High Country - Corryong to Omeo

Commencing in Corryong, resting place of "The Man from Snowy River", Jack Riley, this trip travels out Nariel and up into the mountains from there. From Upper Murray Ski Hut you proceed to Wheelers Creek Hut and over Mt Gibbo, on to Mt Pinnibar and down to Tom Groggin Station. Tom Groggin Station being the place it is believed A.B. "Banjo" Patterson is thought to have met Jack Riley and been inspired to write one of our most famous bush poems. After a night at Tom Groggin, explore the Davies Plain and Davies Plain Hut before exploring old gold mines at Limestone where you can still access some of the shafts. To cap it all off, have a look around Benambra and Omeo on the way home.

You could link this trek with trek by doing either in reverse to make a 1 ½ to 2 week trip around the best Victoria's High Country has to offer.

If you wish to do a longer trip, this trip could be linked with the trek note High Country - Mansfield to Harrietville.

To link the two, reverse this trip or High Country - Mansfield to Harrietville trek and travel the bitumen between St Bernards Hospice (just on Harrietville side of Hotham) and Omeo. Fuel at Omeo if you do this, there’s no fuel at Hotham.

Victorian High Country touring, drive throught the Murray River, spectacular views. Historic sites and hutes, old mines and a few geocaches.

Track Closures apply 31st May to the 1st December. Some tracks are precarious in wet weather (tracks are requested Dry Weather only by Parks Victoria) and some areas can experience snowfalls even in summer months. River crossing vary in difficulty depending on recent rainfall.

Vehicles with large tanks (Patrols, Cruisers, Prado’s) fuelling in Corryong will make Omeo without need to carry fuel, but if any of the many side trips you may like to do are to be taken then those with small tanks 70-80 litre tanks should consider carrying at least 20 to 40 litres.

Water is plentiful in many areas. There’s not much at Upper Murray Ski Hut, but at the other camping areas or at various points between water is readily available. Carry enough for any camps you plan which aren’t at water.

Lower vehicles may have clearance issues on some tracks due to the erosion control cross overs. Vehicles will require low range and all terrain tyres or better. Some of the steep tracks are dry weather only. This is not soft roader country.

Firewood is not hard to obtain at most areas but its collection is restricted to fallen timber only. You should be carrying a saw anyway so shouldn’t have any problem collecting firewood.

A chainsaw and recovery gear should be carried, fallen timber frequently blocks tracks. This will be more prevalent for a few years as trees damaged in the 2003 fires continue to fall.

Communications are limited to HF and Satphones for 95% of this trip. For emergencies your nearest emergency medical assistance is by helicopter (weather permitting and if you have communication) so drive carefully. This area is reasonably popular on weekends but is far enough from the capital cities to remain less than busy most of the time.

All food requirements before Benambra must be carried in and rubbish carried out. No dogs are permitted in the Alpine National Park.

The environment is typical high country Victoria, mountains, rivers and eucalypts. Dry and dusty tracks in summer, treacherous slippery tracks in some places after rain.

This area has some fascinating historical aspects. The route will take you through some of the high country that has become part of our mountain cattle heritage over the past 150 years. Unsolved murders and high country huts, cattle stations which were surely the most remote in North East Victoria, gold mining and aboriginal history abound. Parks Victoria can provide information on this area but some of the best information can be found in books by Tor Holth and Harry Stephenson for Cattlemen & Huts, and Rob Christie on gold mining from your local library. Either read up before you go or during the trip but it will double the enjoyment factor and give you or your kids a far greater insight into some of Victoria’s more fascinating history.