Long Plain Hut March 2017

This trip was originally to the High Country Huts but due to ongoing road closures was changed to a Long Plain Hut trip.

Everyone met at 8.30am at the new rendezvous point at Cotter Bend.  The Koppe’s were the last to arrive as usual (doesn’t help when we already had a 2 hour trip to the rendezvous point and a small altercation with a kangaroo – might need to request an exemption otherwise everyone might get tired of our trip reports).

After final visits to the restroom, the convoy of ten vehicles, including the trip leader, headed off onto Cotter Road, then Brindabella Road, Barnett’s Road, Bramina Road and then entering Kosciuszko National Park via Broken Cart Road. Vehicles on the trip included two Toyotas (FJ & Prado), three Nissans (Navara and two Patrols), and 5 assorted Land Rover Discoveries.  We had a quick stop at the Barnetts Rd intersection and enjoyed some juicy blackberries.

The weather was against us on Saturday with the rain turning the otherwise easy grade trip into a more adventurous medium grade with the need to engage 4 wheel drive. In a particularly interesting section on Bramina Road, one of our Disco 2s required recovery when it became stuck in the rutted, slippery red clay section of the track, due to a grounded diff. The rest of the group discovered it was best not to fight gravity and made their way safely through this section by sliding into the rut and carefully making their way to the bottom. The rest of this track, while slippery in places and causing a number of us to do a little dance, remained incident free. As a note, the owner of the grounded Discovery had persuaded his adult daughter to join him on her first every 4×4 trip but we don’t think she’s put off by the incident.

Having held out as long as we could, we stopped for morning tea in the rain in a forest clearing on Broken Cart Track. After morning tea we continued our journey on to Long Plain Road.  The impromptu stop in the forest, while pleasant, was made up for with a very picturesque lunch stop, at Blue Waterholes Campground off Long Plain Road. While enjoying a relatively rain-free lunch we also enjoyed looking at the photos, and even some video coverage, of our adventures in the slippery section of Bramina Road. After packing our lunch makings away, we continued back towards Long Plain Road, stopping off along the way for a photo and history session at Coolamine Homestead.

We continued our journey on to Long Plain Road to reach Long Plain Hut Campground in plenty off time to set up camp for the night. The rain had stopped. At least four groups were setting up new ‘tents’, so some head scratching and team discussion occurred (that’s one of the great thing about being in the club, there is always someone to lend a hand and share their experience). After setting up camp and getting the fire going, we enjoyed swapping stories, nibblies and socialising before breaking off to cook and eat our dinners. After dinner, we returned to the camp fire for more socialising and some wonderful port, supplied by Geoff Hill, before everyone eventually drifted off to bed for a well-earned rest.

The night was mostly quiet except for some curious rumblings, both human and brumbies, and maybe a light drizzle, but no wind.

Sue graciously allowed as a leisurely start on Sunday, so everyone enjoyed a long breakfast and unhurried pack up before taking part in a group photo on the verandah of Long Plain Hut.

While leaving the Long Plain Hut camp site, a small group of four brumbies was sighted enjoying a morning graze. There was a single brumby sighting the previous day as well.  A larger group of about 10 brumbies was sighted not long after our returning to Long Plain Road and a larger mob of about 20 sighted along the Snowy Highway. There were also two sightings of wedge tail eagles over the course of the trip.

Our next destination was the Snowy Mountains Highway and morning tea at the Adaminaby bakery. The bakery proved once again to be an excellent choice for morning tea, as sampled last year on one of Russell’s Breakfast, Lies and Coffee social trips.

Sue consulted the group on what the preference was for the next stage of the trip. The Mintons decided to depart on their own to head to their house in Cooma. The remaining participants split into two groups with one group staying with Sue to investigate the Snowy Hydro Scheme Museum which is well worth the visit if you haven’t been. The other group, 5 vehicles in total, headed off with Geoff Hill in the lead back to Canberra via Boboyan Road and a quick stop at the lookout on the way. We gradually decreased in numbers until we, the Koppes, were the only ones left heading north.

Once again another wonderful club trip.

Thanks Sue and fellow trippers for a great weekend.

Kaylene and Paul Koppe