanwhile Helen, Marg (sporting technicolor bruising from a fall the previous day) and I
headed off to Bee Hive Falls and an 11km hike up to Briggs Bluff. We were again
treated to beautiful weather and rugged rock formations, which are a great
feature here in the northern Grampians. Lunch on top of the bluff offered
wonderful views down to Roses Gap, some 400m below us.
Thursday was moving day and
we shifted base down to Halls Gap. Along the way we took in a short hike to
Reid’s Lookout and the Jaws of Death – the amazing rock formation overlooking
the remote
Over the next couple of days
we completed walks to the Pinnacle, in the much visited Wonderland and
Brendan C
Chris, Lea and I enjoyed the
scenic drive Friday through the hills, on the drive to
Great relief to
find ankle deep water with stepping-stones. Still I got stuck sitting on a rock, fearing I was
going to go head first standing up with the weight of my pack, needed a hand
up! We settled under a shady tree with
magnificent view of the cove for lunch. The walk/ climb to Refuge Cove was even
more challenging, not only physically but mentally as you have to watch for
every tree root, leaves and stone, so not to trip or slip. I was coping okay
though my knees were not. Finally the beautiful Refuge Cove, now I know why we
have stomped 4+ hours up and down and around mountains to get there! As we
waddled through the sand with our heavy packs, past the ‘Boat people’, sitting
back in their comfy chairs sipping wine and beers. I felt like a penguin on
parade!
The Graffiti wall an
interesting idea that clearly works. I didn’t need the thermals as the weather
was mild. I was pleased with my food and water rations, being a first timer
that was a challenge in it’s self.
We watched with interest the
activities of the boat people (owners of fancy fishing boats with big fishing
rods and motors) Pleasant evening (I was pleased with the presence of a toilet
hadn’t expected to have one.) Comment was made as we left next morning of the
lack of wild life presence. 15 minutes into our walk we awoke a tiger snake
soaking up some morning sun; don’t know who got the biggest fright. Another
snake later in the day found by the fast walkers, (not I) needed coaxing off
the track via large tree fern frond. We all remarked on how fresh the ‘day
walkers’ coming in the opposite direction smelt. I’m guessing we didn’t smell
that flash. Some young boy walkers (12/13 yrs) with overnight packs came
scurrying up the rocks as we took a break. When asked if they were on their own
they said “our parent are miles back, they’ve probably just started”, a couple
of minutes later some red faced parents trying to catch up with the boys came
puffing up the rocks. There was plenty of shady walking most of the time
through the lush rain forest but the last couple of km was open to the very
warm sunny day. Making the end of the 16.8 km walk very tuff, the car park a
very welcome sight!
I work in an aged care
Hostel. I had been telling the residents about my big walk, so I washed and
repacked my pack and wore my hiking gear to work the next day. At morning tea I
pulled everything out of the pack explaining what it was for as I went, I set
up the tent and demonstrated the mattress etc. They marveled at it all. I felt
like a magician! It was worth the effort from the amazed looks of disbelief on
their faces, and the laughs, to the stories they told me of their adventures,
and boy have they had some adventures. One lady told me the next day “I didn’t
think you were ever going to stop pulling things out of the Bag”
Helen F
Mt
The
The young ones completed
walks to the Monolith and The Cathedral.
Thank you to those who
participated in the weekend. I’m looking forward to
Helen F
Canoeists bring
rain!! - Feb 2008
Intrepid SAC canoeists
brought much needed rain to Shepparton and districts (sadly nothing in Tatura)
on Sunday the 3rd February.
Lead by Club President
Richard, the party included five other club members - Alfred, Maartje, Marge, Robyn and Chris - and two guests, Mal and
Faye. The day started out quite warm and humid at Murchison where we disturbed
an enormous swarm of hungry mosquitoes.
Fortunately Marge had remembered the trusty insect repellent (horse
strength no less) which worked a treat.
Along the
Richard demonstrated his
superior leadership skills by unwrapping his
The paddle finished in
Chris H.
MACALISTER SPRINGS FROM MT SPECULATION - JANUARY 2008
Dave R and Greg L left a
drizzling Cobram on Friday afternoon bound for camp
at the foot of
Some day I would love to do
it again, on a fine day of course. Unfortunately we did not see any wildlife,
only wombat deposits on rocks. The
Greg L
The author who promised to
write up the first-day report did not live up to his/her promise (we will not
reveal his/her identity!!!). But the
editor can reveal that the group participants were Chris K, the brothers
Richard and Geoff G, Maartje and Alfred H, Judy M and
Greg L. On Wednesday 7/11 we drove to
After the
“disastrous” event of the first day (the forgotten back pack!!) we all left
crisp and well-supplied with lunch goodies in our day-packs. Leigh was waiting
for us with his little 4WD bus and we departed in convoy to our final
end-of-the-day-drop-off-point at Princetown at the
mouth of the
The Gellibrand
was in flood and we followed it for a while on a back-road, the “
First stretch
was down on the beach with coastal views, rock pools, old shipwreck remnants
(anchors and winches), and fresh-water seeps coming out of the rocks; very
enjoyable walking indeed. After about 4 kms the track left the beach and found its way up the
cliffs where we had lunch at the National Park camp site, called Devil’s
Kitchen. Beautiful views (again); keep in mind to come back one day!!
The afternoon
was a bit more of a test. The track followed a 4WD track on top of the ridge
with occasional views of the sea and good views inland over the
On the way
back to camp we had the (by now) traditional coffee stop at Lavers Hill. Back
at camp most put up feet and relaxed but Judy/Alfred decided that it was time
for some additional beachcombing and came back with stories about abalone
poachers. Alas, we will never know the truth about this story.
Mid-week Bike Ride - Oct 2007
Meeting at 9:30 am in the
car park near Billy’s Bakery in Mooroopna, 3
participants, Maartje, Richard and myself, set off
for some exploratory as well as some reconnoitered bike riding. We followed the
road down behind the Royal Mail, onto a track that took us under the railway
line. It was a bit of a push up the embankment but once up we passed through
the gate into the Mooroopna Common.
We then followed the tracks
along the river towards the far end of the Common. Here we passed through
another gate, up and down through some washaways
following the tracks around to Raftery’s
It was a warm but pleasant
day, with some cloud cover so not too hot. The bush had a touch of green so
didn’t look too drought stricken. We traveled about 18kms and it took about 2
hours – lots of talking of course!
Thanks to the participants
company.
Christine T.
Kayaking the
We couldn’t have ordered a more suitable weekend of weather for a white
water kayaking adventure. Prior to the trip, a work colleague had warned me
about the crisp cold water of the Goulburn River at Eildon (and of the eddy’s
and shear lines – but that bit will come later)
So to have 30+ temperatures in late March made the risk of a dunking in
the Goulburn not too bad fate. After connecting the canoe trailer, Neville and
the Gills headed over the Strathbogies to Alexandra
and arrived at Blue Gums before
I thought I knew a thing or two about kayaking on rivers, but the
After lunch, we did a car shuffle and left the trailer and car down at
The paddle down to
This session involved getting Miranda onto the water in the
After lunch, we had our last paddle, which involved shooting both sets
of rapids and using all the skills we had picked up over the weekend. Peter,
Andy and I showed how accomplished we had become by not capsizing and then Nev showed how much more we could accomplish by showing how
easy it is to paddle in and out of the rushing water in the main parts of the
Rapids. We then dragged the boats up the bank, and worked out that it would
save a lot of effort to move the trailer to the boats, rather than the other
way round.
