<span class="highlight">Craigs</span> <span class="highlight">Hut</span> Area info
Submitted: Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 12:20
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Member - Moggs
Being new to
Melbourne we are planning on doing a weekend trip up to have a look at
Craigs Hut and Mt Stirling. Not looking for a lot of driving, more a look-see and a relaxing
camp. A few questions for the
Melbourne Crew.
1. Is it possible to take a good offroad trailer in the area?
2. What is the best area to
camp? We need grass as the bub is crawling now.
3. What is the travelling time to
campsite from say Eastern Suburbs of
Melbourne?
4. Does anybody have an Ozi file for the area .
We have the Boiling Billy High Country book, however I thought I'd see if anyone can provide some further info.
Any help appreciated.
Reply By: Member - Russell S - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 13:17
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 13:17
Short answers -
1. yes, we were up there last weekend, and there's plenty of access for trailers. Most of the tracks are easy.
2. There are lots of great looking
camp sites in the area. We saw lots between
Craigs Hut and Pike's Flat. Pike's Flat was the biggest and nicest of the lot.
3. 3 or 4 hours I guess, depending on which way you go. We went up Plenty Rd to Whittlesea and on to
Yea,
Mansfield, Buller. From the Western suburbs took a bit longer.
4. Not sure what you mean. My mate has map files that he put on Ozi Explorer - I think you can buy them from map shops. I don't have any.
Very nice area up there - for camping at least. Last weekend was positively crawling with vehicles, and decent 4WD tracks seem to be non-existent, but it's a nice place to
camp. Enjoy your trip.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Moggs - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 13:28
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 13:28
Thanks Russell S
re: Ozi files - what Imeant was does anybody have a Track file or waypoints already plotted..
I'll
check out Pike's Flat. Once again, thanks for the info
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Follow Up By: Member - Russell S - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 19:39
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 19:39
My mate Gary has various track files and way points which he will probably be happy to share. You could contact him via his member profile - Member - Vic Gary W. I will also direct him to the post, and he will be able to reply there too.
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Follow Up By: Member - Moggs - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:06
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:06
Thanks for that. I will send him a member message tomorrow if he doesn't pop into this thread
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Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 21:40
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 21:40
Just spent 3 days up there this weekend.. Lead a Novice club trip with 9 cars, inc a Pathy.. Bog stock with BFG AT's. it really shocked me where it went, no probs with Montgomerys track, which was chewed tobleepat the top not that its really hard, but this was HER (YES CHICKY DRIVING) first time up there... Was really slippery and slimy with the rain, water flowing down most tracks in a good rush..
LOTS OF DEEP WATER FLOWING FAST UP THERE AROUND KINGS
HUT. 6 crossings if I remember, deepest was over
the steps of the GQ, the pathy ran a blind thru there..
I thermoed 2 headlights :'(
Mt Stirling is closed until 30th of Nov, and maybe longer.. I wanted to do it todaym, but theres a 6ftx6ft big ass green sign warning you of the $2500 fine if you do... Call parks and ask them.
Many camping spots up there, that would take a camper or maybe 2... we actually stayed in
Craigs Hut last night, but the pot belly stove in there was useless. Kings
Hut is good to stay at only 15-25 from
Craigs.. there is one
creek crossing to negotiate on the way there, today it was deep enough to flood a stock GQ on 31's that stalled in it. (under the doors)
From
Lilydale 3 hours to Sheepyard flat. With stop in
Mansfield.
We started at Sheepyard, and went to frys, and on from there following the maps.. but the weather was really chit, we even had snow....
I have an ozi of the area. Buy yourself the HUTS OF THE HIGH COUNTRY map, thats ALL you need.
Yell if ya want anything, I think you still got me mob# if not Rohan has it.
HTH
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Moggs - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:05
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:05
Thanks for the info Truckster - I'll look for the Huts of the High Country map.
LOL, wish I had a $ for everytime someone has told me they are shocked at where a Pathy will go......but it will never get really accepted as a capable 4wd - such is life.
hich 4wd club are you in? I have spent a bit of time looking at clubs via the vafwdc website today. Seems to be heaps about but it is hard to see which are decent or not.
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:10
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:10
Yea well the wifes pathy may get a run next time, going to run it again as another novice trip. Was great butbleepin FREEZING up
Craigs.
Nissan club.
www.nissan4x4vic.com
Did you ever get that bar to Rohan? I'll give ya a slab and some Ozi files for it!
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:16
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:16
PS.
Theres an area about 200mtrs from
Craigs you can fit 2 campers easily, and its sheltered from the wind.
Most of the
hut sites have a
camping area near them.
The huts map takes in 12 huts, do it in 2 days, can be done in one LONG day.
The issue is that last week there was not 1 cloud up there -
views for as far as the eye can see... This weekend we could not see from the car park 1/2 way across the 30-50mtrs to the
hut.
There are some 400 huts in the mountains all together.
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Follow Up By: Member - Moggs - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:17
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:17
LOL, nup...is still sitting strapped to the pallet in my garage.....A slab and ozi files...
well, that will depend on what kind of beer wouldn't it ;)
Geez, better be careful...Rohan will probably be along in a moment...he has a 6th sense for this kind of thing.... :)
BTW, the web link for the Nissan Club is not working on the vafwdc website club listing.
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:47
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004 at 22:47
2 slabs, some wine from work, and a CD of ozi files - before rohan comes!!!
LMAO
have mailed the association about the club page, thanks for that.
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Reply By: Member - Gary W (VIC) - Monday, Nov 08, 2004 at 09:55
Monday, Nov 08, 2004 at 09:55
Take a look at your messages - I'll send you some files.
We were up in that area for Cup W/E until the Monday - It started raining on the Monday
Unlike Truckster we found the area pretty tame for tracks incuding the river crossings near
King Hut - we had a terrican with us which had no real trouble (minor panel beating required to bash plates, if you can call them that *grin*) He's getting a lift - The river is obviously up higher now (ref Trucksters post) due to the rain and the tracks are probably a bit more tricky. So what is good one trip can be pretty different the next depending on the weather. (At the risk of stating the obvious)
Plenty of fantastic camping spots particulary around
King Hut. Also went past Pikes Flat which I thought was one of the best camping spots I'd seen up there - heaps of room for large group.
The other thing we found was that our maps (Vicmaps - 1:50,000) are way out of date. Too many tracks have been deleted to make them reliable.
A good camper trailer should be fine. We had 3 of them in our group. We came across one group trying to get theirs up
King Hut Track which was a bit too much to ask - but apart from that - most of the tracks are accessable with a good trailer. We even saw a Coromal Caravan at
King Hut so that says something about accessibility.
Although we thought it was pretty tame - this was significantly compensated for by the fantastic scenery. The fabulous
views, waterfalls, lakes & rivers etc.. are just seriously good. After 3 weeks in the outback (which was an equally if not better experience for different reasons) the
Vic high country is an amazing contrast.
We are certainly lucky to have it in our back yard.
Gaz
AnswerID:
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