Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 028 - Honeysuckle Creek to Tharwa

 

Day:	028
Date:	Monday, 12 April 2011
Start:	Honeysuckle Creek Campground
Finish:	Namadgi National Park Visitors Centre, Tharwa, ACT (finish of the AAWT)
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	15.4 AAWT
Total Kilometres:	659.6 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, kangaroos
People Encounters	Three day hikers and one runner
Weather:	Cold and partly cloudy in the morning, sunny later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	It rained during the night and I slept fitfully, probably in anticipation of finishing my trek. Everything was very wet when I got up at 5:30am and I transferred all my gear to the camp picnic shelter before packing and breakfasting. I was on my way on a very cool and sunny morning by 7:30am. The single-track hiking trail through the Eucalypt forest was very nice apart from those sections where it was a bit overgrown with sopping wet scrub and I was soon very wet and quite cold too. I resisted the temptation to stop and put on my clothes, deciding to walk briskly to warm up instead. I was sure it would warm up a bit in the next hour or so, and so it did. The scenery was a mix of forest dotted with huge boulders before the trail moved out into pasturelands belonging to an old farm that was now part of the Namadgi NP dominated by the towering Mt Tennent (1384m). The last part of the hike involved more nice single track onto the slopes of Mt Tennent then a long descent, involving a lot more steps than my knees would have liked to Tharwa and the Namadgi Visitors Centre, and the end of my hike. I arrived just after noon and was greeted by a friendly NP ranger who prepared a laminated AAWT Finisher Certificate for me and a free cup of coffee. Not long afterwards, my cousin-in-law, Chris, turned up to drive me into Canberra from where I will catch a train back to Sydney tomorrow. I am sad that the hike is over, but looking forward to seeing my loved ones again, and to some of the benefits of civilization - hot showers, junk food, TV, en-suites, etc. No doubt I will soon be thinking nostalgically back to the good times on the AAWT, and there were many.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 027 - Oldfields Hut to Honeysuckle Creek

 

Day:	027
Date:	Sunday, 11 April 2011
Start:	Oldfields Hut
Finish:	Honeysuckle Creek Campground
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	34.2 AAWT
Total Kilometres:	644.2 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, kangaroos
People Encounters	People at start and finish, nobody during the day
Weather:	Cold and raining in the morning, some sun from mid-afternoon
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	The night seemed long, sleeping on the floor of the hut, but eventually 5:30am arrived and I got up and quietly packed up and breakfasted. It had started raining in the early hours and was still raining steadily when I left at 7am after a chat with one of my fellow campers. The clouds were low and the rain looked set in, though forecast to clear in the afternoon. The trail climbed through temperate forest to Murray Gap before descending into Cotter Valley. I was wet and a bit cold, but the damp forest made a pleasant contrast to the dry plains of yesterday. The pleasantness ended on the long climb to Cotter Gap that was mostly on single-track overgrown with sopping wet vegetation. Not quite as bad as back in Victoria, but pretty bad. Soon I was very wet and quite cold. Having to ford the swollen Cotter River, giving me wet boots and socks didn't help my mood. I was ready for it to be over. However, there was no alternative to moving briskly to keep warm, and I made reasonable time, passing through the small alpine valley at Cotter Gap and then beginning the descent to the Orroral Valley. Soon after lunch, I reached a gravel road and knew the wet undergrowth was behind me. My mood lifted as the occasional rays of sun made it through the cloud. The picturesque Orroral Valley, bordered by craggy ridges, had once been grazing land but was now the home of many grey kangaroos. I had my afternoon break by the Orroral River with 8km to go to Honeysuckle Creek (the site of a dismantled space tracking station), that started with an ascent I dreaded. The climb is part of the Deep Space Mountain Marathon course and I still had vivid memories of my struggle up the climb a snowy November a couple of years ago. It wasn't any easier this time, but I just kept plugging away and eventually made it to the National Park Campground soon after 5pm. I have just 16km to go to the end of the AAWT from here and should be there by noon tomorrow. Looking forward to it, though enjoyed my peaceful last evening setting up camp and eating by the light of a setting sun.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 026 - Tantangara Creek to Oldfields Hut

 

Day:	026
Date:	Saturday, 10 April 2011
Start:	Tantangara Creek
Finish:	Oldfields Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	33.8 AAWT
Total Kilometres:	610.0 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies, kangaroos
People Encounters	Couple of vehicles, two families at Hut
Weather:	Cold early, partly sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I got myself up at 5:30am, knowing I had a potentially long day if I was to make it to a hut tonight, which seemed like a good idea given the forecast of rain. There was a heavy dew overnight, so both my tent and sleeping bag were quite damp. I started walking about 7:30am and had two kilometers to walk to rejoin the AAWT after leaving it yesterday to retrieve my food drum. Once on the AAWT, the first thing I had to do was ford the Murrumbidgee River. At first I thought I might be able to rock hop, but soon gave up and just waded through, getting wet up to my crotch. There followed about 12km of mostly cross-country walking to compass bearings. Although it was tiring walking through the tussocky grass and low scrub, it was easy enough to see where I was supposed to be going as I followed several watercourses and climbed over some low saddles. The last part involved following a line of old telephone poles that once served one of the old homesteads. I reached a gravel road around 10:30am and the remainder of the day was spent following disused 4WD trails across a series of plains interspersed with low timbered saddles. At times on the plains it felt like I was in the arid outback, with saltbushes-like scrub stretching into the distance. I kept up a good pace and, nearing the end of the day and Oldfields Hut at 4:30pm, caught two families struggling up the hill from the last plain obviously destined for the same hut. I easily overtook them and beat them to the but by about 30 minutes giving me time to wash and unpack before they arrived. There were three rooms to the hut, so I took one. They also had a few tents. It was pretty noisy with young kids running everywhere. I hope they appreciate me getting up at 5:30am!

