Alpine Lakes, Snakes and Smok'n Brakes - the Victorian High Country

Mid February, 2013

Healesville to Jamieson

We began our High Country adventure at my Dad's early-childhood home at Healesville and drove the scenic Black Spur drive to the bushfire-devastated Marysville (where my Grandad was a timber worker in the 1940s and 50s).






The region is still beautiful, but it is terribly sad to see the bleached skeletons of once-magnificent Mountain Ash forests. Equally sad are the memories of the many lives lost and the knowledge that places like Marysville will never be the same again.

Action Time
The Rowdy Roadtrip has a 4WD baptism of fire when Leanne's "shortcut" takes us down a treacherous track that resembles a rock-slide far more than a road.

The photo doesn't do it justice, but as the track plunges downhill and disintigrates further, mum and the kids abandon ship, leaving Paul to undertake a perilious 12-point turn (with the trailer on) to prevent our untimely demise. Hmmm and it's only day one!!

Fill her up! Having survived our first foray into the mountains, we camp at a lovely, not-quite-ghost-town called Woods Point. Once a bustling gold-mining town of 4000 souls, it's now home to just 40 people and a few classic old buildings.

We made it! At the top of the way-too-steep Frenchman's Gap track, where Leanne must again reach for a sedative, on route to the aptly-named Mt Terrible. Are we having fun yet?

Bumpy, but beautiful and away from it all, although the above average temperatures in the high counry brought in millions of blowies prompting the kids to rename it the Fly Country.

The hot weather meant we also had to dodge a few bushfires around the Mt Hotham/Dargo area, many started by lightening strikes, forcing  us to keep a close eye on the weather.

 With layers of beautiful mountain wilderness stretching out in every direction, the scenery was almost worth the harrowing drive!!

The monsters discover their spiritual home...but to be fair, they handled some pretty full-on 4WD tracks really well.



 Howqua Hills, near Mansfield 

 



With Leanne's nerves and bones a bit rattled, we decided to find a nice calming stream to sit beside for a few days to regroup. Yeah, I know, I'm getting soft!

 

Beautiful markings on this small river crayfish - lucky he didn't have any friends or he may have been dinner!

Not sure who would be eating who though!

Craig's Hut at the top of a 4WD circuit out of Mt Buller, famous for its inclusion in `The Man From Snowy River' movie.

The Craigs at Craig's Hut - maybe we should move in.

Snow Gums near Craig's Hut.

Above the tree line near Mt Buller.

A long-time member of the Falls Creek family (and Will Greene's mum), Lyn, takes us to one of her favourite mountain top picnic spots where we camp for a night.

 You can see why the locals choose to sink a few reds up here. We spent a great day mountain-bike riding along the tracks and trails of the Falls Creek ski resort. The kids still prefer Wombat's Ramble with snow on it though!

Nature's playground

 

Queen of her castle

 

Hey, don't forget about me.















The Good: Leanne's 20km bike ride from the top of Falls Creek and along the beautiful (summer only) alpine road towards Omeo. Paul had a turn the next morning down the even-faster, windy bit at the bottom.
The Bad: Our little snake-charmer Nikita makes another slithery friend - a resident yellow-bellied black snake at Howqua Hills. It liked popping up everytime she went for a swim. But, it wasn't a patch on the world's most MASSIVE tiger snake that Leanne nearly tripped over when going for a morning bushwalk. We both jumped (yes snakes can jump), I screamed (no snakes don't scream) and foolishly, we both fled in the same direction. It was a crazy and slightly comical moment with us desperately trying, but failing, to get away from each other. That's it....no more alpine bush walks for me!
The Ugly: The smoke coming from our heavily-used brakes. This was cause for some concern as a tonne of trailer pushed us down one steep mountainside after another. It turns out the bearings were worn and our CV joint seals were leaking - our poor workhorse was in need of some repairs.

Omeo

It's the land of horses....we simply had to go for a ride near Omeo.

Riley and Spot get along well.

And Nikita just hated it....can't you tell?

Lovely old cabins adorn this undulating Willows Station run by the Packer family.

At home on the ranch.

The kids come back in one piece after a beautiful bush ride with four river crossings and plenty of excitement on the narrow bush tracks.

Next it was Leanne's turn. After hinting I was up for something a little more adventurous, I certainly got what I asked for. We plunged through rivers, galloped up hillsides and even jumped a few logs. I had no idea what I was doing, but it was fast, exciting and, by some miracle, I didn't fall off!

Giddy up horsey! Archie's not one to be left out.

One of the charming parts about travelling in the High Country is its rich early-settler and gold-mining history. This masterfully-crafted 100+ year-old bridge was made from hand-hewn logs and looks as though it will still be standing in another 100 years.

One of our favourite campsites on-route to the start of the River Murray deep inside the Alpine National Park.

We were alone apart from the wild Brumbies that snorted and galloped around our camp at night....it was magic.

We thought the drive into the headwater of the River Murray would be pretty easy....until the road suddenly disappeared off a precipice!

Hmm...shall I get the kids out of the car again?

Off.....

We.....

Go!

This little blue-tongue was pretty lucky not to get squished

 

We made it.....the mighty River Murray. And what better way to celebrate than a water fight.

Craigy takes a bath.....could explain some of the water quality issues we experience in downstream SA.

Murray mermaid.

 Border disputes - the sibling rivalry turns into state rivalry as Riley claims NSW and Nikita sticks to the Victorian side. Next stop the Snowy River and Mt Kosciuszko.