Easter at Wonnangatta Station

Thursday 17th April, 2014

Wonnangatta Station

I left work a wee bit early as I was just a little too excited to be productive.  We were heading off on an adventure for Wonnangatta Station, a place we haven't been to in Barbara, and somewhere GM has been wanting to go for quite some time.  He had her all hitched up and ready by the time I got home, and then harassed me to hurry up and pack....quite a pushy bugger!

We left the Passion Pit at 3.10 bound for Licola, our stop for the first night.  We called in at Moe Maccas for a light snack and a coffee to keep us going until tea time.  We took the back way to Licola via Tyers, Glengarry & Toongabbie where there was virtually no traffic as compared to the highway, which was starting to get a bit crazy with all the holiday makers.

Boobook Camp

Instead of going over the bridge into Licola, we veered right onto the Tamboritha road and drove up to the #2 Boobook Camp.  There are 14 camps to choose from, but this is the one GM seemed excited about.  Probably because it has Boob in its title!!!

River rocks

The Macalister River just above Licola

We set up Barbara without any cover and I got the fire going like an expert.....I'm getting pretty good at this stuff.  ;-)

Spaghetti Bol for dinner, a chatter around the campfire then off to bed....big day tomorrow!!


Friday 18th April, 2014 (Good Friday)

I cooked breaky (Uncle Tobys Plus Muesli Flakes, Apricots, Sultanas Apples & Coconut with 70% WHOLEGRAIN GOODNESS) I sure make a mean cereal :-)

We packed up camp and hit the road at about 9.10am.  By this time I had a slight headache building.....might have been from all the effort of cooking such a fancy breakfast!!

We wound our way up and up and round and round and stopped at the Bennison Lookout to deflate the tyres.  The road was extremely corrugated and we were being thrown all over the place.  Didn't fancy the idea of sliding over the edge as the hills are pretty sheer around here.  There was an awful lot of traffic.....seems everyone has the same idea as us.....hit the hills before its too cold and they lock the seasonal closure gates.  These are closed from the thursday after the Queens birthday to the thursday before Melbourne Cup.

The Bennison Lookout

The sky was getting heavier as the morning went on, and we stopped at the stockyards on Tamboritha Saddle for a few pics.

It was bitterly cold up here compared to the low river level roads.  My head was starting to feel as heavy as the clouds, but the road up here along the saddle is great, so a pretty smooth drive passed the Snowy Mountains Airfield, passed Bryces Gorge turnoff and then a short detour to Howitt Hut for some more pics.  It was cold, grey, windy and freezing now.  Bitterly cold.....I hope it's better than this where we're going!  The weather was supposed to be a few showers each day, and it was trying pretty hard to rain up here.

Howitt Hut

We turned right onto the Zeka Spur Track....eek!! this was one hell of a roughie....very rough, very steep and very narrow.  We met 4 vehicles on a rather narrow section and about 2 inches from the edge of the drop off!  Very uncomfortable.  The going was very slow, but at least it was dry.  Rain would have made it a very slippery trip.  I was starting to get the hot and colds by this time.....somebody has given me their bug.....not happy Jan!!!!  Workcover claim maybe????  It took just over 2 hours to drive 29km most of which I spent in and out of consciousness.  We were about 3/4 of the way down when GM stopped to let me throw up my toenails, didn't have the runs thank goodness, or we would have turned straight back around and gone home!!!  I started feeling slightly better, but really needed to have a lay-down.  We got to Wonnangatta Station around 1.20pm, found a perfect spot on the fork of the Wonnangatta River and the Conglomerate Creek.  We set up Barbara and I bombed out on the bed while GM set up all the other bits and pieces.  By this time it had started raining and looked like it had set in for the rest of the day.

It looked like we were in for a rough night!  But it cleared up so we were pretty lucky :-)

I woke around 3 and we had some satay noodles and a cup of tea.  I was feeling so much better now.  GM cooked up Jamie Olivers Crispy Skinned fish (delicious Blue Grenadier) with sweet potato mash and greens in soy/chilli sauce.....one of my favourite meals that has adapted beautifully to camp cooking :-)  We sat around the camp fire until around 9.  It was pretty darn freezing by this time so off to bed we went.  The rain had stopped by this time thank goodness!

The campsite across from us........perfect picture :-)

Saturday 19th April, 2014 (Easter Saturday)

We were up around 8am to the beginning of what was to be a beautiful sunny autumn day :-)
After a lovely breakfast of mushroom and spinach omelet (beautiful fresh mushies from a workmates farm!!!) ......yeah, that's right.....I cooked again!!! :-O we toodled off up track to the family graveyard for the owners and caretakers of the Wonnangatta Station......it must have been harsh back then.