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 025 - Four Mile Hut to Tantangara Creek

 

Day:	025
Date:	Friday, 9 April 2011
Start:	Four Mile Hut
Finish:	Tantangara Creek
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	29.0 AAWT, 1.1 from Hut
Total Kilometres:	576.2 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, small snakes, brumbies
People Encounters	Vehicles on highway at Kiandra, two horse riders
Weather:	Very cold and foggy early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	It was another cold night, though not too bad in the quaint old hut. There was a heavy fog when I woke at 6:00am, but it had receded down the valley by 7:00am revealing another cloudless sky. I started walking at 8:00am and quickly covered the kilometer back to the AAWT and began following the route north along the same closed and disused old 4WD tracks passing through alpine valleys and over a few low ridges. I was close to the Mt Selwyn ski field and there were a number of marked cross-country ski trails crossing the trail at various points. I met a highway at the old mining town of Kiandra, now uninhabited with just a few buildings remaining. There is also a Roads Depot here and I have vivid memories of sheltering inside it 7 years ago when caught in a November blizzard while riding my MTB to Melbourne down the Bicentennial Trail. I took my morning break at Kiandra and then continued on. I was now back in brumby country and felt my nose watering and eyes welling again in reaction to the horse droppings everywhere. Of course, it's nice that there are wild horses in the mountains, but they are feral and they do have a significant impact on the landscape. I think that their numbers need to be controlled, but know this is a sensitive issue. The remainder of the day was spent walking from one long flat alpine valley to another via low snowgum wooded hills. The average altitude was about 1400m, but you couldn't tell from the terrain. It had all been high country sheep or cattle stations at some point and there was evidence of fences and gates here and there. Around 3.30pm I deviated from the AAWT to go cross-country for a couple of kilometers to the place where I had hidden my food drop using my GPS. I hadn't been able to find a good hiding spot right on the trail near here so had hidden it on the access track. I found it without much trouble by 4:30pm and had a relaxing evening eating my treats. I hear on the radio that my run of good weather will be coming to an end tomorrow and I'll be wet for the last three days of my trip.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 024 - Mackays Hut to Four Mile Hut

 

Day:	024
Date:	Thursday, 8 April 2011
Start:	Mackays Hut
Finish:	Four Mile Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	30.7 AAWT, 1.1 to Hut
Total Kilometres:	547.2 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, small snakes
People Encounters	None
Weather:	Very cold early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	There was again a heavy frost, but it wasn't as cold in the hut as it was in the tent the previous night. I packed and left by 7:45am, and set out eastwards into the rising sun. In fact, all day the route seemed to adjust itself so that I always seemed to be walking into the sun. The walking was easy, along disused but clear 4WD tracks, and it was easy to maintain a good pace. The trail generally crossed grassy alpine meadows, occasionally crossing small streams, and every so often climbing over a low spur or saddle. The crowns of most surrounding  hills were lightly timbered with snow gums. There were not as many abrupt peaks within view, although Mt Jagungal was often visible behind, and Tabletop Mt (1784m) loomed ahead. Most of my walking was around 1500-1600m. The countryside began to show signs of its history when sheep and maybe cattle were brought here in the summers to graze. Occasional bits of fences and gates. Towards lunchtime the trail began to climb onto the crest of The Great Divide again as I approached Tabletop Mt and I could see vast distances to the east to the Monaro Tableland and glimpses of Lake Eucumbene. The trail passed over the shoulder of Tabletop Mt during the afternoon and then descended through an old mining area though there were few obvious traces. Around 4:30pm I reached a junction where I left the AAWT to walk a kilometer through snowgum forest to Four Mile Hut which is an original miners hut, clad with flattened (and cleaned!) fuel cans, with lots of historic junk around and set in its own little alpine valley. Magic!  I was early enough to have a wash and wash out a few clothes and had double dinner again because I get to my next food drop tomorrow night.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 023 - Whites River Hut to Mackays Hut

 

