Heyfield, Dargo, Haunted Stream, Bairnsdale
Date and time: 9:00 am, Saturday 4th November to 2:00 pm, Tuesday 7th November
Description: This trip will start at Heyfield on Saturday morning and on day 1 we will head north to Huggetts Crossing, then follow some of the tracks toward Mt Angus, before turning east towards Dargo. On day 2 we will continue eastward into the Wentworth and Nicholson River valleys, camping at Marthavale Hut. Day 3 will be spent driving along the Haunted Stream with it’s many river crossings before reaching Tambo Crossing and back to Bairnsdale by early afternoon on day 4 (Tuesday Cup Day).
Haunted Stream produced a decent amount of gold from when it was discovered in 1863 and by 1882 there were 3 working mines and a water wheel that was 6m high. There are two stories about how Haunted Stream got its name. One is for the barking owls in the area and other more colourful one is that the stream was named for the ghost of “Ballarat Harry” who was murdered by Tim Toake in 1857. Today littler remains, except maybe the ghost of “Ballarat Harry”.
Weather: We will visit some high-country peaks, but camp in valleys, so bring appropriate clothing, footwear and camping gear. Review the Alpine weather forecast leading up to the trip – it is Melbourne.
Equipment: Below are the recommended vehicle requirements. If you are not sure if you vehicle is suitable for a trip, please have a chat with the trip leader.
Good off-road tyres (All Terrain - light truck construction, 60 profile recommended as a minimum - no road tyres), UHF radio (or one borrowed from the club), a well-maintained vehicle with low range (or equivalent), good ground clearance (200mm recommended as a minimum), recovery points, standard recovery gear including dampener, rated snatch strap and shackles, shovel. Drivers must have completed the RRCV club training or equivalent.
The area we will be visiting is quite remote and some of the tracks we will be driving are steep, rocky and challenging, so vehicle failures / repairs / recovery can be difficult and expensive. RACV TotalCare is not essential, but is recommended for these types of trips. Please do a thorough vehicle check beforehand and if in doubt, have your vehicle serviced and thoroughly checked by a mechanic familiar with 4WDriving.
Additional Equipment required: Camping gear food and drinking water for 4 days / 3 night in the bush. Clothing for wet and cold conditions. Morning tea and lunches will be in the bush each day – byo simple, “on the move” lunches and morning teas (byo thermos).
No camper trailers, pets or firearms
Maps: Rooftops Dargo – Wonnangatta Adventure Map. Rooftops Dargo – Omeo Adventure Map.
Trip Standard: Medium/Hard - some steep, low-range hill climbs and some rocky tracks and river crossings.
Fuel: a full tank ex Heyfield
Distance: Heyfield is approximately 200 Km from the CBD. Approx. distance from Heyfield to Bairnsdale is 400 Km with a mixture of high and low range driving.
Duration: 4 days
Convoy limit: 8 vehicles
Meeting arrangements: We will meet at 9.00 am on Saturday morning at the Timberline Service Station opposite the large roundabout at the top of Heyfield for a driver briefing. We will aim to finish mid-afternoon on Tuesday in Bairnsdale.
Club Guest Registration policy: It is club policy in regard to insurance cover that if a member brings any non-members on the trip they must be registered and have paid the required fee as Temporary Members BEFORE the event.
i.e. non- members can no longer register on the day with the trip leader.
Temporary Membership information and ways to register can be found at:
Temporary (Guest) Membership
Also if a non-member wishes to bring their own vehicle, the member inviting the non-member must contact the trip leader for approval to bring the vehicle. Such approval will take into account skills of the driver, suitability of the vehicle and whether or not a place within the convoy limit is available for a non-member's vehicle.
Trip Leaders: Graeme Carter P: (04)00 195 932, E: graeme.carter23@bigpond.com
