PLEASE NOTE
ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE DOUBLE DOSED VACCINATED. FORMAL VERIFICATION OF VACCINATIONS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO THE TRIP.
FOLLOWING COVID SAFE PRACTICES WILL BE REQUIRED OF ALL PARTICIPANTS
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU INCLUDE ALL PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN YOUR REGISTRATION TO ENSURE THAT THE LIMIT OF 30 PERSONS GATHERING OUTDOORS IS NOT EXCEEDED.
Victorian High Country
Cheynes Bridge to Mansfield via Wonangatta Station
Trip : Victorian High Country - Cheynes Bridge to Mansfield via the Chromite Mine, Nelson Crag, The Pinnacles, Billy Goat Bluff , Wonangatta Station and King Billy Saddle.
Date and time: Saturday 30 October - 0900 to Tuesday 2 November- 1600
Trip description:
This trip travels over the Victorian High Country from Cheynes Bridge on the Licola- Heyfield Road to Mansfield, visiting iconic peaks and lookouts, ridgelines, valleys, huts and historic places.
We depart from our meeting point at the Cheynes Bridge camping area at 0900 on Saturday morning and travel north along the Licola Road up to Burgoyne Gap. We then engage low range, travelling along the Burgoyne, Mount Margaret and Chromite Mine Tracks to the site of the disused Chromite Mine. We continue along the Chromite Mine Track, crossing the Wellington River before heading up the B1, Caledonia and B2 Tracks, coming out onto the Tamboritha Road just before Arbuckle Junction. We then travel along the Moroka Road, before turning onto the Doolans Plains Track which will take us to a carpark, following which, for those that wish to, we walk a 1km to Nelson Crag where there is spectacular view over the Snowy Bluff-Mt Darling Wilderness Area. We return to the Moroka Road and travel to our overnight camp at Horseyard Flat, visiting the Moroka Hut along the way.
The next day we head up to the Pinnacles for one of the most panoramic views of the high country. We then drop down the iconic Billy Goat Bluff Track, cross the Wonnangatta River at Eaglevale and then rise steeply up to the Wombat Range Track, traversing a scenic ridge top drive. Finally we drop down into the Wonangatta Valley and travel along the picturesque valley to the site of the Wonangatta homestead for our overnight camp. We will visit the site of the original homestead and the cemetery, both surrounded by 100 year old European trees and will hear of the history of the homestead, including the mystery of the unsolved murder.
On the third day of our trip, we head further up the valley before climbing Zeta Spur Track up onto the Howitt Road along the Snowy Range visiting Howitt Hut for lunch. We then drop down to the headwaters of the Macalister River before climbing up the King Billy Track for our overnight camp at the King Billy Saddle amongst the snow gums.
On our final day, we travel along the ridge line with panoramic views to both the north and south, visiting Lovicks and Bluff Huts along the way before dropping down to the Howqua River and then heading back to Mansfield via Sheepyard Flat
Meeting place and time: Cheynes Bridge camping area, approximately 20km south of Licola on the Licola- Heyfield Road at 0900 on Saturday 30 October.
Weather: Alpine environment, potentially cold and wet. We have had wet weather and snow in the past on this weekend , so bring clothing, footwear and camping gear suitable for the conditions and keep an eye on the weather forecast for the Alpine area.
Equipment: Vehicles are to have low range 4WD capability, good ground clearance (minimum 200mm) , good all-terrain tyres (minimum 60 profile ) and be UHF radio equipped. A second spare tyre should be carried. Usual recovery gear is to be carried.
Trip Standard: Hard. Some high but mostly low range driving. Steep hill climbs and descents and rocky tracks with river crossings.
Fuel: a full tank ex Heyfield. As we will be camping on Monday night at King Billy Saddle at a high altitude alpine environment, diesel fuel is to have an additive to avoid a possible gelling of the fuel if temperatures drop below zero. Torque Icebreaker is one of many such additives.
Convoy limit: 8 vehicles
Trip Leader: Graeme Allen. Phone 0477 488 434 or email at graeme.allen86@gmail.com for any queries.
. POST TRIP REPORT
Day 1. Weather fine, track dry. 5 vehicles. Left 0900. Burgoyne Track, rocky, steep, rapid ascent with great views over the Macalister Valley. At top of track, sharp hairpin bend with bare rock into and out of the bend. Looked worse than what it was.Mount Margaret Track wide ridge top track. Chromite Mine Track through to Wellington River, medium track, not challenging, mainly down hill. Lunch between Doladrook and Wellington Rivers. Wellington River not deep to ford. B1 track steep but not particularly challenging. Calendonia and B2 tracks to Tamboritha Road easy level tracks running parallel to Tamoritha Rd. Doolans Plains Tk 2WD to carpark. Goat track beyond carpark. Best not drive it. Difficult walk to Nelsons Crag through scrub with no defined track after end of goat track. Camped at good spot in snow plains on west side of Doolans Plains Track just before Tamboritha Rd. 80 km.
Day2. Left 8.45 good weather. Billy Goat Track starting to deteriorate with rock shelves starting to form. Verfy busy track. Lunch at Eaglevale. River level ok. 1.67m at Licola, 0.56m at Glencairn. Wonnangatta Valley low level track boggy and impassable so took high level road to campsite.. 100km
Day 3. Left 8.30. 4 vehicles. Weather good One vehicle left at Howitt Plains Rd the lunch time before due family committments. Zeka Spur Track and King Billy Road all good. King Billy Road upgraded.. Camped at Lovicks Hut at 4.00pm. 100km.
Day 4 . Left 8.30 . Morning tea on the Howqua River. 40km to Sheepyard Flat from Lovicks Hut. Arrived at Sheepyard Flat at 11.00 am. Arrived Mansfield at 12.00 noon.
