A fortnight with the boys to Turon River, Brindabella Ranges and Victorian High Country Brisbane to Sofala This trip came up pretty quickly when Jan K said he could get some quick notice holidays. After the 2012 Victorian high country trip, Jan was keen to have another look around. The crew this year consisted of Jan K (Yarney) lifted 99 Forester GT auto, Darren Woods (Dazza) lifted 02 Forester auto, Mick Kos (Tonguee) lifted 99 Forester manual, Dave Gibson (Gibbo) lifted 01 Forester manual, and Dave Martin (Marto) lifted 05 Forester manual. After an early 5am and rainy start from Brissie, we set off on the New England highway. By Glen Innes the showers had cleared to a fine sunny day. Our first night camp, was on the river near the old gold mining town of Sofala. It’s a step back in history with all the old buildings and some are still in use. We found a top camp site beside the Turon River, it even had a good 4WD track to get there. For dinner we thought we would try the old Sofala Pub. We soon found out the Pub didn’t do dinners, the publican said travel 3 kms up the road to a B & B called Tarrawarra who do great pizzas. This place was in the middle of nowhere. The pizza’s were the old style, big with plenty of filling, the costs were $20 for the standard and the gourmet was $23, and they even do breakfast pizzas. The owner also owned a Brumby which he said he could not kill, and he had an old restored 1928 Chevy bus, which is used for promotion. Sofala to Brindabella Rangers After a mild night we set off along the Turon River 4WD track towards Bathurst. It had good views, a few gates, creek crossings and rocky climbs. At Bathurst we fuelled up and had lunch, from here we headed towards Cowra to meet up with Dave Gibbo. Along the way we had a quick stop off at the Blayney wind farm where there are 15 wind turbines placed on top of a hill. Once we met up with Gibbo in Cowra our next stop was Yass, where we stopped for food supplies and fuel. It was dark by the time we reached our hill top bush camp site at about 1200 meters in the Brindabella Rangers.
Wind farm near Bathurst Brindabella Rangers (McIntyre Hut) to Cotter Dam First off in the morning was Mt Coree at 1456 metres with 360 degree views. With Canberra in the foreground there was another wind farm on the horizon totalling approx 24 turbines. After the steep rocky decent, Yarney decided it was time to get everyone's hands dirty by letting his well used GT’s LH strut top bolt work loose causing the spring to pop out of its position. By good chance Yarney had a pair of spring compressors in the bottom of his tool kit. Also Gibbo had his handy 18 volt drill on board, that made short work of the tight bolts.
Mt Coree lookout near Canberra We all got stuck in and had it back on the road within the hour, so off onto some steep declines to Flea Creek. Soon after on the very steep climb out of Flea Creek, daredevil Gibbo who was a bit heavy with all the tools & equipment on board, ran out of puff just near the top. Yarney gave him a quick snatch up. Dazza gave it a good crack and came within millimetres but stopped just short and also required a quick snatch by Marto. During the drive a rendition of a Willie Nelson hit was played as a possible theme song for the trip. We then went down the steep downhill tracks of Waterfall and McIntyre’s Hut, where Yarney again heard a noise only to discover the other strut top bolt was a little loose. We set up camp then whilst Yarney and Gibbo accessed the damage and a warmish afternoon the 3 Stooges, Mick (Larry) Dazza (Curly) and Marto (Moe) decided to have a swim in the slightly chilly Goodradigbee River (who would have thought we would be swimming). So after our refreshment the news was the strut top bolt was loose and when retightened some of the thread sheared off so with a bit of superglue it was glued and retightened and ready for the next day. So with a discussion as to how we would manage to climb back out of the hills in the morning and a stressed Yarney - a bit of PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) was the resolve. After a sleepless night by Yarney we set off in the morning and as it turned out we all made it out successfully before heading to Canberra to get parts. A camp site near the Cotter Dam was required to wait for new parts and refit the GT’s front struts. This giving us all a bit of R & R and a view of the new dam wall which is going from 28 metres to a new wall at 84 metres, a sight to see, which is due for completion in July this year.