We then wandered down Ellens walking track to the old homestead site that burned down in 1957.  The cause of the fire is unknown, but is thought to be from bushwalkers leaving a fire going in the fire place.  The ashes had built up over the years as it had been left empty for a long time and had been used as shelter by hikers and campers.

The original owners were Oliver Smith and his partner Nancy "Ellen" Hayes.  I love the fact that they must never have married, as their children were all born with their mothers surname.  Ellen died in 1873 the day after giving birth to twin girls who only lived another couple of weeks.  This was so sad, and Oliver and the sons sold the station to the Bryce family and left the area.  They made their own cheese and produces and used these to trade for other necessities.

The government are now trialling the cattle back in the Wonnangatta Valley, but so far have only put 60 head on the 1150 acres.  They're not keeping much of the grass down, so hopefully they'll put a lot more on there.  I'm no expert, but even I can see the danger where all the undergrowth has been left to go crazy.  The cows keep it down really well, so in my opinion, "Bring back grazing in the high country"!!!!!!

The "Friends of Wonnangatta Station" spend a lot of time repairing vandalism and mess up there, and they had a booth with memorabilia and an afternoon talk from an author named Wally Mortimer who is an expert on the Station.  The crowd that turned up for this was unbelievable.  In the middle of absolutely nowhere, 4WD's came from every direction and he had quite a crowd waiting for him when he started :-)

I bought a beanie to keep my head warm at night and a sticker to put on Barbara......she has quite a collection of them now :-)

There were loos placed strategically all around the station, but this one was the only awesome looking one!

Surprise!!

Who gave him the camera!!!

Made it!!!

We went for a wander around the eastern edge of the station, past the "horse paddock" that they have for those who ride in on horseback, stopped and watched some fellas trying to drag half a tree up the river bank with their 4WD.  We crossed the Conglomerate Creek and back to camp where we spent a lazy afternoon in the sun.  GM played cook with the camp oven and I sat and stuffed my face with delicious Easter Eggs my awesome boss gave me for Easter, while reading a very interesting article on "Quirky Weight-Loss Tips from around the World" in the Good Health magazine ;-)

GM pottering about :-)

Easter Eggs!!!! :-)

Yummmmmm!!!!!

Dinner......I have no idea why he would put the beer in the picture....think he has a problem ;-)

Deliclious!!! :-)

Dinner was amazing......Roast chicken and veggies!  He's pretty awesome, my GM!!!  Then another night around the campfire and off to bed.  It was so cold at night that the sheets were so cold they felt wet.  I went to bed fully clothed, but throughout the night managed to shed my jumper, trackie dacks and bed socks.  Got a wee bit too warm under the doona with all those layers on!


Sunday 20th April, 2014 (Easter Sunday)

We woke fairly early and got up and had bacon, eggs, hash browns and tomatoes....yum!!  Tidied up a bit and then hit the track!  We were going on a 4WD adventure!!!!
We took the Wombat Spur Track up the hill, HOLY CRAP!!!!!! a very, very, very, veryveryvery steep and rocky ascent.....I had visions of us cartwheeling backward down the hill :-/  But GM is amazing!!!! He got us safely to the top :-)  Then along the Cynthia Range Track (a lovely smooth track after Wombat Spur) all the way along the top of the world and then left onto Station Track, Racecourse Track and into Talbotville.

Talbotville

The first place I ever went camping in a tent....35 years ago at Easter!!!!

My first ever camp site......in the middle of the pic.

We went and checked out the old cemetery

then had a cuppa and some twisties right next to my very first campsite along the Crooked River,

then went for a drive to the "New Good Hope Mine" that managed to produce no gold......they would have been devastated, for they carted a steam engine and crushing machine up that hill for nothing.  They are still there now, so being rusty metal, I of course, had to get photos :-)  We stopped to read the information sign which had been slightly graffitied.

Someone got it right and it sure wasn't Parks Victoria!!!!  HOLY CRAP!!!!!  About 800m straight up the side of a mountain!!!!!

About 100m up I started to hear my calves snapping!!!

By about the 500m point I could hear them sobbing.....I'm not quite sure if it was coming from my calves or my brain.  But being a stubborn sort sometimes ;-)  I kept going and finally finally finally came to the top!!  I figured if I'd gone that far, I may as well find the mine entrance, so another 25m or so straight up I came to the end of the track......completely blocked by blackberries........bummer!!!  I took lots of pics and then we went back down.

