Help with Vic High Country Please

Submitted: Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 16:35
ThreadID: 18957 Views:3239 Replies:8 FollowUps:6
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Hi all.... My fiance and I are leaving Adelaide tomorrow (fri) and want to be at a good starting point somewhere at the foot of some great treks through Vic High Country.. We want to base ourselves in the same place each night (sat / sun) and spend most of each day exploring tracks / creek crossings (not raging river crossings) and just get away......
I always see pictures of crystal clear creeks and rain forest with rutted tracks.....Which is where i want to be at....

Can anyone help with a good starting point (ie:: Mansfield?? Mount stirling??) I have no idea...

Is there something sort of like Old Telegraph Track FNQ??? That would be perfect..
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Reply By: Voxson (Adelaide) - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 16:43

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 16:43
By the way...Are there any places in the high country where my canine companion would not be welcome in a National Park sort of way???
AnswerID: 90755

Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 17:09

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 17:09
You could try a base at Talbotville or surrounding area - although it's probably busy at this time of year. The dog will be OK there. However you are not permitted to take dogs into any national parks - and a lot of the High Country is national park. Do you have any maps? You don't sound very well prepared.

Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: Voxson (Adelaide) - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 17:23

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 17:23
I have plenty of maps but it is all lines to me.... Without local knowledge i could drive along basic tracks all day... I just didnt want to waste a week finding what people could tell me to see in 2 days...
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Reply By: rolande- Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 16:54

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 16:54
Woods Point pub.

Rolande
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Follow Up By: Rosco - Bris. - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 17:26

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 17:26
No doubt about ya cobber .......... sounds like a bloody top spot to me.

Cheers .. and Happy NY
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Reply By: DARREN - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 18:07

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 18:07
I don't know all the track names and don't have maps here at work but am going tomorrow also, out of Melbourne though. Wonnangatta Valley is popular as a base. I recommend you at least go past Craig's Hut if you have not been there before, there is a good track off the back of Mt Buller that winds up to Craig's Hut. From there go down the circuit rd and find your way to Zeeka Spur which takes you into Wonnangatta. Lots of good tracks out of there. I know what you mean about basing yourself but this time of year (as there are lots of people in the main camping areas) I think best to play it by ear and you may find an unexpected quiet spots.

Also watch the weather, I just checked the alpine forecast and Saturday's has improved a bit over this mornings but it might still get a bit wet.

No telegraph track equivalents unfortunately, it is only Victora! (try Humphries out of Wonnangatta', it has a few river crossings)

AnswerID: 90770

Reply By: Des Lexic - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 21:50

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 21:50
Just out of Mirimbah take the Stirling Road and then the Fork Basin Road to Pineapple Flat. Good Campground and some great 4WDing nearby. Take the track up to Lake Cobbler for a intersting drive up the Staircase. Check out the Razorback track too. Have fun.
AnswerID: 90797

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 22:14

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 22:14
I ran a club trip up there in Nov..
Easy trip?

Grab yourself Huts of the High Country Map.

Start at Mansfield, and you can do the complete loop, theres about a dozen huts to see. You can camp at Sheepyard Flat, and return there at the end of the day.

~250klms, not hard tracks, 8-10 creek crossings, but you really should try and split it into 2 days, just dont base camp, setup each night. We did Sheepyard, through to Craigs easily in 2/3rds of the day. We even went onto Kings Hut and came back.
Theres a nice little camp spot at Craigs Hut down the hill a little from it. Suits 4-6 tents.

Thats day 1 if you want it to be.. But 2 is slower, and you can take in plenty.

Then sky is the limit. Depends on what sort of terrain you wanna do and weather.
AnswerID: 90810

Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 22:47

Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 at 22:47
Vox, We camped in the flat beside Razorback Hut for about 4 nights and it was a great base, not a lot of people go there, its not like Bourke St like Sheepyard Flat and easy drive to lots of places. Get a map from the (BP?) last station of the LHS outbound side of Mansfield on Mt Buller Rd called "Rooftop's Mansfield - Mt.Howitt Adventure Map" About $7. great little map. Razorback Hut of off to the Left from the Circuit road just past Telephone Box Junction heading clockwise.