Day:	023
Date:	Wednesday, 7 April 2011
Start:	Whites River Hut
Finish:	Mackays Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	37.6 AAWT
Total Kilometres:	516.5 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds
People Encounters	Two hikers and about ten electricity and National Parks tradesmen
Weather:	Very cold early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	It was very cold when I got up at 6am, having woken a number of times during the night with the cold. There was heavy condensation in the tent, and a heavy frost on the outside. Once I was up and outside the tent, the condensation inside turned to ice. As I packed up and breakfasted, the other residents got up and did the same, and we chatted as we prepared for the new day. By the time I got around to packing my tent, it was pretty much frozen solid and I had a lot of trouble getting the ice off and out of it before packing it, getting very cold hands in the process. I bade my fellow campers farewell and headed off soon after 8am in bright sunshine though I was still wearing warm gear. After about an hour, I needed to strip down to shorts and t-shirt because of the warmth. Most of the day was then spent traversing the Jagungal Wilderness Area on old, now unused, 4WD tracks. The route followed alpine streams through alpine meadows, frequently forded the streams (which were often a challenge to cross without getting wet), and climbed over low passes or sidled around mountains. I seemed to have it to myself and relished the isolation, wilderness, and perfect weather. I had decided to try and get to Mackays Hut, which would make it my longest day yet. Doing that would put me on track to get to the end a day earlier than planned. I wasn't getting particularly tired walking, the weather was great, and it seemed sensible to make maximum use of the daylight available given that the days are getting shorter. At lunch I laid out my tent and sleeping bag to dry. The tent was still full of ice!  However, as usual, it dried quickly and my afternoon's walking passed the same way as the morning as I skirted the imposing Mt Jagungal. At 4:30pm I passed O'Keefe Hut and found some workers there installing a new environmental toilet amongst other things. I decided to stick to my plan and carry on even though I still had some way to go. I ended up walking into almost total darkness by the time I reached Mackays Hut at 6:45pm. It was empty and reasonably good though, annoyingly, it was now too dark outside to work out where the nearest water source was. Instead, I had to backtrack about 300m to where I knew there was a stream. Not far, I know, but irksome at the end of a long day. Knowing I was saving a day, and being very hungry, I ate two main courses for dinner. It was a very clear and brilliantly starlit night outside. Probably going to be cold again. I'll wear extra clothes tonight. Went to bed around 9pm.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 022 - Thredbo to Whites River hut

 

Day:	022
Date:	Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Start:	Hotel in Thredbo
Finish:	Whites River Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	31.8 AAWT
Total Kilometres:	478.9 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds
People Encounters	Plenty
Weather:	Very cold early, sunny and cool later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I left Thredbo at 6:30am and was told at hotel reception that it was -2C. It was foggy outside but following the Merritts Spur Track up from Thredbo to the top of the chairlift, I was soon above the cloud and warm enough. The climb was steep with big steps in places and was a test for my knees with the heavy pack. I took it slowly and steadily and enjoyed the early morning views over the cloud-filled valleys. From the top of the chairlift, it was easy walking along a metal pathway (to protect the alpine vegetation from heavy foot traffic) for the 6km to Mt Kosciusko and I had the place to myself. It was sunny and still - perfect. The official AAWT doesn't go to the top of Kosciusko (2228m) but I dropped my pack at the track junction and walked the 1km to the top. There were already a couple of day hikers there, but they left soon afterwards and I had the highest mountain in Australia to myself. By the time I returned to my pack there were lots of hikers on their way to the top (having taken the chairlift up from Thredbo once it started operating). From Kosciusko I followed the Main Range northwards and had superb views in every direction on a sunny day. The track kept high on The Great Divide and I stopped on Carruthers Peak (2145m) for a panoramic lunch at noon. From there the track was less defined but, being well above the tree-line, it was easy enough to work out the route from the topology. Later in the day, the navigation became harder, but I never got lost. I decided to push on to White Rivers Hut, even though it was going to be a long day. It would get me past the higher ground in case there was fog in the morning, and it would save me putting up my tent. The last high section was across The Rolling Ground where there were no tracks and just rocky outcrops on an otherwise featureless alpine landscape. It would be easy to get lost, especially in foul weather. It was starting to get dark when I finally found the track down to the Hut which I reached at 6:00pm. There were some National Parks workers there, rebuilding the Hut (which was unusable), along with two northbound AAWT hikers, Rob and Jill. I put up my tent in a less than ideal spot in the dark and then cooked and ate my dinner by their fire while we all chatted. The workers had a generator right next to my tent, so it wasn't a very quiet night!

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 021 - Thredbo

 

Day:	021
Date:	Monday, 4 April 2011
Start:	Hotel in Thredbo
Finish:	Hotel in Thredbo
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	0
Total Kilometres:	447.1 AAWT
Animal Encounters	None
People Encounters	Plenty
Weather:	Very cold with heavy frost early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	None
Journal:	I had a quiet day in Thredbo, eating, washing, strolling around town, reading the paper and updating my diary. The highlights were probably the purchase of $5 gloves and a $5 beanie at some ski store clearance sales to help keep me warm in the next few days at altitude. Planning to make a 7am start tomorrow to get the daunting 400m climb from Thredbo to the top of the chairlift (where I rejoin the official AAWT route after the detour via Thredbo) with a fully-loaded (five days food) pack out of the way early. For the next couple of days I will be around 2000m much of the time in area known for bad weather. I will also be walking cross-country for much of the route, so the weather needs to be acceptable. Fortunately, the forecast is reasonable, and I'm looking forward to some great hiking.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 020 - Tin Mine Huts to Thredbo

 