Cotter Dam to Blue Water Hole (Long Plain) The next morning we picked up the new Pedder struts as planned, with a few minor dramas and some cursing, we managed the repairs and also restocked our supplies. So finally back to the tracks heading towards Tumut through some fun filled powerline tracks then onto Long Plain Road which is as it says a big wide long high country plain. On Broken Cart Trail we saw a Brumby (not the car). We also spotted our first wild dog with black and white markings. Camp ended up at the Blue Water Hole with a view of the Gorge and a discovery of a cave through a huge rock where Dazza and Marto had some quiet time getting through to the other end. An abundance of the local Skippys kept a close watch on us as we tucked into a gourmet meal of steak and pasta cooked on the great fire pits at the campsite. Blue Water Hole to Talbingo With some light overnight rain the morning dawned to a deeply fogged in warm 4 degrees. After the usual brekkie we went past several other campers as we headed for a look at Coolamine Homestead which dates back to 1882. It was a working livestock property and hosted many of the districts parties and balls.
Blue Waterhole
It consisted of a 3 bedroom farmhouse, 2 outhouses, a cheese hut, a separate kitchen and additional storage shed (a great glimpse of our past forefathers). So back onto Long Plain Road we crossed the head waters of the mighty Murrumbidgee River. In fact during the trip we crossed the Murrumbidgee 3 times here, near Yass and at Wagga Wagga. Next stop was at the Long Plain Hut, where Mick decided that the boys needed more mechanical practice, so after a search for the noise a broken RH front coil spring was found. Gibbo's response after all the dramas to date was to play the “Monty Python” classic song of “Always look on the bright side of life” to give us all a bit of a crack up and suggested perhaps Mick ran over his tongue causing the spring to break. The green machine was drivable so we headed towards Tumut looking for parts. Some kind travellers at Long Pain Hut gave us a number to ring once we got into Tumut. In Tumut we all fuelled up and had lunch, Dazza even bought a new gas stove. Also Mick found out about a wrecker who had a 95 Liberty wagon strut for $50 in nearby Tumblelong. Gibbo advised the Libs use a similar spring to the Forester, we just had to use the Libs top spring hat. From there we travelled through Batlow, the countries apple growing capital, where we had a quick stop at the lookout to view the town below. Then it was onto Buddong Falls and down on to the Powerline track past the big Tumut 3 power station with 6 big inlet pipes, then off to our camp site on Jounama Creek near Talbingo. Gibbo with his apprentice Mick had the strut in and out and fixed in about 20 minutes flat. Talbingo to Cooryong After a roaring camp fire that Dazza set up with a monster log Mick had found - that took 2 blokes to lift! a warm evening was had. The next morning was a cool 3 degrees one of the cars had some very light frost on the windscreen. First stop was at the servo for some fresh Batlow apples. Mick also found an old magnetised green P plate that he stuck on Daz’s car first. It then did the rounds of all the cars when the driver’s were not looking. Then it was up the same Powerline track we came down heading towards Blackmans fire tower at about 1400 meters. Here we spotted our first feral cat with grey and white markings. From here in the distance we thought we could see the steep slopping house roofs of Cabramurra. By track and bitumen it seemed to take a long time and a fair distance to reach Cabramurra, the country’s hightest town at 1488 meters. We bought our lunch in “Bistro 1488”. From here it was an all bitumen run down the mountain to our overnight camp at Corryong before Jan and Marto took a detour up a steep rocky climb to a high comms tower and hang gliding launch site overlooking the town. On the way up there were two deer on the side of the track. Once we set up camp in the caravan park we decided to have a nice Pub dinner.
Corryong to Dogmans Hut In the morning after a mild and windy night, Gibbo decided to head for home as his old tired clutch had started to slip on the steeper climbs. Mick also had to head home due to some unexpected work commitments that had arisen. We all said our goodbyes and now we were down to 3 cars. We then did a quick shop and a visit to the Bakery. Not far from Corryong we were soon in the hills passing a controlled burn off section. After a steep and dusty climb (just like our tracks) we came to a big fallen gum tree. As luck would have it, just as we were getting our chain saw out, some Rangers arrived, who cut up the tree for us in no time. We were soon under way again heading for Gibsons Hut for lunch. From here we followed Upper Shady Creek track to the top of Mt Pinnabar at 1770 metres, one of the highest tracks in the country. It was interesting going with steep rocky climbs and some great views. On the top there is even phone service. From there it was all slow going down very steep terrain to our camp site at Dogmans Hut on the banks of the Murray River on the Victorian side. It was right next to a cattle paddock full of Angus cattle on Tom Groggin Station. We also spotted another grey and white feral cat.
