Tues, 17th November, 2015 Towong Reserve, NSW side, Towong to Native Dog Flat Camping Area, Alpine NP, Vic

Another lovely morning, 15 degrees. River is even lower this morning. At the other end of the reserve a chap swam across to the other side and back yesterday afternoon – bit chilly for us.

Packed up and waved by to the bridge workers who had let us know when they were about to start so we could get across first. Back into Victoria, through Towong and Corryong then turned south at Colac Colac. Wound our way back and forth over Nariel Creek.

Nice green pastures and a lovely home beside the old ramshackle one at Nariel which is home to Australia’s first Folk Festival held in the Christmas/New Year period

Passed a farm with lots of tractors and missed getting a photo of his tractor letterbox. Saw an emu and three chicks – now that is something we didn’t think we would see down here.

Stopped at Stacey’s Bridge Campground for a cuppa (530m elevation). Wheelers Creek flowing well. Even spotted a couple of trout.

Information about the fires that tore through the Alpine and Kosciusko National Parks in 2003. One thing good from the fires has been they have found a lot of historical mines and aboriginal artefacts etc.

From here it is dirt though the lady at the Info Centre said her husband had spent years widening it so off we went.

Glad we have a better detailed map as we have lost all the maps off the VMS when the chap in Tassie reset it – will have to buy a new one. It is nice and wide and we slowly climbed up the hillside. Two motorbikes came past but that was all till we reached 1100m elevation over the Nariel Valley – but no vantage points here for a photo. Went down a bit then climbed again to 1200m and stopped at Lookout. Unfortunately the trees need pruning but the view is to Mt Bogong (50km away) which has an elevation of 1986m and to Dartmouth Dam (25km away) which has a full supply level of 486metres. Mt Bogong is Victoria’s highest mountain.

The road has been good.

Up to 1300m into the Alpine National Park and passed a sign that said ‘Highest point on road, 1342m’. On the east side of the road is the Pinnibar Pendergast State Forest. Turned left at Sassafras Gap (1295m) into the State Forest. Lots of tall dead trees but heaps of new growth coming up.

Winding down beside Sassafras Creek to 760m then turned away from the creek which flows into Gibbo River. Back into the Alpine National Park as we travel down beside the Gibbo River. Lots of big skinks on the road that Steve is trying to avoid.

Across the bridge over Gibbo River at 580m elevation. It flows down into Dartmouth Dam.

Down onto Kings Flat at 550m – open area with accommodation house that had ‘no vacancies’ at the moment.

Continued along beside the river.

Passed a dead snake, then Steve ran over one and it went bang then he had enough time to see this one and miss it. I got a photo though.

Down to 520m as we leave the river to climb up again to 630m.  Not sure what this tree is but there are heaps in an orchard here.

Onto open pastures with cattle and sheep.

Crossed the Australian Alps Walking Track. Climbed up to 680m along the hillside with the Morass Creek below us in the valley.

Across Deep Creek bridge (which wasn’t deep at all) at 630m and onto bitumen again. It was a very good dirt road. Lovely countryside with The Brothers in the distance which is in Brothers State Forest.

Into Benambra (700m) which has one of the highest ovals in Victoria (over 700m). Had lunch near the Community Owned General Store.  The Omeo and Benambra district was one of the first areas of permanent settlement in Victoria. Graziers came overland from the Monaro Plains in NSW in about 1835 to establish squatting runs. Info on the Australian Alps Walking Track.

We are on the edge of the Great Dividing Range which we will go over to get to our campsite at Native Dog Flat in the Alpine National Park.

Headed off again – Mt McFarlane in the distance which has a lookout on top. Might be a bit of a walk though.

Stopped at a cairn on the site of Omeo Station, established in 1835. Unfortunately the information and photos on the notice board have fallen off.

Back on the dirt again and climbing up to 960m.

Up and down the hills to 1050m past grazing land then into Limestone State Forest. Climbing some more to 1300m at Nunniong Road intersection which is the border between Tambo State Forest and Alpine National Park.

Into the Alpine National Park and down steeply to cross Limestone Creek (1000m). A grader has been over the road. Actually he is still on it. Heard him say to the water truck guy – ‘hey there is a caravan behind me’. We called up and said we were ok and not in a rush but he said he would pull over and let us pass. Thanked them - They only do it once a year so we have a good road at least.

They were still working on the next few kilometres so we had to dodge the rocks in the middle.

Climbing steeply again to 1150m to Limestone Creek Track where there is another campsite down by the creek but it is a steep drive down – not recommended for caravans. Up to 1300m at the turn off to the track to Cowombat Flats where we will hike to tomorrow. A group of younger people were just getting into a troopcarrier – gave them a wave and one yelled out ‘we have been hiking for 8 days’. Ouch.

Down the hill again to cross the Buchan River (pronounced Bucken) and into the camp area (1200m).

We are now on the other side of the Great Dividing Range so it flows the other way heading south. There was another group of tents and a few cars but no people.

Chose our spot. Past us was a fenced off area that said ‘dog fence’ – we thought it was the horse enclosure as the next area down is called the ‘horse camp’.

Put on a jumper as it is a lot cooler up here. Had a cuppa then went back to the turnoff to Cowombat Track to check it out. There is a gate at the start of the road that is closed for winter (the first Thursday after Queens Birthday holiday and opens again on the first Thursday after Melbourne Cup). Through that for 4km till the next gate that doesn’t open. This is where we have to walk from. Lovely gums.

This explains the fenced area – it is so they can see what grows if the brumbies weren’t here eating things.

We will be following the Australian Alps Walking Track till we reach the Murray River, then we have to explore ourselves to find the source. At least this part of the track is a road and is wide and clear to follow.

Back to the camp where we checked out the info board near the river (well it only looks like a babbling brook really).

Drove down to the Horse Camp to check it out. There was a couple there so stopped for a chat. Jenny and Warren have been travelling for a while living out of their Nissan Patrol wagon. They can go anywhere and love it. Had a great chat. Gave them some wood we collected and we will come back for drink with them.

Cute little Flame Robin likes our aerial. They are so cute and zip around catching bugs. Wish they would catch all this annoying bush flies!!

I can just see the top of Rams Head from our camp (1621m elevation).

Put on some warmer clothes and went back over to Jenny and Warren for a lovely afternoon of chatting. They bought a ‘fix-er-upper’ heritage house in Oatlands and have been doing it up over the years. Now they rent it out for tourist accommodation – I am sure I took a photo of it. Lots of rabbits running around. Heard the whinny of some brumbies but haven’t seen one yet – just lots and lots of poo.

While I got tea ready Steve went over to say hi to the guys in the other camp who had come back. They are here working – cutting out Willow trees. They were an introduced species and they suck up too much water so Gippsland Water has hired them to kill the trees. They have to walk up the creeks and in the creeks removing them and poisoning the trunks. Must be good money!!

Lovely night though the temperature is dropping. Clear sky with lots of stars but I won’t be star gazing tonight!! 9.30pm it was 11 degrees – and I had packed the winter woollies away!!