Day:	020
Date:	Sunday, 3 April 2011
Start:	Tin Mine Huts
Finish:	Hotel in Thredbo
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	24.8 AAWT, 4.0 to Thredbo
Total Kilometres:	447.1 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies, kangaroos, snake
People Encounters	One mountain-biker and one walker on trail near Thredbo, plenty in Thredbo
Weather:	Very cold with heavy frost early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	It was a very cold night and I slept badly on the narrow wood bed for fear of falling off, or losing my sleeping mat or pillow onto the floor as I changed position in my mummy sleeping bag. I was glad when I saw it was 6:30am (actually now 5:30am as Daylight Saving ended overnight) and time to get up. It was still quite dark and there was a thick frost on the ground outside. I packed up by headlamp and ate breakfast, including two hot drinks, using the last of my supplies. I got going soon after 7am, Standard Time, wearing most of my warm clothes and enjoyed the warmth generated by the walking on what was now a beautiful sunny morning along a pretty snowgum lined trail. The walking was very pleasant and I was in good spirits with a relatively light pack, and the prospect of a spectacular day's walking and a day off tomorrow. I was to follow the Cascade Trail most of the day which followed the Great Divide. I had 24km to reach Dead Horse Gap and my food drop, and decided to break it into three 8km sections with a short break between which I hoped would get me to the food drop by 1:30pm. That is pretty much how it worked out, with the trail gradually climbing higher and higher, always easy walking, and yielding more views and finally some beautiful snow plains, with the backdrop of Kosciusko and the Main Range. I had some difficulty finding my food drop and feared for a few minutes that it had been taken, but the GPS came to the rescue again and all was well. I loaded up my next five days food, and ate most of the treats as my lunch, before leaving about 2:30pm for the remaining 4km into Thredbo, the ski village where I hoped to get a room for the next two nights. The single-track 4km walk from Dead Horse Gap to Thredbo alongside the Thredbo River in the late afternoon sunshine was a fitting end to a very pleasant day. When I got to Thredbo, I found a room at the hotel at a reasonable price and was early enough to catch the exciting final quarter of the Sydney vs Essendon AFL game, have a shower, get a load of washing done and enjoy a very spicy take-out Mexican pizza in front of the evening news. Thredbo is very quiet, with almost nothing open.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 019 - Cowombat Flat Tk to Tin Mine Huts

 

Day:	019
Date:	Saturday, 2 April 2011
Start:	Cowombat Flat Track
Finish:	Tin Mine Huts
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	31.3
Total Kilometres:	422.3 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies
People Encounters	Two 4WDs
Weather:	Cold early then mostly sunny and mild
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	While I was having breakfast, two 4WDs drove past along Cowombat Track (which is closed 4 km further along) and then returned about an hour later with what looked like a load of school students who had been hiking. They must have been camped a few kilometres up the road. It was cold early again and I walked the first hour with warm gear on. For a change, my whole day's walking was going to be along fire trails and four-wheel-drive tracks meaning fast walking and no navigation problems. The first 15 km along Cowombat Track was along the lower slopes of the Cobberas Mountains. It was quite pleasant but deeply forested with few views. Finally the track emerged onto Cowombat Flat, a beautiful large grassy area on the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria. At this point the river is just a stream and can be jumped across (without a pack!). The eerie beauty of the place is enhanced by the remains of a plane, an RAAF C-47 Dakota, which crashed here in 1953, killing one crew member. I had the place to myself and crossed into New South Wales and spread out my tent and sleeping bag to dry while I ate lunch in the sun. After lunch I had a steady climb up to Snowgum Track which then followed a relatively flat ridge at about 1500m for 5 kilometers. There were enough trees to limit views, but I did get my first sight of the Kosciusko Main Range, my route in a few days time, as well as other ranges near and far. I then rejoined Cowombat Track and followed that another 8 km to the Tin Mine Huts. Old miners huts, one has been repaired enough for hikers to use by the National Parks Service, which I did. It was pretty bare and gloomy, but will save me putting up my tent. This is a beautiful location on a small grassy flying over-looking the Ingeegoodbee River flats, backed by mountains. It got very cold very quickly when the sun went down. I had some extra food left and had two main courses. I'm always hungry! Tomorrow, I get to my next food drop, which I will pick up near Dead Horse Gap, then hike into the ski village of Thredbo and have a day off. Looking forward to it.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 018 - Buckwong Creek to Cowombat Flat Tk

 