Going down Mt Pinnibar heading for Tom Groggin in the distance
We awoke to our coldest morning so far, a chilly 1 degree with frost on the cars and tents. When we set off the first thing we did was cross the Murray River with its rocky bottom, into NSW and back again into Victoria. Yarney and Dazza were keen to test out their new waterproof cameras that can be stuck anywhere on the car for great action shots. We continued south along the interesting Davies Plan track which had everything from mountain huts, steep climbs, descents, woe boys, mud holes, creek crossings and great mountain views. From there it was on to a good interesting track called Oakey's, then onto some great smooth back roads to Taylors crossing where we were looking for a camp site. It has a big suspension walk bridge across the Mitta Mitta River for the 650 km Great Alpine bush walking track that links Victoria to the ACT. We travelled a bit further on to the Omeo Hwy to a find a good camping spot on the Cobunga River just near the old famous Blue Duck Pub. Cobung River to Dargo With a little light rain over night, we awoke to a mild morning of a high 11 degrees so we had brekky and did our pack up. After start up Marto had some under bonnet belt noise, we soon found out the alternator and power steering belt needed changing. We did the change and set off to our first stop, the historic Blue Duck Pub, which was closed at that time of the morning,. We then back tracked to Omeo for fuel, a shop, and smoko at the Bakery. Here we got news that Mick had hit a skippy near Warwick and had to be tilt trayed home because of panel and radiator damage ( must have been his tongue again). From here it was off to nearby Swifts Creek to check with the Forestry Office about the Haunted Stream Track. They said with the bit of rain, the 45 or so creek crossings, and the entry and exits would be too slippery and rough. We were advised only to do the first part of the track which had a few easier crossings, then take a side track that bypassed all the rest of the crossings. We did that without any problems. Dazza was keen to do more crossings, but being a long way from home, we though it wise not to do it. At our lunch spot high up in the hills at Forksville, looking east towards Lakes Entrance, with binoculars Yarney spotted a container ship in Bass Strait. We then worked our way to our next camping spot on Dargo River. On the way after the old Turntable Forestry Huts, Marto reported that he thought his clutch had started to slip on the steeper climbs. We stopped and checked things and found out the RH rear inner DOJ spline had slipped out of the diff. We jacked the car up and pushed it back in as far as we could get it and got on our way. We made it to camp in good time with plenty of light left. Dazza our champion camp fire starter, spent hours getting the fire started with wet wood, it just about beat him in the end.
Put another log on the fire Dargo River to Talbotville We had another mild night and some more light rain, the temperature was only about 11 degrees. Our first job after brekky and pack up, was to have another look at the DOJ. With the wheel off, Dazza and Yarney swung into action leaving, Marto to get in the way. The cause of the problem was soon found, the RX Turbo clutch pack type LSD stub axle bolt was loose and the head had broken off. Luckily Marto had a spare and it was all fixed and back together in no time. We thought the bolt may have been over tightened. The small town of Dargo was our next stop for a fuel top up and a few supplies. Then it was back into the hills again stopping at the site of the historic gold mining town of Grant. We continued on down the mountain to Talbotville another historic mining town site. From there it was on to the Crocked River Track with 25 interesting creek crossings in 7 kms and then a 700 metre steep climb to the top of the mountain. Along this track we stopped to do a steep hill walk of about 2 kms return to the old New Good Hope mine with the old steam engine and crusher still there. We returned to Talbotville for our overnight camp spot on banks of the Crocked River. Dazza had a lot more success with our camp fire, it was roaring with a big hollow log that Yarney had collected.