Thanks Neville for your patience and instruction over the weekend. I not only faced some of my own fear over
capsizing a boat in the middle of rapids, I also gained some confidence in the
rapids and gained some respect for the power of flowing water. On the falling
out score, it was Peter 1 and his Dad 3. (My excuse is that Peter does not have
as much mass sticking out of the top of the kayak, thus making it harder to
capsize!)
Bruce
Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail
- 12-13 November 2005
Nine budding cyclists met
at Lilydale railway station on Saturday morning –
arriving in 6 cars – Alfred and Richard
from Tatura, Christine and Len from Mooroopna, Andrea
from Toolamba, Lea from Shepparton, Patricia from Bacchus Marsh, Evan from East
St Kilda and Penny from Pascoe Vale.
After leaving our cars
parked at the railway station, and in almost ideal riding conditions, we set
off through the Lilydale shopping centre to the start
of the “Warburton Trail”. This track follows the alignment of the old railway
line to Warburton some 40 kms away. After an initial uphill climb for the first
two kms or so, the next half of the ride was largely
down hill which made riding a breeze and good fun. Not surprisingly Alfred was
soon busting for a coffee & it was not long before we made a fairly lengthy
stop for refreshments. The shop we picked must have been low on staff as we had
nearly a 45 minute stop at this point.
Then on the way again through picturesque farming country, crossing many
roads which kept us on our guard as many of the crossings did not have gates or
rails to slow us down and some cross roads were quite busy.
As the day progressed the
number of cyclists and pedestrians increased and it was often necessary to ride
single file to avoid those coming the other way. This is obviously a very popular track and
well worth the effort to traverse it.
After rest stops for
lunch etc we arrived at the Warburton Caravan park at about 2.15pm where we had
booked two cabins (albeit 150 meters apart), giving the car drivers ample time to catch the bus back to Lilydale to retrieve the cars and get back to Warburton
(via the Launching Place pub for a lemonade). Evan departed the group at this
point leaving 8 of us to enjoy evening dinner at a local Polish Restaurant.
Excellent food at very reasonable prices with a selection of Polish beers from
5.5% to 7.00%.
After walking back to our
accommodation in lightly drizzling rain we settled down for the night with a
few sore legs and muscles. It was pleasant to be lulled off to sleep with the
sound of rain on the roof.
Sunday morning saw the
group further split up with Lea & Pat & Andrea & Penny returning
for home early. Some of us had breakfast at a local B&B on the river bank.
Following which Chris
drove the 3 boys to the top of Mount Donna Buang from
which they freewheeled their bikes downhill the 17 kms
back to Warburton at an average speed of 42.5kph. Alfred hit 55kph at one
point. The air was very cold and the road wet at times which made high speed
riding a little precarious on bends. Exhilarating good fun though. We then drove home via the
Thanks Christine for
organizing a great weekend. Good fun and good friends - just what being in
S.A.C. is all about. We must do more of
these relatively easy rides. There are a number of good rail trails in
Richard G
Back in June a
group of seven walkers enjoyed a great hike in the Strathbogies
- to the
It was
forested along some of the creek and there were areas of natural growth, young
trees, but we were dismayed to find some areas quite close to the creek had
been bulldozed. We crossed the creek several times before reaching the amazing
falls in a less forested area.
The water
flowed over a sheer drop of approximately 20 metres then meandered around the
huge boulders below. It is a beautiful spot on the creek and our guide informed
us there is always water there. We climbed down on to the rocks below the
waterfall and soaked up the beauty and atmosphere of the place as we ate our
lunch. We walked back along the creek before returning to the cars. We thank
Marge Thompson for arranging the guide and leading us to this beautiful place.
Rivers Walk - Echuca
- July 2005
In July, four
walkers went to Echuca. We walked a circuit of about
four kilometres. Starting from the wharf, we walked
north along the bank of the
This is a very
pleasant walk through the tall red gums and the many house boats moored along
the banks of the Murray as well as the old steamers plying the waters provide
plenty of interest.
After enjoying
a leisurely lunch in the sun, watching the activities on the river, we returned
to the car and drove east out of the town along the
We drove along
Cathie M
Tree Planting at Lurg (near Benalla) - Regent Honeyeater
Project 27-28 August 2005
Well, we worked our butts
off! After Ray Thomas gave us a very interesting talk on the tree planting
projects he has been organising, Judy decided to organise a club trip to assist on the tree planting weekend
on 27/28th August at Lurg. Len and I, Judy and Ted,
and Lea and Alfred joined the SAC contingent meeting at the Benalla PO at
On Sunday, back out to the
property at Lurg for more planting up the other
creek. Not as many people turned up on Sunday! So, more planting and a BBQ
lunch to finish up the day. Over the weekend we planted nearly 4000 trees and
shrubs – a mammoth effort. We had a great time doing it as well and hopefully
with the restoration of the habitats the Regent Honeyeaters, the sugar gliders,
phascogales will return and grow in numbers over the
next few years.
Mt Howitt & The Crosscut Saw Hike - 28-30 Jan 2005
ZILCH was the theme for this walk, from early the first day to late each
night.
It started warm on Friday as we four stretched our legs along the old
track beside the
Next morning there was ZILCH cloud in the Wonnangatta
valley as we dawdled out to the Crosscut Saw admiring the scenery all the way.
Mt Speculation looked a long way off with ZILCH flat sections along the
way. Packs were dropped at the top of
Thorn range/Stanleys Name Spur and only lunches &
coats carried, except Denis had ZILCH raincoat.
The cloud and thunder came closer and little rain showers caught us as
we met a few other walkers, but ZILCH lightning. At Mt Buggery the heavens opened and ZILCH
was spared its intensity. Lunch was a wet affair and with views down to ZILCH
we about-faced back to our packs. A few hours later we were re-loaded and climbing
down the steep pinches on Thorn range to reach our night’s camp, now with rain
back to ZILCH. But it didn’t last and as
soon as camp was reached the merciless heavens opened again so it was tents up
and inside with ZILCH time to spare. Two
hours later it was over, just in time for tea and a few rounds of ZILCH by a
lovely fire. And it was ZILCH dishes for 3 out of 4 again - freeze dry meals
were very popular (“Just add 1 cup of hot water to pouch and sit for 10
minutes”).
Denis claimed there was a wombat snooping around camp during the night,
probably looking for those ZILCH dice. Now just a nice stroll along the spur and down the old 4WD track to
the
Watch out for Brendan and his six dice (and almost ZILCH-sized scoring
paper) on your next trip.
Greg S
How to play ZILCH
Take 6 dice.
Roll them.
Ask Brendan what your score is.
Trust Brendan.
Roll again if Brendan says so.
Pass on the dice when Brendan says to.
Continue until the first person reaches 10,000 points.
Let Brendan catch up to leader.
End. Play again.