Day:	018
Date:	Friday, 1 April 2011
Start:	Buckwong Creek plus 1km
Finish:	Cowombat Flat Track
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	20.7
Total Kilometres:	391.0 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies
People Encounters	None
Weather:	Cold early then mostly sunny and mild
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I had a good night's sleep and set off at 9 AM in good spirits, a little cold and still wearing warm gear. The guide book indicated there was a lot of "poorly defined" trail today and I was determined to be careful. The early trail was through the eucalypt forest with some scrub and my route-finding was helped by someone who had put out pink ribbon as markers to compensate for the paucity of official markers. I disturbed a couple of families of brumbies on the way and stopped after an hour take off my warm gear. Trail-finding without the markers is very difficult because the brumbies have worn many trails and it's easy to follow a wrong track. At one point I came across a dead horse lying in the middle of the track. Pretty smelly and fly-blown and I was holding my breath as I walked past. I eventually reached the mis-named Misery Trail on a ridge and enjoyed walking along through the snowgum forest. Around 11 AM I followed a wrong trail and found myself off-trail and trying to work out where I was and in which direction I should go in the forest. My mood sank, and I wasted 30 to 45 minutes crashing around on the scrubby hillsides. I fell twice in 10 minutes, twisting both knees in succession quite awkwardly. At last I located Macs Creek Track and found the right route soon after noon. After a break, I continued on the next "poorly defined" section of trail which again proved difficult to follow and included a very steep and awkward descent. Without getting lost on the section, I made better time than expected and reached a nice lunch spot next to the very pretty and fast flowing Dead Horse Creek. I took advantage of the sun to dry my tent and sleeping bag while I ate. Alas, as I left I followed some wrong ribbons and misunderstood where I was on the map, made a navigational error and wasted another hour crashing around on scrubby hillsides following misleading brumby trails. Eventually I got back on the right track and reached Limestone Creek Track in the mid-afternoon. After a slippery steep descent (falling once) and fording the fast flowing Creek, I had my last break before tackling the final "poorly defined" section of the day. I was tired and the 6 km of following faint trail on the steep sides of Stony Creek wasn't much fun. I strayed a few times but didn't get badly lost. The section finished with the steep and rocky ascent of a spur and I reached Cowombat Track, my goal for the day, at 7 PM. It was getting dark and I quickly set up camp, washed and ate. It wasn't as cold as last night but I expect a heavy dew again.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 017 - Johnnies Track to Buckwong Creek

 

Day:	017
Date:	Thursday, 31 March 2011
Start:	Johnnies Track & Beloka Range Track Junction
Finish:	Buckwong Creek plus 1km
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	26.2
Total Kilometres:	370.3 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies
People Encounters	Two 4WDs, two logging trucks
Weather:	Cold foggy and overcast in the morning, sunny and mild in the afternoon
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I woke at 7 AM to a fairly thick fog and still air. Everything was very damp and it was cold. Still that way when I started walking at 9 AM along Johnnies Top Track. After a couple of kilometres on the fire trail I reached Johnnies Top (1556m) and then began following a faint trail down a long spur. The trail was easy enough to follow and I enjoyed walking through the snowgum forest on the gentle downgrade in the fog. After a few hours the fog cleared and after a final steep descent I reached the end of the spur and Buenba Creek. I was supposed to follow it upstream but first had to cross Corner Creek, which turned out to be very marshy with several channels. My feet got wet again. Curses! Eventually I reached drier ground and then followed brumby trails parallel with the creek along the treed grassy flats. There were lots of horse droppings but no brumbies. There were also lots of boggy bits. Pleasant walking, nevertheless. Eventually I reached the Buenba Hut site on a grassy plain. The only evidence of the hut was a couple of poplar trees. It had been farmed once and there were traces of fences and gates. I had lunch under the poplars and spread out my tent, sleeping bag, etc., to dry in the pleasant sunshine. After lunch the trail, again faint, climbed gradually through scrubby country to eventually reach Mt Hope Road, where two logging trucks were parked with the drivers having a yarn. They chatted with me for a while and offered me water and to charge my phone. Nice guys. By now it was after 4 PM and the balance of the day was easy walking down a fire trial as far as Buckwong Creek. From there I followed the creek upstream for a kilometre until I found a campsite by a small tributary after seeing some brumbies along the way. It was all a little damp and grassy and will be wet in the morning. I could hear dingoes or feral dogs howling as I went to bed at 8:30 PM.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 016 - Taylors Crossing to Johnnies Track

 

Day:	016
Date:	Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Start:	Taylors Crossing
Finish:	Johnnies Track & Beloka Range Track Junction
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	21.6
Total Kilometres:	344.1 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, cows
People Encounters	Bridge workers, one vehicle
Weather:	Mostly overcast, intermittent showers
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	During the night some people turned up on the other side of the river and were walking around the construction site (the bridge is being worked on) by torchlight. Later I heard a couple of gun shots. However, no-one came near me. I had a good night's sleep and got up at 7 AM to a very dewy and damp camp. Lots of condensation in the tent. I didn't hurry my packing and left at 9 AM. The first 6 km was along quiet rural roads, the first and only time that the AAWT passes through a "settled" area. I enjoyed the easy walking. Then it was back onto faint foot trails as I climbed over a hill then made a long slow descent on a narrow difficult hillside path to Morass Creek, which lived up to its name. It was dirtyish water (came from farmland), quite wide and very marshy with multiple channels. I could not be bothered changing into my running shoes and gradually worked my way across the channels. The water was knee deep and flowing and my boots and socks got wet. On the other side I scrambled up the bank and climbed away from the valley on another faint trail through scrubby forest. However a little higher up it became open forest and grassy underfoot and quite pleasant walking. I crossed the Corryong-Benambra Road and began a steady climb up onto the Beloka Range. It was mostly gum forest with some scrub and occasionally rocky outcrops. The forest obscured views and nearer the top the route followed an overgrown firetrail. However, it wasn't as bad as past days and my pace was reasonable. I had lunch in a saddle about 1:30 PM, knowing I only had another 10 kilometers to go. Soon after, I joined a clear fire trail and the rest of the afternoon was spent following cleared fire trails higher and higher along the Beloka Range. Just before 5 PM I reach the Johnnies Track Junction where I had hidden my next food dump. I didn't find it first go, which was a little concerning, but found it easily on the second go with my GPS. I then had a drawn-out evening meal along with my treats and definitely over-ate. I was in bed soon after 8 PM.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 015 - Mt Wills Hut to Taylors Crossing

