Mt Speculation access

Yep Robin is correct. You cannot drive all the way to Mt Speculation.

Well worth getting out of the vehicle & walking up Speculation to meet the hiking group. Awesome views.

Thanks to all who replied. I am not up to full-on four-wheel driving so might think about walking the last section. However, Cobbler sounds spectacular and well worth the trip.
Cheers
Keith

Keith

If you aren't happy going by yourself then why not approach Craig's "local 4x4 club" for assistance. If I was in the area I would love to help but Canberra is a little way off. Two or more cars may be the way to go Keith

What do you think Craig?

Phil

Appreciate the thought Phil, but it would be tricky getting other people involved as we are meeting a group walking the Australian Alpine Walking Track and their timetable could change at short notice for all sorts of reasons. There are other people on the supply team with 4WDS that are a bit more serious than mine (Suzuki Grand Vitara) so I will probably hand over to one of them. Alternatively, the suggestion someone else made of walking the last seven ks is worth a thought as it sounds magnificent country.
The feedback on this site is great as you can't get that sort of detail from maps.
Thanks,
Keith

Appreciate the thought Phil, but it would be tricky getting other people involved as we are meeting a group walking the Australian Alpine Walking Track and their timetable could change at short notice for all sorts of reasons. There are other people on the supply team with 4WDS that are a bit more serious than mine (Suzuki Grand Vitara) so I will probably hand over to one of them. Alternatively, the suggestion someone else made of walking the last seven ks is worth a thought as it sounds magnificent country.
The feedback on this site is great as you can't get that sort of detail from maps.
Thanks,
Keith

Anything's possible Phil as there's always someone looking for an excuse to go for a drive. The 4x4 club actually did the Cross Cut Saw walk a couple of years ago from King Billy. If you get stuck for options Phil drop us a line.
The Speculation track is not technically difficult as they used to haul logs out that route from the Wonnangatta watershed just it's now washed out & requires vehicles with high clearance.
Cheers Craig.............

Just watch your rear view mirror mate. You may see this coming up behind.

Catchya

Phil

Just cresting Billy Goat Track - Mar 2013

Thanks for your input. I have been onto the Crosscut Saw from the Macalister Springs side (and the magnificent toilet with a window at Vallejo Gantner Hut) but never from the other side. The group I am meeting is coming down the AAWT and we would certainly be bringing them some water.
Cheers
Keith

"springs are unrelaible, often contaminated by pigs, cattle and cattleman's horses."
Terra you can't blame the cattlemen any more for muddying the water as they've been kicked out of the Alpine areas for some time.(Other than the recent trial) You'll find it's the feral deer population that's been exploding in recent years that is the main culprit. And opening up the Wilderness Zone???? There's no wilderness anywhere near Speculation either with 4x4 tracks in this area remaining at the status quo.
Cheers Craig..........

Hi Craig,
I walked through a cattleman's camp up there on one of my hikes on the AAWT, 4 of their horses were tied up to trees next to the last spring on the track, 3 days walk from Barry's Saddle water tank and they were bogging it up with their hooves and manure. They were bringing 100+ head of cattle and calves down from about 1600m.
I saw deer and goats near water but the pigs, cattle and horses left the worst mess.
There were 3 Wilderness areas zoned when I walked through the first time. I didn't know only one still exists. I just had a quick squizz at some recent topos and also noticed the national parks no longer join up all the way to Walhalla. It was big thing when the Australian Alps Walk was being created in 1989. It has been 4 years since my last walk through there.
Thanks for picking up my mistakes. I'll be spending summer hiking down there so will need to know these things
Cheers
Sorry Kieth for misinformation

Yes back in the late 80's when the Alpine National Park was declared it was planned to link all Parks from Walhalla into NSW. I asked a then senior Parks official was this being done to join significant areas of Alpine bush or was it a great big join the dots exercise. He admitted it was the latter :-) In the end there were several Parks that were not joined like Mt Buffalo.
As a bushwalker back then I agree the cattle were absolutely decimating the springs & creeks as it was near impossible to find clean water anywhere. They had to be removed but as with all things political they went too far.
Cheers Craig...........