Saturday, 16 November 2024
This morning, we repacked the truck and made our way to the front of the pub to meet Pam in her Isuzu DMax. Arrangements had been made for us to meet Pam in Heyfield and guide her to the tag along meeting point at the Dingo Den at Valencia Creek.
We travelled northwards via Newry and Boisdale eventually picking up Moroka Road looking for a property 14 kilometres from the junction. Initially I was keeping track of our journey using the Hema Atlas & Guide to The High Country Victoria but could see that the scale was going to make it difficult to follow our journey once we got off-road. Then I realised that Bernie had also packed our Rooftop’s Dargo-Wonnangatta Adventure Map, so I unfurled that to keep track of our journey.
At about 14 kilometres in, John could see us up on the road above the Dingo Den before we could see him and radioed us to guide us into his property to join him and the other two drivers making up our tag along group. After introductions and a toilet stop, we were soon back in our vehicles and formed up in a line to follow John up into the high country.
We continued north along the Moroka Road through the Valencia State Forest past Paddy Lees Crossing and Stans Track before turning onto the Mt Angus Track/Old Moroka Road. We stopped beside the road for a morning tea break and toilet stop … far from any amenities so GoGirl was used to pee behind a bush out of sight of the rest of the group. Phew, successfully managed to pee without wetting my pants or my shoes!
The rest of the morning was spent on the Old Moroka Road gradually making our way into Moroka Hut where a momentary lapse in concentration saw Bernie hang the front of the truck up on a stump. After all the difficult driving neither of us saw this stump perched innocuously beside a lovely easy turning circle where we were going to park the vehicles to walk into Moroka Hut.
Needless to say, there was a delay while the boys worked on getting the MU-X off the stump. Thank goodness our guide, John, was prepared for anything and everything breaking out his chainsaw and blocks of wood to jack up the truck and trim the offending stump. While they worked on this Pam and I walked into the hut and leant a little bit about each other. Pam is a widow who has previously undertaken the Dingo Trax Simpson Desert Tag Along Tour. A keen bird watcher based in Queensland she has driven down to Victoria to see a bit of the high country with John.
Back from the hut, the boys had a stack of stuff under the front passenger side wheel (John’s blocks of wood and Bernie’s four recovery tracks) and John had just finished trimming the stump to a point where Bernie was able to gently back the truck off the stump. Thank goodness for that. Not even lunchtime and we were in trouble!
The boys quickly walked into the hut for a look. I decided to walk in again, but this time with GoGirl having forgotten to take it the first time! Unfortunately, now, not only did I have to worry about the boys, but a couple of families had arrived, so the bush was quite crowded compared to when Pam and I had walked in earlier. Then when everyone had left, I found that GoGirl was no longer tucked into my back pocket. Damn, it must have popped out somewhere along the track.
Bernie and I started to head back to the vehicles with eyes peeled for my urination aid! GoGirl was found beside the track so with Bernie standing guard I had another go at bush peeing. No quite as successful as the first time but I was feeling much more exposed this time and rushed things a bit squashing GoGirl in the process and causing a bit of overflow. Oh well, wearing black pants and bit of dampness didn’t show, ha, ha.
Arriving back at the truck we quickly slapped some salami and cheese in a couple of rolls and bolted down lunch before climbing back in the 4x4s to continue on our way. We continued along the Moroka Track via McFarlane’s Saddle to Arbuckle Junction where we joined Howitt Road. We travelled through The Gorge and past the Snowy Plains Airstrip one of the highest airstrips in Australia at 1,630 metres. We drove over Bryces Plan and through The Bastards Neck before arriving at Howitt Hut.
Howitt Hut was originally built by William Bryce in 1899 but has been rebuilt and altered many times since then. It is also the site of the unsolved murders of John Bamford and Jim Barclay during the summer of 1917/18. Many believe the hut to be haunted. Despite this we met two women camping outside the hut with their six horses. These intrepid horsewomen are riding the Bicentennial National Trail that stretches 5,330 kilometres from Healseville to Cooktown. Friends and family told them they were crazy which just made them more determined to do it! They think it will take them a year to complete it. They hadn’t had a cold drink since they set out so were delighted to accept cold cans of coke from John and Michael gifted them some cheese and cabana.
We had barely left the hut when John pulled us over again at the start of the Dry River Walking Track. He wanted to discuss the weather forecast (thunderstorm and possible 40mm rain overnight) and discuss whether we should proceed down into the Wonnangatta Valley or not. He wanted us all fully aware that if we went in, we might have to come back out the same way because there are river crossings heading east that may be impassable if 40mm of rain does fall. The consensus was to continue down the Zeka Spur Track to camp overnight at Wonnangatta Station.
Ha, the Rooftop’s map says the descent into Wonnangatta Valley on the Zeka Spur Track is slow, with short, steep and rocky sections. It notes that progress is slow on this track for the first 20 kilometres. Having driven it, I think it could be said that it is steep and rocky ALL the way in!!
John took us to a lovely campsite on the river without any tall trees so that we could set ourselves up for the night without having to worry about the storm front IF it comes through in the middle of the night. Well, not worry about falling trees … just rain. A campfire was lit, and we spent a lovely balmy evening sitting around the fire before retiring for the night after a walk to the drop toilet in the dark with my head torch on!
Have to mention that this four-wheel driving lark is FANTASTIC for one’s fitness goals, ha, ha. We hardly walked a step all day BUT we achieved our Move and Exercise goals before lunch! It seems our Apple Watches cannot tell the difference between us walking and being bounced around in the MU-X.
Thanks John, check out John’s Tag Along Tours at https://www.dingotrax.com.au/