 

Day:	015
Date:	Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Start:	Mt Wills Hut
Finish:	Taylors Crossing
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	26.1
Total Kilometres:	322.5 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, snake, kangaroos
People Encounters	One hiker, several vehicles
Weather:	Partly cloudy and mild
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I didn't sleep all that well. Maybe the metal bed was too hard. I got up at 7:30 AM to what looked like another perfect day. The hut was on a clear grassy crest on top of Mount Wills (1757m) and had great views to the east. I didn't leave till around 9 AM and after a little bit of initial trouble finding the trail to Mt Wills South (1621m), I picked it up. It went through grassy wooded snowgum forest and although faint, was followable. The views east and west were great and I really enjoyed the walking. There were also boulder outcrops adding to the beautiful scenery. No views from Mt Wills South, which was the last peak of the Bogong High Plains. From here I followed overgrown foot tracks and fire trails through increasingly dense forest. Also some blackberries. On the way down I met a hiker on the way up who had just started a week's hike south along the AAWT. We had a brief chat and continued on our separate ways. I reached the Omeo Road about 11:30 AM and had my first break. The next sections involved quite a lot of scrub-bashing along older overgrown fire trails though not as bad as a few days ago and not wet. On the other hand I picked up lots of spider-webs and bugs. It wasn't very pleasant hiking but I could follow the trail and make reasonable time. The route went downhill to Gill Creek which was ankle deep and, after working out the shallowest route, I dashed across. On the other side was more very old overgrown fire trail which climbed steeply uphill for a few kilometres until it reached a ridge where I stopped and had late lunch. Another tedious section. Here I joined a better forest road for another long descent into the valley of the Mitta Mitta River in a semi-rural valley. I reached Taylors Crossing, a pedestrian suspension bridge across the Mitta Mitta, where there was a designated hikers campsite. It was 6:30 PM and I had time for a quick nude dip in the river before cooking dinner. I'm a little ahead of schedule and have a relatively easy day tomorrow to my next food dump. Went to bed at 9 PM. Star-filled night but already a heavy dew.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 014 - Edmondson Hut to Mt Wills Hut

 

Day:	014
Date:	Monday, 28 March 2011
Start:	Edmondson Hut
Finish:	Mt Wills Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	29.0
Total Kilometres:	296.4 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds
People Encounters	One southbound AAWT hiker
Weather:	Sunny and mild
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I forced myself to get up at 7 AM even though it was barely light and quite cold. The sky was clear and it promised to be another sunny day. I didn't get going until nearly 9 AM because I lost time dealing with prickles that had attached themselves to some of my clothes and towel. I hiked cross country up the slopes of Mt Nelse to rejoin the AAWT and avoid backtracking a kilometer. Once on the trail, it was about 5 km of easy walking across more High Plains with stunning views of Mt Bogong. Along the way I met Paul, a young southbound AAWT hiker, travelling a bit slower than me, and we had a brief chat. At Roper's Hut the descent of the Duane Spur began. It seemed to go on forever, though wasn't too tough. Eventually I reached Big River and decided to take off my boots and socks and put on my spare running shoes for the crossing. I also packed a few things more securely in case I fell in! There was a wire rope across which I used to help me and the water was deep enough to wet the bottom of my shorts.  On the other side, I took a break and put boots and socks back on leaving are my runners on the outside of my pack to dry. Then I had a long ascent up T-Spur which also seem to go on forever. It was hard work though the shade was cool and the views great as I got higher. Around 1:30 PM I reached Maddisons Hut site and had lunch lying in the sun with the tent out to dry. It would've been easy to have a nap after the exhausting climb. After checking the map, I decided to try to get to Mt Wills where there was a hut with water for the night rather Big River Saddle where I would have to camp and water was not convenient. It was going to be hard work. The long journey down Long Spur wasn't too bad in terms of grades but it was very rough track. I was now heading east away from the High Plains. The spur was quite narrow and the views were marvellous. Lower down the track was more overgrown and some of it was blackberry vines which was annoying. I didn't get to Big River Saddle until 6:30 PM, but decided to continue the last 3+ kilometres even though it was all climbing and likely to be rough trail. It was very slow going, and was getting quite dark by the time I reach a fire trail where I had less concern about losing my way. It was almost too dark to see when I eventually reached the summit of Mt Wills and the hut at 8 PM. It was empty and in good condition. I picked a bunk (hard metal) and unpacked and had a wash outside before cooking dinner. It wasn't that cold and quite comfortable. Having gone a bit further and not having to pack up the tent, I may have a bit of a sleep in tomorrow. I went to bed at 10.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 013 - Daveport Village to Edmondson Hut

 