Razorback Ridge to Harrietville
walk
The weekend of 12th –
14th November was spent at Freeburgh Cabins and
Three vehicles left the
caravan park around
We were met by wintry
conditions at various points along the track to Federation Hut, with icy winds
and snow biting hard in the more exposed parts of the ridge, but conditions
improved at several points and we were able to get dramatic views of the
surrounding mountains and down into the valley below. On either side of the
track could be seen amazing stunted snow gums, iced over white by the freezing
conditions, with icicles hanging from the branches. It felt like a winter wonderland
scene.
As we passed the turn
off up to
On approach to our
planned lunch stop at the site of the former Federation hut (burnt down in
recent fires), snowfall was quite heavy, and so we continued to a slightly
lower elevation. Suddenly the weather cleared with blue skies and sunshine
appearing so the group decided to stop for lunch and a well deserved rest at
around 1pm. Ted was heard to comment over lunch that it was just as well Judy
hadn’t come along as she would have been whinging
about the cold conditions all of the time! That’s Queenslanders for you…can’t
cope with a bit of snow and ice!
After an enjoyable lunch
we continued along Bungalow Spur and descended via Wombat Gap towards Harrietville, passing through stands of Woollybutt
trees still recovering from the recent fires in the area. At lower elevations
lush green vegetation could be seen with abundant ferns and lots of colourful spring flowers. During the descent the snow
turned to rain for a while but eventually we were greeted again by blue skies
and sunshine towards the end of the walk and we arrived back at the cars at
around
Alvin M
GRAMPIANS Walks 16-17 October 2004
Four eager walkers
headed off to the Grampians on Friday for a two night base camp at Troopers
Creek. On arrival we just had time for a brisk walk to the
Thanks go to Brendan
who happily shared his expertise with all and the other campers Sandra and
Dennis for their enthusiasm. A rewarding weekend!
Cathy M
On the 7th March Ted, Richard and
myself headed off to do the walk from Hotham at the
Razorback from Diamantina Hut across to Federation
Hut (10.2km), then down to Bungalow Spur and into Harrietville,
a total of approximately 22kms (23 kms when counting
the kilometre to the Harrietville
pub for a revival refreshment).
We were ferried up to Hotham by Judy and Kathy – who then went off with the
lovely
It was a warm – but not too hot –
Sunday when we headed off at approximately 10.15am to start the walk along the
Razorback. There were a lot of cars parked on the side of the road, so we knew
that there would a lot of company on the walk (apparently there were at least
30 tents staying overnight at Federation Hut on the Saturday).
The path was easy to follow but your
still had to look where you were putting your feet. There were some great vista
views across to
We decide to go on to Bungalow Hut
for lunch and replenish the water bottles for our walk down into Harrietville (10.3km) from Federation and down hill all the
way – with some burnt areas also on the track. We made it to the Harrietville car park at
... Chris F
Mid Week Walk
at Sheen's Creek, Euroa
Linda and Betty
were not well enough to walk but Doug agreed to meet us for lunch and provide a
shuttle car for the end of the walk.
We began the
walk at Sheen
We continued
walking to re-join the track lower down to where Doug had parked his car.
It was a short
walk of about 7.5 kms which three of us extended as
we walked towards our lift home. We all enjoyed the day thanks to our leader Marj.
... Cathie
Bonding at Mt Howitt
- 17-18 April 2004
What happens when you send 13 walkers from the sunny, parched plains to
the distant mountains for a weekend? Nature throws up something completely
different, that's what.
The original idea of an overnight walk up and down Mt Howitt was thwarted by the lack of water up on high, so
Richard changed it to an "easier" base camp weekend with two day
walks. Friday night we 2 & 4 WD all the way past The Bluff and Mt Lovick to Lovicks Hut, where we
pitched tents by headlight amongst the horse and cattle dung and snowgums.
Saturday dawned foggy and damp so most of us started (and as it turned
out, ended) the day in long pants and plenty of layers. The objective was Mt Howitt via Mt Magdala, a modest daywalk we thought. The views along the way are fantastic,
if I remember rightly from the last time I was up here, but today it was all up
to the imagination. The track went up and down and up and ... and was sprinkled
with rocks just to test us. The showers came and went, and the wind grabbed at
us anytime we got near the ridgetop. Glasses fogged
up and gradually everyone's feet got wet. From the treeline
below Howitt's summit we made a sprint for the bare
top, had 30 seconds in the freezing wind, then back down again to the shelter
of the trees for the quickest lunch ever. Over seven hours after we left we
straggled back into camp to find Lovick's horse group
had ensconced themselves in the hut we had been coveting all the way back. Some
jumped in to bed to warm up while the rest had a cuppa
and started dinner before it got dark. While we milled about in the cold a kind
soul by the name of Trevor rolled up and made a beautiful fire from his store
of dry wood, something we hadn't even bothered to attempt in the wet. The rain
held off most the night, so standing around the fire was quite a pleasant way
to while away a few hours over a cold mug of red.
Saturday
..... Sunday 
It was cold in the tents overnight but surprisingly there was no snow on
the ground in the morning. Over breakfast the clouds parted and the sun came
through, which made all the difference (except for the stiff legs). Not feeling
up to another 18+km hike we instead opted for a stroll from Bluff Hut up to Mt Eadey Stoney, the first
…Greg S.
It promised to be a good weekend but only
3 members signed up !! Anyhow, not discouraged by the
lack of interest, Richard, Alfred and Maartje
departed Tatura on Saturday afternoon to drive to Queenscliff(e?;
the name for the Burrough is with an extra ‘e’). The
new highway to
Sunday morning we were
joined by our friend Rob (originally from Tatura but now in
All together a
(more or less) relaxing day; nearly 60km for the "bikie-diehards"
and a bit over 40kms for the "trainos". We arrived home with slightly sore
bottoms but refreshed minds.
And stay tuned to the
SAC calendar; in October there will be a "BLUES TRAIN" from Queenscliff to Drysdale vv!!
Wouldn’t it be good if we could get enough people together to fill a train
carriage to eat, drink and dance the night away ??!!??
... Alfred
NUMURKAH AREA BIKE
RIDE Jan 2004
On Sunday 11th January, 9
of us met at Numurkah to participate in a bike ride.
The weather was very pleasant, just right for riding, - sunny with a light
breeze. On departing the township, we proceeded along some very pretty
waterways – lots of birds, trees and shady areas. From here we passed thru a
swampland area that is being developed by the local community – apparently it
is an award-winning venture. The area is very interesting and we were able to
ride our bikes thru it along newly formed tracks.
After leaving this area we
rode along some dirt roads, thru attractive dairying country – every thing
looks so good compared to last year during the drought. We reached Mononchinos winery about
Thanks to Len for
organizing the trip and Richard, Juliette, Sandra,
Leah, Alfred, Maarjte, and one other lass whose name
I can’t remember for participating.
MID WEEK TRIP REPORT for 2003
We continue to have between ten to sixteen walkers at each of our walks.
Some of our walks had to be changed on the day because of bad weather. The
walks this year were mainly in the
... Norma.
Canoe Trip
around Lake William Hovell, upper reaches of the King River
As a
"newbie" to the Shepparton Adventure Club this was my first
experience on a trip with the club, my only contact being a phone call with
Scott B who advised me on what to bring, (comfortable clothing , thermal
underwear and lunch) where to meet (at the car park in front of Shepp Library at 8.30am). I was apprehensive 1. About my
fitness level, 2. How I would fit in with the group, 3. If there was a mishap
that I was wearing my best underwear, 4 That it wouldn’t be raining all day as
the weather all week had been miserable. Scott had assured me that comfort was
extremely important and that fashion was not an issue.