It was a very careful descent, very slippery with loose stones in places.  GM nearly went down a couple of times, and my knees were shaking so much by the time I got to the bottom that I could hardly stand upright!  We met a couple of men with kids on the way down.  I offered them my big balancing branch, but they said no, they were ok.....had the kids to break their fall ;-)  I am glad we did it though :-)

We headed back the way we came and then turned up the hill to Mt. Grant.....33km to Dargo.  We stopped at the Grant Cemetery.....such a sad place.....unmarked graves everywhere!

Then down into Dargo for a beer at the pub.  Dargo was absolutely mobbed with 4WD's and people everywhere!
But, the beer was cold and went down a treat :-)  Got some more pics, then on the road again back to camp.

We took the Crooked River Road where we stopped for lunch, (soup and homemade bread) then passed all of the camp spots I used to take the kids to when they were younger.

Lunch view of the Crooked River Valley :-)

Across the Kingswell Bridge and along the Wonnangatta Road, down Eaglevale Track and back onto the Cynthia Range Track.  We had just done a massive circle of the Grant Historic Area.  We decided to come back via the Herne Spur Track (was supposed to be very steep and shaley).  HOLY CRAP!!!!! a very, very, very, veryveryvery steep descent......I had visions of us cartwheeling forward down the hill :-/  But GM is amazing!!!! He got us safely to the bottom :-)  Then along the river and back to camp....a bit smoother than the way out, and a total of 44 river crossings for the day.....I must admit, I did enjoy the river crossing part of it.

Herne Spur Track

It was just starting to get dark when we got back to camp and GM whipped up a mean Satay Beef for dinner, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day :-)  If possible, the night was even colder than the night before!!!!  Bed was agony to climb into, so as we lay there trying to defrost, we discussed the idea of getting some hot water bottles, and then I came up with the most brilliant idea of an electric blanket
:-)  We do have an inverter, so may as well make use of it for more than the Nespresso machine!!!!


Monday 21st April, 2014 (Easter Monday)

It was a reminder that summer is over!!!!!  I had forgotten how bloody cold it could get.  We haven't been this cold since waking up at Serpentine Gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges near Alyce Springs last July!!!!  There wasn't quite as much ice here, but it was still below zero!!!

I cooked pancakes for breaky and made pikelets with the leftovers for snacks later.  I boiled up the left over eggs and we packed up camp and headed off for home.  It was a much more pleasant trip up the Zeka Spur Track, no throwing up this time :-)  We got to the top and drove down to Bryces Gorge Carpark.  We went for a hike to Guys Hut, then on to Conglomerate Falls, the Gorge (Magnificent and breathtaking!) then through the bush to Pieman Falls (not that flash) and back to the carpark.  8km and took us just over 2 hours.  It was a lovely hike, but by the time we got back to the carpark we were starving.  I cooked up the leftovers and we had lunch and a hot drink.  We had a lovely chat with a couple of girls from Toongabbie and Berwick, then hit the road at 2.45pm bound for home.

The hike to Guys hut

Guys Hut

Bryce's Gorge taken from the top of Conglomerate Falls

Conglomerate Falls 

Where we stood to take the pics of the Gorge

Pieman Falls

The weather was just perfect, and there had been a bit of a scary accident just below the Bennison Lookout.  Someone in a little car had left the road on one of the rutted bends and luckily enough hit the side of a tree, which stopped them rolling down the side of the mountain.  A bucket seat had been thrown out and was laying in the gutter against the bank on the other side of the road.  Someone had to be air ambulanced out of there, but they were all alive, which was so bloody lucky when you look at the terrain!  I wouldn't have risked my car on that road, it's not suitable for normal cars.  The rest of the trip was uneventful and we arrived home at 6.40pm tired and stinking of campfire........my shower was heaven.

The Macalister River on the way home as the sun was going down

GM has insisted that it was his "amazing" Patrol that got us up and down the spurs, but I still think he's pretty amazing as well ;-)

Our weather for the Easter break turned out pretty fantastic through the days.  The only rain we had was when we were setting up, but gee whiz those nights are cold!

It wasn't until I put this together that I realised that I did most of the cooking, something is not quite right!!!!   I think GM owes me big time for this one ;-)

No more trips in Barbara until the nights start getting warmer, but we should be ok, we're off for a spot of fun in Europe for a month in July.

BON VOYAGE!!!!