Day:	013
Date:	Sunday, 27 March 2011
Start:	Ski Lodge at Davenport Village
Finish:	Edmondson Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	32.3 AAWT, 1.0 to hut
Total Kilometres:	267.4 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, snakes, brumbies
People Encounters	Several groups of hikers, two mountain-bikers
Weather:	Sunny and mild
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I got up at 6 AM with the goal of leaving the Lodge around 8 AM. I was mostly packed but wanted to grab a quick shower and then had to clean my room, etc., before leaving. As I ate breakfast, Ken came out and offered to drive me up to the Mount Loch Car Park where I had left the AAWT to come down to the village. I accepted his kind offer and we left soon after 8 AM. A part of me would have liked just spending another day hanging out at the lodge and bistro, but there was no point in staying and it looked like being superb weather for hiking. For almost the entire day I would be in very familiar territory. The AAWT across the High Plains is the same route used for much of the Rooftop Run (a.k.a. Bogong to Hotham 64 km) run each January and I have completed it three times. I also used to come up to the High Plains in summer about 30 years ago when a serious athlete to spend a week or two training at altitude with friends. As I started walking it warmed up rapidly as the sun rose in clear skies and I was soon wearing shorts and T-shirt. There was a very light breeze and a great sense of stillness about the mountains and plains.  As I left the ski fields behind me, I descended a rocky foot trail to the Cobungra River and then climbed up the other side to reach the start of the High Plains. The descent and ascent were slow but not particularly difficult. As I reached the Plains, I caught a school group and chatted for 10 minutes with one of the teachers. It was then about 15 km walking across the tussocky grass snow plains following a narrow track that followed a very long line of numbered snow poles. It was quite wet underfoot compared to January when I ran here. It was a picture perfect day and I had the place to myself as far as the eye could see apart from a couple of small groups of brumbies. On some of the hills and in the distance there were silver forests of dead snow guns, presumably from the bushfires of 2003. I had lunch at 1 PM sitting on some rocks and then kept moving. (For the interest of my Bogong to Hotham running buddies, they were starting to construct a professional foot trail from the road towards Hotham, which should make the run easier next year.) Around 2:30 PM I crossed a sealed road and after a short descent the trail began following an aqueduct that contoured around the eastern edge of the High Plains and gave extensive views to the east. It was easy walking and I was making good time for the day. Finally the AAWT climbed away from the aqueduct (I was ready for something else) and climbed to the High Plains again. I reached my goal, Edmondson Hut, an old cattlemans' hut, just before 6 PM and was in bed soon after 8 PM. I could have slept in the Hut, but decided to sleep in my tent.  When the sun went down it got very cold very quickly. I suspect I've been quite sunburnt by the High Plains sun today, but it was memorable and special hiking.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 012 - Davenport Lodge

 

Day:	012
Date:	Saturday, 26 March 2011
Start:	Ski Lodge at Davenport Village
Finish:	Ski Lodge at Davenport Village
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	0 (day off)
Total Kilometres:	235.1 AAWT
Animal Encounters	None
People Encounters	Plenty
Weather:	Foggy early then mild and sunny
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	The day was spent drying out all of my wet and damp gear, washing everything I could, updating my diary, reorganizing the way I packed my gear to try and ensure greater waterproofedness in wet scrub, and reading the paper and eating junk food. The weather forecast for the next few days looks good for high country hiking and I will be passing through some familiar and spectacular country and am looking forward to it.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 011 - Selwyn Creek Road to Davenport Village

 

Day:	011
Date:	Friday, 25 March 2011
Start:	Selwyn Creek Road
Finish:	Ski Lodge at Davenport Village
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	24.9 AAWT, 3.5km Twins Tk detour, 2.2km to Davenport Village
Total Kilometres:	235.1 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds
People Encounters	Two trailbikers, many others
Weather:	Mostly overcast, cool and breezy. Cold and foggy at Mt Hotham
Pictures:	No pictures, iphone not working
Journal:	It again drizzled during the night and there was heavy condensation in the tent despite a rising wind, so everything was damp when I began my early rising at 6am (no light til 7am). I knew I had a lot of ground to cover if I hoped to get to Mt Hotham in time to be sure things would be open. I am unfamiliar with the ski village there and didn't know what I would find. To get there, I figured I had about 30km of walking, predominantly uphill, with a pack loaded with five days food and plenty of wet (and therefore heavy) gear. My guess was 25+kg. I hid my food drum, now containing mostly rubbish, but also a few things I didn't think I would need, e.g., extra gas canister and extra peanut butter. The first 20km was going to be on the Twins Jeep Track where the going was quite good underfoot and no undergrowth to deal with. It was quite clear and, as I kept my pace solid, I enjoyed the expansive views over the mountains, many valleys still filled with fog. The trail either followed the ridge of The Great Divide, or followed the contours. The pack was heavy, but I was optimistic and, apart from my wet socks and boots (for the third day in a row), I felt dry for a change. I took a break after 2 hours at the Mt Murray turnoff, and decided in the interests of staying dry and on time, to avoid some "faint trail" official AAWT route along the crest of the ridge and later over The Twins. This meant walking an extra 3.5km along the Guide Book alternative, but was probably faster and drier. The Twins were lower than Mt Hotham that I would be climbing later. After a brief lunch in a pleasant grassy saddle under The Twins, with great views north and south, it was only another hour before I reached The Great Alpine Road, and the 8km uphill slog on the bitumen, obligingly waving to every grey nomad RV that gave me a toot (which was pretty much all of them, plus most cars) as they ground down the long hill in low gears. Although a grind, the grades weren't too bad and I maintained a reasonable pace. Near the top the road disappeared into fog and about this time my route left the road to follow a foot trail from Diamantina Hut to the Mt Hotham summit (1868m). It was a cold lonely foggy and windswept place which I had all to myself. The Rooftop Run, which I've done a few times, finishes here so I was familiar with the place. No views because of the fog so I made a quick exit and embarked on the road walk down to Davenport Village where, with the help of a friendly barmaid in the only apparently open establishment in the largely deserted ski village, I got a room in a Ski Lodge, 50m from the bistro which doubles as the General Store. I was to be the only resident apart from the caretaker, a friendly guy named Ken. I emptied my pack and all contained bags and hung or laid everything out to dry from every available place in my room. I didn't have any clean clothes, so had a lovely hot shower and put some dirty clothes back on for dinner at the bistro. I'm booked in for two nights and will be washing clothes tomorrow morning. Did I mention that one of the first things I did on entering my room was to smash my head onto a protruding bunk causing a substantial bleed down my forehead into my eye. Apart from that it was a day which largely went to plan and I'm looking forward to my day off. Ken said he had a couple of Army guys here a few days ago walking the AAWT, who chucked it in here. As the leader of the Trail Crew I met yesterday said, you have to be pretty hardcore to walk this first third of the trail at present. The terrain is tough enough, but the bushfires of a few years ago combined with the wet summer mean that the scrub growth has been prolific. It's much worse than 30 years ago when I hiked the same stretch.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 010 - Barry Saddle to Selwyn Creek Road