The group
included: Neville, Scott,
We then watched
Neville as he went white water rafting and demonstrated his not inconsiderable
skill on the lower reaches of the
I needn’t have
worried the weather was magnificent, the scenery beautiful, wonderful
camaraderie, no mishaps and Scott making quite a fashion statement in his
brightly coloured thermal underwear as outerwear.
... by Kayleen G.
NAGAMBIE WINERY BIKE TOUR
We met near the
Chinaman’s
WHAT WE B
Bikes: the best style of
bike for SAC trips is either a hybrid or mountain bike but with some skill a
road bike will be OK – you just need to be wary of loose gravel and sand. A few
gears are always handy for hills but there won’t be many on this trip and if
all else fails you can always walk! Various types of bikes were used – hybrids,
mountain bikes and of course Sue R was on her faithful road bike. Helmets and
cut lunches were the order of the day .
WHERE WE WENT:
We had lunch at the Mitchelton Winery after travelling
along the Graytown road until we came to the Major
Mitchell trail where we turned left. This road was dirt, which had just been graded,
but it wasn’t too bad to ride on. It was winding, with small farmlets dotted along the way. Some of the properties
looked like weekenders. The route followed along the northern most edge of Puckapunyal Army Base - its amazing how big it is. There
were lovely camping areas along this road, along the Nagambie
Lake/Goulburn River backwaters. At this spot we stopped for nibbles – lollies, chocolates, nuts, scroggin
being the order of the day.
We just about got blown
off our bikes along the stretch of the route just before Mitchelton.
The sky was black and the wind gale force. On arriving at the winery we found a
sheltered spot near the winery buildings after deciding it was too cold to eat
in the picnic shelter.
After lunch we checked
out the wine tasting and the art show. Then everybody headed for the restaurant
for a hot cup of coffee! We had a great time nattering away with our cuppas. After a short while here we set off for Chateau Tahbilk. This ride was quite pleasant as the weather had
cleared a bit and the road was a bit more sheltered. After checking out the
wines here and exploring the old wine cellars and the antique equipment on
display we continued on for the 5km back to the cars.
SPEED OF TRAVEL: As
always, we travelled at the speed of the slowest
participant. Some got ahead but waited within a reasonable distance or at the
next corner. Others had problems with their brake cables after leading the pack
all morning and were miles behind after the last winery and couldn’t work out
why!
DISTANCE: About 35 km.
XC Skiing - Mts Buffalo & Hotham - 26-27 July 2003
Well, I didn’t get any interest from SAC members for
this trip so Len and I and at the last minute, Alfred and Maarjte
with whom we met up with at a Shepparton Art Gallery on the Thursday night
prior, headed up to Harrietville for the weekend.
When we arrived at Harrietville, the town was covered
in a light sprinkling of snow. It looked like Christmas! We could have skied
across the front lawn of the house we were staying in!
On Saturday, we headed up to Mt Buffalo. We knew the
road to Hotham had been closed to
Travelling up the mountain was beautiful. The snow was all over the trees, and as
bad as the fires have been, the contrast between the blackened trunks and the
white snow was very effective.
We headed off up the
We had lunch in the shelter, watching the down hill
skiers on the slopes outside.
On Sunday, we headed off to Mt Hotham.
Of course the snow was really low. Chains were fitted to 4 WD vehicles as well
as 2 WDs. Conditions were good up the top after a
scary bit on the road on the way up where it was a white out in clouds and we
wondered where the road was! We skied around Wire Plain. The trails were all
groomed on that side so it was much easier skiing than the previous day. It
really was a great weekend with good weather and heaps of snow.
Christine T
XC Skiing – Falls Creek – 2-3 August 2003
Neville organised this
weekend in conjunction with YHA. Accommodation was at the Mountain Creek Lodge
on Friday and Saturday nights. I must say the girls who organised
the trip certainly had everybody well organised for
each days skiing and are to be congratulated on the feast they prepared on
Saturday night for 35 or more people.
Len and I couldn’t get there for Friday night due to
work commitments so we headed up to Falls Creek on Saturday morning thinking we
might catch up with the group on the mountain. We rang Neville on his mobile
when we got to Windy Corner and he said his group was heading out on Heathy Spur so we decided to go that way too. Well, I think
Neville was having troubling keeping up with them, so we didn’t have a hope of
catching up.
The weather was beautiful and sunny but there was a
stiff breeze across the spur cooling us down. We found our way onto the groomed
trail, much to Len’s liking and skied out nearly as far as Mt Nelse. We didn’t want to go back by the road, so went back
the way we had come which had some good downhill sections. We had lunch on a
rock out overlooking Mt Nelse and watching all the
skaters fly around the track.
On Sunday, we followed a few more of the groomed
trails, aiming to get our money’s worth from the Trail passes. I was amazed at
the extent of the snow grooming and would have liked to follow all the groomed
snow to see where the trails went!
When we were having lunch we met up with some
Shepparton people who were camping out over the weekend. It was great to see
them up there. I am not sure if they are paid up members of SAC or not – they
will know who they are and perhaps we can encourage them to renew their
membership!
With so much magnificent snow on the ground I only
wish more SAC members were attending the trips. The YHA people are a bunch just
like us (even though they come from Melbourne) and I would like to encourage
members of SAC to join their trips and keep the skiing going as an activity for
our club. Neville has done great work in organising a
cooperative approach to ensure that we are covered by Public Liability
Insurance on ski trips.
Christine T
ANZAC WEEKEND IN MARYSVILLE 2003
A three-night
base camping trip took place over ANZAC weekend in the scenic mountain resort
town of
We awoke to the
sound of squawking cockatoos &
Saturday we
awoke to another glorious sunny autumn day. After breakfast we all headed off
to the Cathedral range to meet up with Barbara and girls. The hike began from
Ned’s Gully camp and picnic area. A steep climb up through a forest track, with
the distant sound of lyrebirds, led us to Ned’s saddle. Barbara’s two girls led
the way and reached the saddle first, where a well-earned rest was enjoyed by
all.
We awoke to a
damp, cloudy Sunday morning, which reminded
Many thanks to Cathy and Judy for organising
the trip.
…
MID WEEK WALKERS
On Wednesday 26th the mid-week walk came to Euroa. We had ten walkers who met at the Seven Creeks park
where we enjoyed a "cuppa". To start the
day off. the walkers headed south along the creek but sadly without a lot of
water. This took us through the caravan park along the Apex walk track to the
"rockies". We continued along the creek,
involving a little "bush bashing". The creek being dry we could cross
it without much trouble, taking us on to the Strathbogie
road and up the Balmattum Hill to the Rotary rotunda
which gives you a lookout over the creek, Euroa and
the freeway.
We returned back to the creek walking along the other
side back to the park where we had lunch and a chat.
After lunch some of the party dispersed for different
reasons leaving us with four walkers. Those walkers headed north or downstream
if there was water. This took us along the second stage of the Apex walk still
on the creek down to the butter factory, which was on "Hot Auctions"
on T.V. We crossed the bridge and back along the other side of the creek back
to the park where we had a chat and all went our own way.