Talbotville to Harrietville After another cool night and morning of only 3 degrees with a heavy dew. Once under way we went up the very steep Collinwood Track where Dazza had to be snatched up over the last few woe – boys. At the top we turned onto Bulltown Track that led to another old mine called Good Hope, it had a 400 metre tunnel and mine carts that we wanted to see. After a slow, steep and over grown in places walk, we eventually found it. The tunnel had water running through it and 2 old mine carts, just outside the entrance there was a big old boiler. With its run down condition, we thought we would not venture too far in for a look. From this area we headed north in the Mt Hotham direction. As we reached the Blue Rag Track turn off, all the tracks had been graded and widened in places. So we thought we would do the Blue Rag track again and see if we could get to the very top. We didn’t make it to the top on the last trip because it was too rough. This year with all the grading since the recent bushfires, we made to the top with ease. At 1717 metres it was a sunny cold 3 degrees, the views were spectacular with Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain to the north east and south to the Talbotville area. Our over night stop was in an onsite Van on the banks of the Ovens River in Harrietville. It was a very pretty spot with nice lawns and big deciduous trees. It was our first no camping night of the trip so far. For dinner we went to the local pub for a nice meal. Harrietville to Ah Young (Bright) With comfy beds and a solid roof over our heads we all slept in a bit with the outside temp at about 10 degrees. After some brekky and a refuel, we set off for the hills heading for the Bright area. The first part of the tracks, were in the recent January fire damaged area. Since the fires the area has had some very heavy rain, which has caused a lot of creek and gully erosion. We kept on climbing on the steep and rocky Paddy's Hill track where Dazza did well to get up. With more climbing on the steep Scotchmans Creek and Buffalo Range tracks, we came to a high trig point with great views down the Buckland Valley, with all its autumn colours towards Bright and the eastern rocky face of The Horn and Mt Buffalo. From there it was all down to our camp site at Ah Young on the Buckland River. It would be a top spot in summer as there are some deeper swimming holes, accessed by a short 4WD track. That night was a full moon and for the first time we could easily see the jet vapour trails on their way to and from Melbourne.
Fire damage from January fires near Mt Hothem Ah Young to Goobang N/P (Dubbo) It clouded up during the night and the morning temperature was 9 degrees. From here we started to head for home, stopping in the picture perfect Bright with its beautiful autumn coloured trees. Near the clock tower in the centre of town there are some big Bunya pines growing from Queensland’s Bunya Mts. It was another Bakery stop and pumping up our tyres for the long drive home. On the Hume Hwy we said our goodbyes to Dazza as he was heading for home via Sydney. We were now down to 2 cars as we made it to our final nights camp about 55 kms south east of Dubbo at the Wanda Wandong camp area in the Goobang N/P. It used to be an old forestry area known for its large stands of iron bark gums used for railway sleepers. Goobang N/P to Brisbane For our last day it was a cool 6 degrees and it soon warmed up as the sun rose. We cut back towards Dubbo on some smooth fun dirt roads, until we came across a loose gravel section. It was so slippery you could feel the car moving about on the straight. We refuelled in Coonabarabran and did a Bakery visit. Our lunch stop was in Moree, another refuel in Goondiwindi and a last food stop in Warwick. Our final run into Brisbane was just after dark with us arriving home about 7.30pm. Another great trip to a beautiful area, pity it is so far away for us. Thanks again to Yarney for all the hard work planning and navigating, especially when you are driving. Everybody was great company and it was a good team effort when the cars needed fixing. Overall we had good weather with mainly some light overnight rain. All the camp sites were also in good order. The total kilometers travelled for the round trip was about the 4,400 mark. The most expensive fuel was about $1.65 a litre.
The report was a combined effort with all the boys’ involvement. Thanks Marto. PS: So I’d like to finish by adding my version to the tunes of ol mate Willie.............
On the road again Just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is goin off road with my friends And I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again Goin' places that I've never been. Seein' things that I may never see again And I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again With a band of subies we go down the highway We're the best of friends. Insisting that the world keep turning our way And our way is on the road again. Just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is makin' mudpies with my friends And I can't wait to get on the road again.