[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” custom_padding=”0px|||” transparent_background=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”0px|||” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” locked=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_post_title title=”off” meta=”off” featured_placement=”background” text_color=”light” text_background=”on” text_bg_color=”rgba(28,28,28,0.9)” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ title_font_size=”35px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” parallax_effect=”off” module_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” locked=”off”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″]
Man from Snowy River 8-10 December 2017
Participants
| Sue | Alexander | Toyota FJ45 | Tent | |
| Geoff | Hill | Patrol | Camper Trailer | |
| John | Reis | Julie | Discovery 4 | Tent |
| Stuart | Minton | Jane | Hilux | Love Shack |
| Kevin | Phillips | Karen | Mazda BT50 | Rhino Trayback |
| Russell | Speldewinde | Discovery D4 | Bunker tent |
This was the alternate trip arranged to replace the Charlie Creek trip which was cancelled due to the heavy rain in the High Country the previous week. Due to that rain, this was planned as a blacktop trip so the camper trailers made an appearance.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Trip Report Text 1″ _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” module_alignment=”left” border_style=”solid”]
Day 1 Friday
The main group met at Williamsdale at 10am. Yours truly (Russell) was last at that gathering so you get to see the trip through my bespectacled lenses.
From Williamsdale we meandered down the Monaro Hwy to Cooma to meet up with the Minton’s at the Lott Food Store Bakery & Café at the Alpine end of the main drag, arriving there around 11am. This is a very nice café with some very nice cottage and craft gift ideas available for that special Xmas gift. We had a good morning tea and chat before heading out around half past to catch up with Hilly who doesn’t do coffee. Those Christmas gifts are still available although Julie picked up a dual purpose knife, cutting and ……(let’s not think about it).
We ventured south out of Cooma heading towards the Alpine area before turning west along the Snowy Mountains Hwy towards Adaminaby. In Adaminaby we encountered traffic lights! These lights split the convoy as we were not all able to get through on one cycle.
Anyway it was pleasant drive along the blacktop before reached the old gold town of Kiandra and hung a left, south west on the Link Road past Selwyn snowfields towards Cabramurra (no, it is not a suburb in Sydney Geoff!).
Along the way we pulled in at 3 Mile Dam for lunch around 1pm. The dam was created to service the gold mining at Kiandra. This is a lovely lunch spot and worth considering for a weekend camping and fishing trip.
We headed off from 3 Mile Dam and back out onto the Link Road where several brumbies were seen undertaking high altitude training at around 1500 metres. What a scenic and peaceful drive!
At the junction with Goat Ridge Road, we headed south towards Cabramurra eventually bypassing that Snowy Hydro Alpine town, passing the power station and heading along the picturesque Snow Ridge Road ascending to 1720 metres before descending quite a bit down to Tumut Pond Reservoir on the Tumut River and crossing the dam. The tow rigs for the camper trailers had begun to smell so Tail End Charlie dropped back a fair way on the way down to keep out of the stink.
After crossing over the dam at Tumut Pond, the Thomas the Tank Engine fans broke out their renditions as we ascended back up a similar distance. Travelling along Tooma Road, through the Jagungal Wilderness area, we again took in the stunning panoramic views south over the Vic High Country as we headed towards the intersection with the Alpine Way, west of Khancoban. Tooma Road turns into Swampy Plains Road as you drive under the power lines and then the heavy forestation opens out onto fertile farming areas adjacent to the Murray River
We hung a right onto the Alpine Way crossing the Victorian Border (and the Murray) before the Alpine Way becomes the Murray Valley Highway. From here it was a short distance to, and through, the township of Corryong. Nice little town and the final resting place of Jack Riley (aka The Man from Snowy River).
After passing that significant location we ventured on towards our temporary resting place for the weekend….Nariel Creek Recreation Reserve. This is located on the Nariel Creek (go figure!) off the Benambra road just south of Colac Colac (Clack Clack).
Arriving at our weekend campsite a little after half past, we all did the customary drive around and sniff the grass before each of us claimed our “patch” and set up camp. One of us set themselves up right in the middle of the group’s view of the creek.
This is a well grassed camp area with the sound of a babbling brook and mooing cows keeping you company….all night! Fee for camping is $5 per night, payable into the honesty box.