A great day was had by all.
Betty, Linda and Doug
YARRA TRAIL
Who said that the adventure club had to stick to the
bush? On
We could not have asked for a better autumn day - 25
degrees, sunny and not a hint of a head wind. The only challenge we faced was
finding a park amongst all the dog owners arriving at
Following lunch and a few beers for some, the
remaining 9 (Dan left us after lunch) tackled the remainder of the ride -
initially along Merri Creek, then re-joining the Yarra at
After trying out the Soutbank
food courts, the group split up with Peter, Cathy, Alice and Richard heading
directly back to Shepparton and Tracy, Richard and Scott catching the train to Eltham to complete the short ride back to the cars. Neville
rode off to have a quick look at the shops while Luke, Rob and Nadia set out to
catch a show before returning for their cars. The bike trail from Eltham to Westerfolds was
apparently quite a challenge in the dark (apparently the organiser
forgot to suggest bringing lights) but all returned safely.
In all the Yarra River Trail
is 35 km long and offers some great cycling in the city. It can be done on road
or mountain bike and there are some good opportunities to refuel along the way.
Scott
In my own succinct
manner (I once managed to describe a 5-day walk in 50 words for which I still
occasionally get abused by the trip leader) I will describe the trip under a
few well-chosen headings as follows:
- Wallabies
There were hundreds of
them and most of them very smelly and very dead. Walking the first few kms away from the settlement (population about 50) it
smelled bad, flies galore and it did not look promising for the rest of the
trip. The islanders apparently like a bit of target shooting. Luckily they seem
to confine this sport to the local suburbs and after about 5 km the smell
disappeared and so did (most of) the flies.
- Walking, walking
We had planned to do
about 10-15 km per day. We knew water could be a problem but had a fair idea of
where we could find it. The plan was to make a loop anti-clockwise around the
western part of the island. This involved mainly track-walking around the south
and north coast but also a 10 km rock-hopping coastal section and a 10 km
cross-island bush-bashing south-north section. As it worked out the water we
had been told would be found at the end of the island crossing was not there
and the day turned into a 25 km slog in steaming hot weather that challenged
the stamina of many of the ‘expedition’ members. The little puddle we found in
the end tasted beautiful and not too many of us worried about the quality,
especially as
- Food
This was excellently organised.
- Blisters
Plenty of them around
on the trip. You should have seen Sue’s little toe and
- Water
Enough about the animal
input under the ‘walking’ section. We had water from a rainwater tank in the
settlement, seeps on the beach (a bit salty), brown tannin-tainted stagnant
water holes, and some slowly flowing trickles that go by the name of ‘rivers’
on the map. Definitely not a place for people with weak stomachs; nobody got
sick though !!
-
At nearly 700 metres
this peak was on the itinerary for the 2nd day. However, the well defined track
on the map turned out to be non-existent and very densely overgrown with tea
trees (some very prickly too !). So we turned back and the mountain was
attacked again on the last day by the 4 keenest group members (Sue, Wayne,
Melinda and Sam) while the rest stayed at the beach and stuffed themselves with
oysters.
- Brownie
- We did not see many
of the locals (about 5 in total) and most were not too communicative. ‘Brownie’
was an exception. After the second day walk, just after arriving at our camp
site for the night (a dry lake bed behind the dunes) a motor bike turned up and
its rider provided us with optimistic information about the abundant water
resources on the island. He was a member of the Brown family, he told us. After
that encounter and subsequent searches for the elusive springs and waterholes
("if you can’t find water in the creeks, just go up a bit and look for
duck holes !"), Brownie’s promises were often quoted while checking the
falling water levels in the bladders and bottles.
- New Years Eve
We were picked up at 7
in the morning of new year’s eve by chartered boat from Lady Barron on Flinders
(I still recall the expression on Neville’s face when the shipmate rolled out the
ladder for us to climb aboard; OK, she actually was very good-looking Neville
!).
We hired a car from
Gordon the pilot (a man of many talents; owns a farm on Flinders, a farm in Leongatha, runs an airline and works behind the bar at Lady
Barron. The girls in the group reckoned he showed potential and was kind of all
right!) and toured the island in comfort in a rusted rattling minibus. And the
‘grand-finale’ of the tour was the party at the Lady Barron pub with Tassie rock band, 400 locals, excellent wine, beer and BBQ
and fireworks thrown in at midnight. A good time was had by all (if I remember
right)!!
Next day Gordon woke us
up to fly us back to the main land. It had been an experience not easy to
forget. Next time the east part of the island
MT. FEATHERTOP
TRIP
It went like
this:
¨ We got up
really early on Saturday Morning, me, Cathy, Brendan and Sue
¨ We drove to
the bakery in Bright and gorged ourselves on pasties and stuff
¨ Slogged
across the Razorback in terribly bright sunshine
¨ We totally
ignored the spectacular views, as we were completely intent on getting there
¨ Got there,
collapsed
¨ Ate, set up
camp, collapsed again
¨ Got up,
crawled towards the summit, didn’t make it.
¨ Seen some
snow, it was steep and scary.
¨ Meanwhile
Cathy pressed on to the summit, but we don’t think she made it. She came back
hallucinating about naked people dancing around up there.
¨ Then it got
cold.
¨ Went to bed.
¨ First wind
¨ Then rain
¨ Then thunder
and lighting
¨ And hail
¨ White out
¨ Got up,
packed up bailed out and went home.
MID WEEK WALKS (2002)
Our mid week walks
continue to be popular with ten to fifteen members coming along each week. We
were in Beechworth last may, starting our walk at the
powder keg and winding our way through the hill at the back. The walk was quite
steep in parts with huge rocks all around us. As usual we finished up at the Beechworth bakery before heading home.
Our walk in June was
out to a farm in Nathalia. Very dry and rough in
parts. We walked to the end of the property then back along a very empty creek
bed.
July saw some of the
walkers meet Francis Luff from Numerkah
out at Loch Garry for a good walk on flat ground. Once again every tree in need
of that rain that we are all longing for. Some walkers went to Noosa to walk with Jan. One of the highlights was the three
days we spent up in the
Norma
WEDDERBURN
TRIP July 2002
On the evening of
We set up camp on Friday
night on a property 12 kms North
of the town. The campsite was above a dried creek bed but was extremely
pleasant. We did not have many conveniences except for an outside toilet but
none of us were perturbed at the lack of shower facilities-we didn’t mind being
unhygienic for two days.
A good night’s sleep was
had by all and on Saturday morning we were ready for action. We had a leisurely
breakfast and organized ourselves for the bike ride into Wedderburn.
Di has done this ride many times in her youth and
enjoyed the memories this was creating. Everyone coped with the bike ride
famously and rode into town with plenty of energy. A couple of snacks along the
way boosted our sugar intake and kept our energy supplies high. The tour of Wedderburn consisted of the caravan park, high and state
schools, main street, eucalyptus distillery and the local market. Our next step
was Di’s mum and dad’s home where we had lunch and
left our bikes whilst we hiked through the bush to another eucalyptus
distillery. We checked out the plants, trees and wildlife when walking through
the dry scrub. This land is not unlike the
With our bellies extremely
full we mounted our bikes ready to return to our campsite. The trip did not
take long and we were soon relaxing with a wine and bikkies
by our campfire. We all enjoyed a barbecue meal, told jokes, and played games??
