This trip started two days after tuff truck With the Serra and Hassen families leaving Sydney towing camper trailers for Tom Groggen. With three full day days up their sleeves before I got there a bit of exploring around the area was done. With a drive up to Pinabar Mountain one day and another to kankoban where Rose happened to bump into Roothy doing some filming. With a quick chat and Roothy giving Max a smoked trout the guys where off again.
This is were the Kennos arrived, Friday afternoon, to find all the kids feeding the kangaroos and a beautiful stew waiting for us (The stew not kangaroo). We put up our camper for the night and sat around the camp fire only to be told how cold the nights have been a what to expect. This is a very nice place with a large area for camping along side the Murray River and that has toilet facility.
Day 1
A quick breakfast and campers put away we were off, straight across the Murray and onto Davies Plain Track. This track ran along the Murray for a couple of minute and then it was up hill from there. 1st gear low range for about 4km, from 900m to 1700m in those 4k’s.
Stopping of at Davies Plain hut for lunch and some photos it was of again. The afternoon saw us looking for a campsite witch was the poplars back down on the Murray. A very steep descent rutted track lead us to this site. A very cold night was had at this camp.
Day 2
This saw us pack up and head of towards Omeo. Some more climbs and creek crossings lunch was in Omeo, a quick shop for those who hadn’t been to town for a few days and back on the road for Victoria Falls. These fall where small and far away. May be more sactacular after some rain or when the snow melts. The afternoon was once again coming around very fast. A bush camp was made before Dogs Grave.
Day 3
On the move again we found our selves at Dogs Grave. A very nice monument for mans best friend. There was camping and facility here.
Back in our trucks Dargo was the next stop for lunch. Coming into Dargo the river is lined with some very nice properties. A good hot hearty was had at the pub. The pub has these great cabins along side it; I’d like to stay there one day.
From here we went back past the track we came in on and head for Grant. A quick look at were the town ship once was, and then for Talbortville. I was hoping for this to be our next campsite, but with a thousand campers at this site it was time to have a look at the next known site. This was at what was call Race Course.
Crossing the river we found that Racecourse was situated on a hill at about 30 deg. So we decided have a big drive onto Wanangatta Station where we wound stay for to 2 days. This was very interesting, another big climb 1st gear low range for half an hour. Got to the top to find a group of 4 wheelers watching us towing campers up this hill and better still knowing where we were going. One of the guys from this group said to Julie and I “you’re not taking those trailers down the Harne Track are you?” An unsure “uummm no” and proceeded on.
For the next 15 minutes Julie was in the maps and GPS. I saw this track and would have been all AT4 would like to dive but not with camper in tow. Although the Wombat Track was a 1st gear low range night drive down to the Wanangatta River. Lights ablaze all the way to a very tight hair pin turn and splashing across the river 4 or 5 times, and up onto the plains camp was found along the trees. Young Adian set himself of to make the fire for the night as we set up the campers.
Day 4
Waking up the next morning to fog lying across the plains it was going to be a good day. After making a coffee some said here come one of those groups from that ‘Drive For Life’. As they got closer who happened to be leading this group Duncan Scott. A quick chat and they were off.
Today was intended to be a rest day, and that it was. First up was some kind of tub. Up went two shower tents. Rose brings out this fan dangle shower thing and I went down to the river to get a bucket of water to put into the camp oven to heat up on the fire.
First up with my hot water were the kids. The generator is now humming in the back ground for the Serra kids.
Next into ours was Julie, using another bucket of hot water. A lot of “The water is cold” coming from Roses tent. I then had my go in the shower tent and still the Serra kids hadn’t been done.
Carmen and hass deciding to go with the old fashion there wasn’t much room around now with all the camp ovens heating water. I think it was Shaneice now has a head full of shampoo and now waiting from hot water from around the fire, this was a very funny moment. Although it was a relief to finally have shower after days of dust.
Later on that day the camp ovens went onto the fire once again but this time filled with lamb, beef and veggies. When they were cooking we went of a walk around the Wanangatta Station, where there is a hut, the remains of the homestead and cemerty. The kids also found two apple trees on property.
Day 5
Was going to be a day of driving all the way to Sheepyard Flats. This track had a lot of rocks, tight turns and steep hills. We got to Howitt Plains Hut for lunch. Lunch and photos done we were going again, only to find Jason Dimick down the track about 3km, so I stopped and had a quick chat with him and then head for Sheepyard Flats passing ******* Hut and Bluff hut. Once getting to Brock rd it was an easy drive to camp.
Getting Sheeepyard Flats I felt a sense of achievement that we had made it across the high country unscathed and at that moment a staked a tire looking for a spot to set up my camper.
Day 6
Today saw us drive into Mansfield for a releaked day and a winery on the way back to camp.
Max also pulled out his ARB Speedy Seal to fix my tire (Thanks Max).
Day 7
We drove to Fry’s Hut, Tunnel Bends, Craig’s Hut and on the returned trip ********* Hut that was being repaired by some guy’s from the Victoria Hut Ass
Day 8
This is were we had to unfortunely pack up and head home.
First stop was Mansfield’s Butcher for some smoked trout. Then Beechworh for lunch and quick look around. Yass was the next for fuel and dinner. We got home about 9:30pm