We all centred ourselves around a fire pit and near the toilets. Good drop toilets and we broke the cobwebs for them before they hold their big annual folk festival after Christmas.
Stu and Jane are regular attendees at the festival and around nibbles and the fire they regaled us with the folk tales from the folk festival.
A pleasant evening with a slightly cool night kept at bay by the nicely proportioned fire. We had travelled about 300km from Canberra ascending about 1000m before descending approximately 1300 metres.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”13158,13165″ posts_number=”12″ zoom_icon_color=”#05572d” hover_icon=”%%250%%” admin_label=”first image gallery” _builder_version=”3.0.97″ title_font_size=”14″ caption_font_size=”12″ caption_line_height=”14px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” pagination_font_size_tablet=”51″ pagination_line_height_tablet=”2″][/et_pb_gallery][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Trip Report Text 2″ _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” module_alignment=”left”]
Day 2 Saturday
Woke early to a very picturesque sunrise over the hill behind Colac Colac and across the creek – one of the benefits of my Bunker tent.
The agenda for today was a little loose, however we decided to head south via Stacey Bridge along Benambra Road and Wheelers Track to Wheelers Hut for mornos. There was some talk about continuing from Wheelers Hut to Mt Pinnibar but we decided against that. This was a relatively short drive on blacktop and well-formed gravel roads
After 1 hour stop for morno’s, we decided we would return to camp for lunch and then head north into the Burrowa Pine Mountain National Park and specifically the Cudgewa Bluff Falls. Arriving back at camp around 1.30pm, we milled around doing our own thing, with some of the group heading in for lunch and a shop at Corryong.
After lunch, we re-grouped and headed out to the falls at 3pm-ish and arrived at the falls about half past. The group broke up and headed different ways depending levels of enthusiasm and fitness to either look at the falls or head up and up and up to look out over the Corryong Valley and beyond to the High Country.
Due to the different journeys taken and the pleasant surrounds, we decided to have pre-dinner nibbles and drinks at the picnic area adjacent to the carpark, eventually departing just before 6pm and heading back to camp.
Another leisurely and relaxed chat and discussion around the campfire seemed to finish up quite late for the author, being woken up by the others as they went to bed! It was a warmer night and great sleep.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”13161,13166,13162,13156,13157,13163,13160,13167″ posts_number=”10″ zoom_icon_color=”#05572d” admin_label=”second image gallery” _builder_version=”3.0.97″ title_font_size=”14″ caption_font_size=”12″ caption_line_height=”14px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” pagination_font_size_tablet=”51″ pagination_line_height_tablet=”2″][/et_pb_gallery][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” column_structure=”4_4,4_4″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Trip report Text 3″ _builder_version=”3.27.4″]
Day 3 Sunday
I think we left camp around 10am although we left Stu and Jane with the Love Shack still erect as they were going to travel back along the Alpine Way to Cooma. I raced into Corryong as I wanted to drop into the bakery for a coffee before the group arrived. I didn’t realise they had raced after me and also wanted to drop in to the bakery. So our first stop on the drive home was a huge 12kms up the road at Corryong.
We eventually left Corryong around 11 and headed to Tumbarumba via Towrong, Tooma Inn and Paddy’s River along the Tooma Road. We noted several places worth considering a revisit for accommodation.
After a stop over at Tumbarumba, we headed up to Tumut via the Southern Cloud memorial lookout and Batlow along the Batlow Road, arriving in Tumut around 2pm. At Tumut, John and Julie proceeded to Brindabella Road to return to Canberra while the rest of us took the easy option and headed back up the Hume back to Canberra.
After around 850 kilometres of some of the most scenic highway driving in the country, it turned out to be a fantastic way to fill in loose ends following the cancellation of the Charlie Creek trip.
Thank you to Sue for putting on this trip and for allowing me to travel in a part of the country I don’t recall visiting in my driving life. For anyone wanting to fill in a long weekend and not wanting a hard drive, I recommend this circuit.
Russell
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”13167,13159″ posts_number=”10″ zoom_icon_color=”#05572d” admin_label=”third image gallery” _builder_version=”3.0.97″ title_font_size=”14″ caption_font_size=”12″ caption_line_height=”14px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” pagination_font_size_tablet=”51″ pagination_line_height_tablet=”2″][/et_pb_gallery][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]