And with sleep begging we all retired for the night.
During the night we had
some rain but not enough for the surrounding farms. We did however have to dry
our tents off under the haystack before packing them into the vehicles.
Our next destination was Melville
Caves- an area of granite rock approximately 20 kms
from Wedderburn. These rocks always remind me of the
movie "Picnic at Hanging Rock". It is a lovely interesting area and
we climbed to the top and walked around the road back to the picnic grounds. A
barbecue lunch was had by all and we then said our good-byes and departed for
home with everyone agreeing the weekend was great. Lets hope we can have
another one in the future.
Di
From Shepparton, it’s a
seven & a half hour trip if you drive with Ted & Judy & Cathy, nine
& a half if you drive with Richard & Sue & a day and a half if you
go with Alf & Maartjee.
Our well-sheltered
campsite was only one minute’s walk from the ocean beach; hence we spent a fair
bit of time swimming, sunbaking and generally just
beach combing.
Activities available,
which some or all of us did include, swimming/surfing, walking, bike riding,
estuary canoeing, bird watching (both feathered and non-feathered varieties).
For those interested, there is also surf fishing, snorkelling
and board riding. The wild life is prolific and any food left unattended soon
disappeared, whether it be in the mouths of possums, kookaburras, magpies,
goannas (monitor lizards) and the like.
The birds and possums
were so very tame that they would feed from your hands. The monitor lizards
would roam around the perimeter of camp all day just waiting for an opportunity
for a free feed. A hysterical sight was a metre &
a half long monitor lizard entering Alf & Maartjee’s
tent and Alf’s frantic efforts to get it out again. A family of kookaburras
entertained us with their antics, one sat on Richard’s head, washing themselves
in a bowl of water we put out for them to drink and the piece-de-resistance was
one kookaburra having a wash in a bucket of water whilst Ted was carrying it.
Weatherwise we were just so lucky, with lovely warm
sunny days and only one morning when it rained.
Apart from activities
already mentioned, other away from camp activities included 4WD trip to
The
All in all, good
friends, good fellowship and a very relaxing week.
For most of us it will
not be the last time we venture there.
CANYONING -
The Friday night of the Labour
Day weekend saw Neville, Jill, Brendan, Cathy, Sue and myself
head off for the Bungonia State Recreation Area, 35km
east of Goulburn, for an adrenaline fun packed weekend of canyoning.
It was
It’s only a short walk from the campground
to the start of most of the canyons. Walking out is another matter – straight
up. We tackled the "
We continued on down the canyon (experts at
this stage) at great speed only to encounter an army group in front of us who
were developing that comradeship, team spirit and personal confidence in each
other as they abseiled down the 70 metre drop that
awaited us. So, we sat down and had lunch. This drop required two abseils and
Craig went down first to ensure all was OK. We then bypassed the army and the
last abseil, made our way along the canyon and walked up the "red
track" (straight up) back to camp.
Neville’s group arrived back shortly after.
The campground was like a motel with hot showers, flushing toilets and a
communal kitchen – were we all ended up and indulged in a few
"drinks" (and a few more for some) after dinner.
On Sunday we tackled "
… POB
RASPBURY SPUR RENDEVOUS Jan
2002
The long weekend in January
2002 will be a memorable occasion for all who joined Dave and Di trekking through the bush at Gaffney’s Creek.
Friday night saw a tired
group of guys getting to bed too late and we heard this comment many times
during the next two days. That right Dave?
Saturday morning was a
reasonable early start and our plan to walk along the mule trail to Wood’s
Point were thwarted due to happenings out of our control. Despite the change of
plans the walk up Raspberry Spur along Germes Spur,
then down to the
Along the trail Steve was
having a few problems with shin splints but carried on like a real trooper, as
did Sue with a hip problem. She walked with the strength of two men with her
never say die attitude. As for Richard, well he had a few irritations, but I
might add he walked extremely well both days.
Sunday night saw him go
down like a ton of bricks and we are not sure what to blame for this. Was it
the water, the bolognaise or maybe the company he was keeping?
Alf, the garbie muncher was in fine form
with his high fitness level and good sense of humour.
Dave certainly led the hike
with the knowledge of a bushman. Do you think this man needs a map? No way. He
can work his path through any scrub. All agreed!!
The night spent at the
Goulburn was great. Sue, Richard and Di enjoyed a
swim and spa at a very pleasant campsite. We all had a sumptuous meal, relaxed
by the fire and retired at around
On Sunday we hiked away
from the Goulburn to Army track and along the road to
On Monday we hiked up the
back of Dave’s block to the mine. Dave gave a tour of this area with Sue, Alf
and Steve gaining some information about the A-1 mines but unfortunately not
finding any gold.
I would class this hike as
medium and you would need a high level of fitness to enjoy it. Let’s hope you
an join Di and Dave next time for the trek to Wood’s
Point via Army track.
--- Dianne R
------------------------------------------------------------
MT BUFFALO - Our first Adventure Club outing – Nov 2001
A Trip to Mt Buffalo on the 24th and 25th of November
2001 was, after many months, chosen as our maiden trip as it seemed a conservative
and safe option. It was also our first chance to use a new swag that had also
been purchased many months before. This swag was seen as a necessity after an
unfortunate encounter with mosquitoes at Loch Garry earlier in the year. After
much planning, and packing of the little Hyundai to capacity, we arrived around
lunchtime on the Saturday to find a note of welcome stuck to a car from our
fellow adventurers.
We expected our fellow members would have been up
since daylight trekking the
The weather had been fine but cool, however rain was
forecast during the night and as we weren’t sure just how the new swag would
perform, plan ‘B’ was to do a Lock Garry and if the going got tough, or wet,
jump in the car and drive home.
We spent a restless evening waiting for the rain;
however, in looking back we should have been more concerned about the local
wildlife.
The Park boasts of it’s wildlife and most of it visits
the camping ground at some time during the night to clean up scraps, (some of
which have yet to be consumed), upsetting camping gear and generally creating
an adventurous atmosphere for all.
We were awoken by one of these disturbances to hear
the sound of something running quickly to escape camp. The sound of the running
heading our way got louder and closer and we braced ourselves for the oncoming
disaster. Would you believe we had set up the new swag on the wombats long
proven escape route, and with not even a "sorry mate" or "are
you O K" from the damn animal we were trampled.
Now many people have ran over wombats however few can
boast of being run over by a wombat and surviving.
We will not name our fellow members in appreciation of
the their warm welcome and fine company on this our first adventure.
John and Robin P
Canoeing The
Lagoons Near Chateau Tahbilk, Nagambie
- 2001
We set off to meet the rest of the group at
Nagambie at
We all arrived fairly close to on time at Nagambie then headed off to the start of the trip. We put
in at a spot with fairly steep banks, so that was our first exercise for the
day! Up and down the banks with gear, sliding the canoes down. We took all the
cars to Chateau Tahbilk where we were finishing the
trip – this didn’t take long.
