Vic High Country at Christmas - lots of water crossings or not?

Submitted: Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 16:49
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So, should I plan on doing lots of water crossing is I do the VIC High country at Christmas? Or will it be that busy that I can probably just drive over the rooves of all those who have gone before? consensus??
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Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 16:57

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 16:57
Coyote,

There are a lot of rivers in the VHC. Depending where you go will determine how many you will need to cross

Will they have water?

Probably yes.

How deep?

That will depend on rain fall and snow melt.

Driving over other vehicles roves?

Well being national park and you must take your rubbish out with you, there should not be any Nissan's left in the rivers. Now I will duck for cover.

Wayne
AnswerID: 200512

Follow Up By: Member - Andrew W (VIC) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:48

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:48
snow melt???? - coming from the Antartic this year is it?? Seriously ther will be no problems with any river crossings up there this year. Worst that can happen is if we get on occasional flash flood, which doesn't seem likley this year!
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Reply By: Crackles - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:18

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:18
How busy it'll be will depend on where in the HC you are going, it's a big place, but after xmas is pretty much as busy as it gets. Going on current water levels very few river crossings should cause any concern but that can change with 1/2 a days rain so YES, plan for lots but don't expect too many :-)
Cheers Craig........
AnswerID: 200517

Reply By: Mike Harding - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:41

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:41
I'll be surprised if any but the biggest creeks/rivers have enough to wet your wheel rims given the lack of rain this year. I'm doing a decent trip up there in four weeks time so I'll report back then, although I'll be over in E/NE Gippsland and NSW but it’ll be much the same I expect.

Personally I avoid it, like the plague, over Xmas/NY.

Mike Harding
AnswerID: 200519

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:51

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:51
Im with mike, i think you would run dunny paper for tires and they wouldnt sag...

With no snow, there will be no water...

Busy is not the word for it.... You will be lucky to find 1ft to yourself.
AnswerID: 200521

Follow Up By: steve075 - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 19:08

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 19:08
Yes High country gets busy but there are some secrets still around

we have been going the last 5 years and there are few places where you will find no one around, but im not telling where.

as for water levels, all depends on rainfall, but usually ok, but always go well prepared with a blind and some wd40
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Reply By: Disco Td5 - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:17

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:17
G'day All ,
I agree with the other comments on this topic in regards to 'rainfall' in the Snowy Mountains over the Christmas Holiday Season .
You can get to the Murray River crossing at Tom Groggin at any time of the year and it will often surprise you at how deep it can be .
Our club trip statistics on the 28th of December for the Vict. Border Crossings are :-
'02 - 400mm
'03 - 700mm
'04 - 1000mm ( this was over the bonnet stuff )
'05 - 600mm
'06 - 400mm
'07 - who knows ??
Like a good boy scout - always go prepared
Cheer's.
Td5

AnswerID: 200550

Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:38

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:38
>Our club trip statistics on the 28th of December for the
>Vict. Border Crossings are :-
>06 - 400mm
>07 - who knows

I'll look forward to just 400mm if I'm there this year then?
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:04

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:04
That would be micromilli's Mike.
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Follow Up By: Disco Td5 - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:12

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:12
Thank's Mike -
I meant our 2006 season records .
Our trips run - December 27 / January 7 each year .
The statistic was for our Dec 05 / Jan 06 trip
Sorry for the confusion .
Td5
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Follow Up By: madcow - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:18

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:18
Which club?
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Follow Up By: geocacher (djcache) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:27

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:27
Disco,

Wheelers Creek Logging Hut???

What's your involvement in KHA?

Dave
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Reply By: Member - Stephen M (NSW) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:32

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 20:32
Hi there Coyote, when you going down there, were leaving here (Sydney) on the 3rd Dec, meeting at Jindabyne on the 4th then going from there for a week. Regards Steve M
AnswerID: 200557

Follow Up By: Member - Coyote (SA) - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 09:17

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 09:17
Unfortunatley I'm stuck with going the week between Christmas/NY. I'm hopping most are stil lat home with families but I'm expecting to have to elbow my way through traffic for camping spots..
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Reply By: Voxson (Adelaide) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 22:13

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 22:13
Hi.. We went this year at xmas and did zeka spur, wombat spur, lovicks hut, crooked river (23 crossings or so), mitchell track, basalt track, down to Dargo, pineapple something or other and sheepyard flat, monument track, staircase, up and down a squillion other tracks i cant remember and the deepest water was about 300mm,,, (maybe).............................................

AnswerID: 200595

Follow Up By: geocacher (djcache) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 22:30

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 22:30
You were there about a month late.

The following video (3meg) is the Wonnangatta at the bottom of Hearn's Spur after a day or so of rain in November.

Doesn't take much for a big storm to change things up there. Storms aside you won't have much trouble. Driest it's been for a long time.

Up home they've had 385mm of rain for the year - by now they'd normally have had over 1000mm. That's within cooee of most of the crossings discussed here.

Don't start a fire without putting it right out cold. It might be the last thing you ever do.

Dave
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Follow Up By: geocacher (djcache) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 22:32

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 22:32
Wonnangatta Crossings

Forgot that bit. Duh!

Dave
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:18

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:18
Link don't work Dave???
VKS737 - Mobile 6352 (Selcall 6352)

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

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Follow Up By: geocacher (djcache) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:24

Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:24
Weird. I definitley thought I had that right. Guess not.

Try again. Video Link (3meg) If this doesn't work go to my website 4wdstuff.davejones.com.au and the video is on the front page.

Dave
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Follow Up By: Member - Coyote (SA) - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 09:22

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 09:22
Cheers Voxson.. still meaning t catch up check out your trip movie from Cape Yorke as well as chew your eres off about VIc High Country.. Am not holding my breath re a trip to Bendleby.. have just done the desert, been to Brissy about 4 times since and will be back there again a few times in the next few weeks and then VIC High country over CHristmas.. I'm junning out of fun tickets and weekends real fast.. not to mention we would have to fork out for the dogs to go into a kennel 'cause Bendelby aren' pet friendly.. bugger hey..
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Reply By: draff - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 08:16

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 08:16
We were up there last christmas and expected to find huge crowds but we were pleasantly suprised that we could easily find camp sites on our own and we didn't come across many other drivers during the day. Yes the main camp areas were busy but providing your group is small (we had 2 cars, 2 swags), you could easily find quiet spots to camp. i would actually have classified it as fairly quiet!! Water crossings, nothings to worry about and this year you would expect to be even lower with no snow season to speak of, unless they get some decent rain up there.
AnswerID: 200631

Reply By: Shaker - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 09:27

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 09:27
We do a lot of High Country camping etc, the numbers of campers have been steadily dropping off each year, probably due to fuel prices.
I was in the Crooked River region last week & I have never seen the rivers as low for this time of the year.
We also did the MacAllister Gorge on the way & the river there is also quite low.
AnswerID: 200638

Follow Up By: c j - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 19:22

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 19:22
Tell me about it. Tried rafting the McAllistar a couple of weekends back and did so much walking it wasn't funny. I reckon the biggest concern this year is going to be fires. Very dry and a lot of fuel lying around.
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 20:09

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 20:09
I reckon so too cj - could be a bad year for the High Country and, after 2003, it doesn't need another one so soon.
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 22:52

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 22:52
With the cattle gone, the Alpine High Country will be like a tinder box.
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