 

Day:	010
Date:	Thursday, 24 March 2011
Start:	Barry Saddle
Finish:	Selwyn Creek Road
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	22.6
Total Kilometres:	210.2 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds
People Encounters	Trail-clearing crew and one 4WD
Weather:	Mostly overcast with some fog, rain and drizzle
Pictures:	No pictures, iPhone stopped working
Journal:	I got going about 8:45am. It had rained overnight and all my stuff out "drying" was saturated. It continued drizzling through breakfast and almost everything was either wet or damp, including my sleeping bag. I rugged up in all my wet and cold weather gear and started hiking for what should have been an easier day than yesterday. The old firetrail was overgrown and I quickly got saturated again, though it was still easier walking than yesterday. However, sadly, in mid-morning on one of the more overgrown parts of the firetrail, I missed a sharp left turn onto another overgrown old firetrail and continued straight ahead down a very difficult and dense wet scrubby descent. I reached a saddle and worked out I had gone off course. After crashing around for probably two wasted  hours, I eventually made it back to the missed junction. I suspect I'm not the first to miss this turn. There were signs of others having crashed around in the same scrub - broken branches, scuffed logs, etc. It was extremely disheartening and tiring and I didn't reach the Barry water tank (put out for hikers on this remote and usually dry section of the AAWT) until 1pm when I should have been there by 11am. I was VERY unhappy, not to mention cold and wet. While having a 15 minute break, I realized I could hear a chainsaw going in the distance. Not long after, I was surprised by a worker who was the lead man of a trail clearing crew from Mt Beauty Fire Station. He was a very nice and knowledgeable young guy and we chatted for about 15 minutes during which time we were joined by a second chainsaw guy. I had seen a chainsaw blade stuck in a partially-cut log a kilometer back and they said they had to leave it there a week ago. I continued on down the still very overgrown firetrail, though with fallen trees now cut and  making life a bit easier when, about 15 minutes later, I could hear a loud brush-cutter getting closer and closer from the other direction through the very dense scrub as I muscled through. In the end, there was a brief pause in the noise and I shouted I was coming through, much to the surprise of the guy wielding the brushcutter. More chatting, and I thanked them all for their work. A little later, I met a group of Australian Conservation Volunteers - four backpackers, three girls and a guy, three of them foreign, and a supervisor - clearing the cut brush off the trail. They were very pleased to meet someone actually using their cleared trail. I enjoyed their cleared trail for the next kilometer or two until I joined the Selwyn Track which was much easier walking. Along here I encountered a guy driving a new-looking 4WD with a baby strapped into a child seat in the front passenger seat looking bemused by the whole thing. The weather began clearing a little and I hung some things on the outside of my pack to dry, but it was soon raining again. I left the nice, though hilly, firetrail to climb Selwyn Mt South (1398m) which was a wet steep ascent into the clouds. Pretty country, though, with long grass, open snow gum woodlands and ghostly big boulders in the mist. After a short descent, I made the (poor) decision to follow the official AAWT route over Mt Selwyn (1424m) rather than taking a slightly longer firetrail alternative I could see on the map. It was getting late and I should have dodged the "faint trail" descent that followed Mt Selwyn, especially since it was in cloud and not much higher than Selwyn South. Predictably, I lost the faint trail and had trouble orienting myself because of the fog. I ended up crashing around on the steep and difficult wet scrubby slope for 45-60 minutes. Eventually, I climbed back to where I should have been and carefully made the descent to a road. It was already 6:30pm and I covered the remaining distance along a firetrail to Selwyn Creek Road, where my next food dump was, by 8pm, just on dark. I found the drum easily and repacked food and then ate dinner (and food dump treats) by headlamp. I didn't wash for the second night in a row and wore damp clothes to bed in the hope they would dry a little. I'm hoping to cover the 30km to Mt Hotham/Davenport Village without problems tomorrow and then get a room for two nights and dry everything out. Everything is damp and it's still drizzling a little outside.