At the first bend of the river near where
we set off there were 7 pelicans sitting watching what was going on. As we
paddled closer to them, they gradually flew off – it is absolutely amazing
watching them take off – it is like a huge jet liner but only using the power
of the air and feet on the water.
It was very gentle paddling, a beautiful
day, light wind and sunshine. The bird life was incredible. On the few canoe
trips I have done, this surpasses them all for the variety of bird life –
ducks, herons, shags, willy wag tails, swifts. The lagoons
were very picturesque, water weeds, red gums, vineyards, farmland along the
banks of the trip. We had lunch along the way on a mown stretch on the end of
the river (there were grapevines nearby). Then we paddled on towards Chateau Tahbilk. We arrived there later in the afternoon and after
carrying the canoes up the track to the cars, we sampled the wines and explored
the wonderful old cellars.
At this stage we all went our own ways. Len
and I were happy to head home as we had plenty of things to do before
Christmas. It was a really beautiful day, very relaxing and thanks to the other
participants we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Jan for organising a great trip.
… Christine and Len T
Mt Piper with the Mid-Week Walkers - 2001
This was a
trip to Broadford to walk to the top of Mt Piper.
This is a steep solitary mountain rising to 440m between Tallarook
and
Fifteen
walkers made the trip stopping for a coffee break at
Norma
----------------------------------
FOLLOWING
THE
On the Friday
night we all piled into the minibus which was going to take us to the Bright
Caravan park although at times we wondered whether we
would make it with the noises that the bus was making. Rob and Denise followed
behind making sure none of the bikes fell off. On the way we enjoyed a birthday
cake to help celebrate Pip’s 10th birthday. We even had candles for
the cake which lit up the bus quite nicely. We did eventually make it to the
caravan park and so did the bikes. Sam and Sue enjoyed sleeping under the stars
while the rest of us were in our tents. The next day after a leisurely
breakfast and a morning cuppa at the bakery in Bright
we headed off on our adventure bike ride. Scott and Rob had already left to
leave the transport at Myrtleford .It was the most beautiful day which made
riding along the track which follows the Ovens River to Porepunkah
even more enjoyable. From Porepunkah we rode on the
bitumen sealed trail through Eurobin to Myrtleford
passing the old tobacco kilns. It is a wonderful way to experience the Ovens
Valley. After a most relaxing lunch by the Oven’s river in Myrtleford we
decided that our next meeting place would be the Gapstead
winery. When we arrived we saw Alfred sitting in the minibus which was not a
good sign. The winery was closed! We then continued along the bike track for a
little distance before we turning off onto the Buckland Gap Road . Maartje missing the turnoff rode some extra kms along the track, which actually sounded rather nice.
None of us realised until we were quite a few kms along the Buckland Gap road and we had initially
thought that her slow leaking tyre had really let her
down. At this stage the minibus became quite useful especially when we had to
tackle a couple of kms uphill. There was even a steep
warning sign for cars. I actually walked up and wasn’t much slower than those
idiots who were determined to ride all the way. Well done to Peter, Justin, Rob,
and Sue who did not get off their bikes until they reached the top. The ride
down to Beechworth after that hill was a real dream.
We couldn’t believe when Pip, our youngest, who rode all the way to Beechworth with her proud dad, Mike, came off her bike just
before the
After hot
showers and pre dinner nibbles and drinks we took our sore bums and ourselves
to the local pub to enjoy a meal we all felt well deserved. We thought Neville
hadn’t eaten for a week with the amount of food he consumed.
The next
morning we went our separate ways and enjoyed what Beechworth
had to offer. We all gave the famous bakery the flick due to long cues and
ended up at the corner store for morning tea. From Beechworth
the bike track went basically downhill towards Everton. The very easy riding
downhill was enjoyed by all. This was obviously a popular part of the track as
we came across quite a few family groups. At one stage we had a group
discussion about which way to go. I, with Peter and Sue, was crazy to follow
the mad dutchman Alfred as we ended up going mountain
bike riding. It was actually quite fun for a short distance. During this part
of the track we came across a group looking at something of interest. It ended
up being a tunnel where Ned Kelly was meant to have hidden at one stage. We had
a lunch break at Everton and then continued onto our final destination of
Bowser.
We all had a
wonderful time and many thanks go to Scott for organising
the successful weekend and to Tracey for helping with the driving of the
minibus.
Cathy B
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Johnson
This annual trip was booked
again, and out of the magical hat we ended up with the Football Grand Final
Weekend. It has finally dawned on me that this is why nobody else wants to book
this weekend - I for one don't care, much preferring to be out on the Bogong High Plains than putting up with all the football
'.....".
Even though this snow
season has been very lean, there was still plenty of snow on the side of Mt Nelse to have a few runs on. There was not enough to go for
a ski tour though. We all headed out Friday night, the earlier group consisting
of Sue, Chris and Steve in one vehicle and Len and myself in the other vehicle.
The others, Pat with Richard and Peter, set off later. Due the ski season
officially closing prior to the weekend, the road to Omeo
was open and we didn
Saturday dawned bright and
sunny but the intrepid group of night walkers rose a bit later. By about
The snow stayed good all
day, not turning to slush by lunch time. The sun shone but there was a stiff
breeze all day keeping the temperature down. We headed back to the hut during
the afternoon, sitting and relaxing in the sun passing the time of day. As it
cooled down, we followed the sun over to the snow grass and once it got too
cool there, we lit the fire outside the hut. Later, gourmet meals were prepared
in the hut and consumed with much wine and frivolity. After everybody went to
bed, the rats came out to play again. This time the gnawing continued loudly
and I finally found that they were destroying a plastic container. I put it
away in a rat proof cupboard for the rest of the night hoping they would find
something quieter to chew on. They did - they chewed two holes in Sue
We had a similar start to
Sunday, those leaving packing up their gear, doing a few runs on Nelse and then back to the cars and home. Len and myself
were staying on for Sunday night so we decided to walk to Roper's Hut and back
for a bit of exercise. It was pleasant walking, but the wind was still strong.
We met up with an English couple from Sydney who were exploring the high plains
for their holidays. We checked the log book in the hut seeing that Peter and
Cathy had passed through earlier in the year. The return walk was better as the
wind was behind us. When we got back we decided to try out the shower - Len
boiled up some water and poured it into the camp shower. It was lovely to be
fresh and clean again. That night we decided to feed the rats. I thought that
if the food was easy to get they may not be so noisy! They really enjoyed Sue's
Cherry Ripe that they had nibbled on the night before but I left them two
slices of bread but they only took one - perhaps they were full!
It started raining during
the night. We woke and had breakfast, packed up and cleaned the hut. The rain
was still pouring down. By
Once
again, a very relaxing weekend with good company, fresh air and plenty of
exercise.
Christine
----------------------------
Larapinta Trail -
PART 1
It
About this time last year, Sue R,
Andrew and myself went to
Upon arriving at
.
