Shepparton Adventure Club home
TRIP REPORTS
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 GPS
and showing us exactly where we were and how far we had to go - reassuring
given the slowly building storm clouds above.
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
DAY 1: After a leisurely breakfast we set off to
DAY 2: On 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
DAY
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's Creek road near where Linda and Betty
had once lived. The walk was along a made track and took us through a valley
surrounded by the rolling hills of the
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 BIKE
RIDE April 2003
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.
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
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
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
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
-----------------------------------------
Johnson's Hut Ski Trip 28th - 30th September, 2001
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't have to pay entry to Falls Creek either, so we were able to drive
as far as we could to near the locked gate on the Nelse Fire Track. We walked
from there in bright moonlight - we didn't need our torches. The night was
quite mild but the wind did pick up as we approached the saddle near Mt Nelse.
The first group arrived at the hut at about
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's pack and one hole in Pat's pack! They appeared to be after the chocolate that was in the packs.
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's
been a long time coming - but finally a report on our trip.
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's away. The tracknotes discussed a dry riverbed
crossing which was actually a flowing river providing much relief from the heat
and frustration of the day. After an added walk to find a crossing of the river
below our heads, we headed off again with some difficulty locating the track. A
few km's from Glen Helen Lodge we reached the great
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't until the end of
this walk that we found out the temperatures were in the mid 30's therefore
giving us the reason why we were exhausted all the time - we thought we were
just unfit!!! The last few km's we came striding into the Ormiston Gorge area,
along with a number of wallabies that were racing along side us. The campsite
was great, with great facilities such as toilets and shower. In the evening we
were picked up by the staff from Glen Helen Lodge to go back to the Lodge and
have a few drinks and listen to a live band they had performing that night.
Along with us there was 6 of 9 doctors on a walking trip, 2 bike riders who had
ridden from
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't do the night before and we had a scheduled pick up
at the Ochre Pits that we desperately did not want to miss. The day started
with a very steep descent from the summit. We had some beautiful river crossings
and through some spectacular valleys. Sue commented on how lush the area was,
compared to the previous years walk. Mid afternoon we reached the
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't
believe we could fit our luggage and ourselves into - literally sardines in a
can!!! We spent the morning and our money at the
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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