We did:
1) Clear Hills track - Craigs Hut over Mt Stirling, then up the back of Buller and back to Razorback in one day
2) Pineapple flat and up the staircase to Lake Cobbler, back around and up King Hut track back to the Circuit rd another day - great Day, King Hut tracks a purler
3)Bindaree Falls Bindaree Hut and up tp Bluff Hut, back over the top past Timbertop another day, great day too.

Then packed up and went home what a weekend and a bit.

Ya making me jealous. Wazzup there with Wombat, Blue, Crazy and GaryInOz a couple weekends ago just a peachy DAY. If you follow those tracks dont forget also to do the Mionument track (Circuit Rd up to the Clear Hills track) thatd be great we went down it and would love to try it the other way. Trucksters trip sounded great too, depends how much time you have.
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AnswerID: 90813

Reply By: Cruezr - Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 10:50

Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 10:50
G'day Voxson

Your base or bases will dictate how long you intend spending in the area and also exactly the extent of the high country you wish to see.

To me, there are two high country areas. One area is basically wedged between Mansfield in the west and Dargo in the east. The other is east of Dargo to the NSW border. Being a sort-of local (I live in Bairnsdale) I have explored a bit of the area around Dargo and further east. I am heading off next week for a trip north of Omeo to the old Wombat Post Office. If you get the chance, grab a copy of "20 Tracks of the High Country" by Lewis & Savage - a great book that descr
A great base camp is Talboltville about 30kms NW of Dargo. From here, there are ample tracks to explore around old gold mining areas, some easy tracks and some not-so-easy tracks. Blue Rag Range is a great track - almost on top of the world.
But there is so much to explore - you almost need a lifetime to do it - at least that is what I plan on doing!
AnswerID: 90845

Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 12:42

Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 12:42
Never thought of the area east of Dargo.. You think theres good areas out there?
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Follow Up By: Cruezr - Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 17:12

Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 17:12
G'day Truckster
There is a whole other world east of Dargo - probably not as well known in parts as areas like Mt Stirling, Wonnangatta and the Dargo High Plains. Ever heard of places like Camms Top Place, Tom Groggin, Davies Plain, McKillops Bridge and the Deddick Trail. They are all waiting further east of Dargo. I haven't been to all, but my future travels are set to take in the remote NE part of the high country, basically NE of Omeo.
You mentioned in your reply to Voxson, you lead a trip to the High Country. Which Club are you in? I am currently Secretary and Newsletter Editor for the Bairnsdale 4WD Social Club. Drop me a line sometime at motley70 at ozemail dot com dot au. Perhaps we could try and organise a co-trip to the east end of the high country. Our Club has done such arrangements with the Pajero 4WD Club from Melbourne and the Gippsland 4WD CLub in Warragul - by all accounts they have been successful events with the promise of "returning the favour" at some time in the future.
I am heading next week into an area north of Omeo, west of Lake Dartmouth to the old Wombat Post Office area (easy-medium). At the end of the month, there is a Club trip to Tom Groggin station, Davies Plain and Mt Pinnibar in the remote NE (medium-hard rating).
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 19:17

Friday, Dec 31, 2004 at 19:17
I'm in the Nissan club, would love to arrange something sometime out that way. Weekends are probably a little short, so long weekends or 3 days better? Maybe early friday starts?

Let me know would be interested.
vfr750fv at yahoo dot com

Heard of most places you mentioned, apart from Camms Tops Place. Have been to Dargo, staying at Black Snake Creek there, but not really 4wding.

Med hard trips LOVE EM!

It will be a pleasure when Dave and Michelle return.
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FollowupID: 349470

Reply By: Voxson (Adelaide) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 21:44

Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 21:44
Thanks to all who replied to my question...
We ended up doing a round trip and saw all the huts starting from Mansfield...
Monument Track was a good climb but ended too quickly....
I wish i had a week or two instead of 3 days...
AnswerID: 91181

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