Walk One - Sections 12 to 9
Day one - Mt Sonder
1380m- 16km
We were picked up by Charlie, the
guide who was to take us on the trip (approx 3 hrs) to section 12. We decided
to do this trip in reverse (section 12 - 9) as it fitted in better with an
overnight stay and food drop at Glen Helen Homestead. We arrived at the
beginning of our walk at Redbank Gorge, where we
pitched our tents along Redbank Creek and then spent
the day climbing Mt Sonder. Views of scalloped
ranges, ribbons of green vegetation following the creek across the plain, Mt
Razorback and Mt Zeil in the distance. This was an 8
km walk of reasonably difficult terrain including steep ascents. The area is
very remote and tranquil and the only people we came across were a fit Dutch
couple who were part of the Dutch Underwater Hockey Team!!!! The final arrival
at the top of
Day 2 - Redbank
Gorge to Rocky Bar Gap - 10 km
A relatively easy day of 10km, we
cruised along to Rocky Bar Gap at the foothills of Mt Sonder.
The vegetation varied from spinifex and Mallee Eucalyptus to dense woodlands, where we stopped on a
creek for lunch. Our campsite was a tranquil spot, along side a creek bed. On
dusk we were visited by a group of curious wild horses, who stood and watched
us inquisitively for a short time before galloping off.
Day 3 - Rocky Bar Gap to Glen Helen
Homestead - 18km (not counting walking around looking for tracks)
Not one of our better days - overall
we lost the track 3 times, making for a long day. The wet weather had made
track signs very difficult to see around water due to them either being washed
away or hidden in long grass. The day began with us loosing the track, a climb
which proved hard work, but great views of Mt Sonder
again, as well as Glen Helen Gorge in the distance and a treacherous climb down
(and one slight fall needing attention). We lost the track again and decided to
head for the Davenport Creek, which we were to cross, only to find the track
again a couple km
Day 4 - Glen Helen Homestead to Ormiston Gorge - 16km
The day started with a delightful
breakfast at the homestead and a walk around Glen Helen Gorge. We had spent
some time the previous night with the Homesteads Helicopter pilot, so we were
able to con him into taking us in his ute back across
the Fink, therefore eliminating the boot thing of the previous night. The
mornings walk included two river crossing, with one causing us to loose the
track again. The day continued with a gradual climb away from the lush growth
surrounding the rivers to quite barren, dry walking tracks. The afternoon
heated up, requiring drink stops nearly every half hour, when we were able to
find something that looked like a tree and shade. It wasn
Day Five - Ormiston
Gorge to
Started the day with a walk around Ormiston Gorge, packed (including water which we needed to
carry) and caught up with the other campers before heading off. We arrived at
the beginning of our walk to find the path now covered with water. An attempt
to cross, resulted in us sinking to our thighs and a quick decision to find
another route. We needed to climb a ridge and down a gully, which took an hour,
added 1 km to the walk, but we had only made about 100m progress on the map. We
continued with a pleasant days walk until we reached the climb to the summit.
With plenty of puffing and panting we reached the top but still had 3km to
reach the camp spot. We stopped walking with about 1km to go and 1/2 hour light
left, so we could pitch our tents on a very narrow rocky path. The sunset and
sunrise on top of the summit was glorious - making all the puffing and panting
worth while. It was only through the night that Sue and I realised
that we had been bitten by hundreds of mossies coming
into camp on dusk - approx 200 bites each.
Day Six -
This was our first real early start
(8.30am almost) because we still had a big day plus the extra km we didn
This finished what was a great walk
through some spectacular country side which we were often in awe of.
The final part of the trip report
will be in the next newsletter.
Andrea F
Sunday
After our first walk was complete,
we hired a small 4WD which we didn
Monday
We were up early (our early anyway!)
and did the Trephina Gorge Walk, which was a round
trip of 18km. This walk included a steep climb to a ridge top walk resulting in
great views of the
Tuesday
The day began with a great cooked breaky at the pub and then we headed to the Arltunga ruins. A small gorge nearby, Joker Gorge, was a
lure for lunch. The area included a few more ruins associated with Joker mine
and a pleasant gorge including wildlife like wallabies and lizards, for our
lunch time pleasure. We finished the day at Ross River Homestead, for a drink
and wandered about, planning another trip to visit again, before heading back
to
Walk 2 -
Sections 2 - 3
Day One
- Simpsons Gap to Mulga
Camp- 14km
We joined a tour group in order to
be dropped off at Simpsons Gap, where a second walk
began after a quick look around the Gap. A great days walk was had, since there
was not much climbing. Lunch was had at Bond Gap, a narrow walled gorge with a
deep water hole, with plenty of time to reflect and admire the beauty. The
interruption by a very strange individual, got us on our feet and away again. A
great track for walking though at times the grass height was up to our
underarms, making for a funny site along the track. The day was spent walking mainly
on open areas grassy flats or low rocky hills. We made it into the Mulga Camp fairly early and had time to relax and explore.
The campsite was amongst a Mulga forest and including
tables, toilet and water tank - heaven!! We shared the camp with another guy
walking on his own - though he headed off to bed really early - we couldn't
work our why???
Day Two
- Mulga Camp to Jay Creek - 17km
An easy walk across remote country
under the huge slopes of Mount Lloyd brought us to Jay Creek in the early
afternoon. A very open camp site, on a windy day was not so inviting, so we
decided to continue along the track for another few km's to make for an easier
third day. We continued along Jay Creek gorge, which is a cutting through the Chewings Range. A deep permanent pool known as the Fish
Hole was the beginning where the rocky gorge floor narrowed to only a few
meters. We climbed over a ridge and into a mulga
forest where we camped for our final night of the walk.
Day
Three - Jay Creek to Standey Chasm - 10km
We made our way to the Tangentyere Junction where the track splits to a high route
along the Chewings Ranges or the alternative low
route through the central valley. We took the ridge top climb as we had been
told is worth the effort. An hour's climb straight up resulted in spectacular
views of surrounding mountains and the winding timber-lined Jay Creek. On top
of the narrow ridge, the wind was blowing wildly and we had to rug up, putting
on coats and mittens. Walking was made difficult due to the winds, as each foot
was placed with precision on the narrow ridge. The views weren't enjoyed as
much as we would have liked, as we were keen to make our way down and get out
of the wind. The steep climb down came into the Mesic
Gully with lots of growth including cycads and palms. A much earned lunch by a
creek and then another fabulous hour climbing through springs and gorges to
reach the Angkale Junction, a creek junction at the
northern entrance to Stanley Chasm. We decided to take the ridge climb above
the Chasm as we were fearful that the Chasm might be full of water after all
the rains. A huge climb was endured with the time ticking away and our
scheduled pickup constantly in the back of our minds. A wrong turn led us back
into the chasm with no where to go due to the water. We climbed back up and
across the ridge where we found the track again (1/2 hour wasted - tick, tock -
time running out). We eventually climbed into the entry of the chasm to meet
our guide with relief that they hadn't gone without us. The bus was full and
very crammed with our packs, but we made it back to Toddy's after doing a tour
of Simpson's Gap (where we started) as part of the organised
tour. Another scrumptious meal at the Mediterranean Café - who'd believe Alice
would have such wonderful cuisine.
At the end of two weeks walking
continuously on rocks (from small rocks to huge boulders) and hard on our feet,
we were none the worse. Many people commented on how Sue and I looked with our
many spots - but amazingly they stopped annoying us after a while. This final
night brought an end to our fantastic trip, which we loved every minute of. The
variety in the landscape we witnessed was magical and I know I have fallen in
love with the surroundings and country side. A marvellous
trip which will be long remembered - thanks Sue.
Andrea F
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