Slippery Pinch

---

We promised ourselves that we would hit the road on Boxing Day, there was more to explore and although we had not entirely decided which way to go we were pretty confident that it would include the Victorian High Country.

So after a nice leisurely breakfast of bacon and egg, kindly prepared by Susan we packed up Gypsy and Trevor then said our thank you’s and goodbyes to the Sheridan’s and once again heading out to the main highway.

By now we had a rough idea of where we wanted to head and on our short journey to the fuel station south of Gundagai, I had a rough route planned to take us off road and toward Mitta Mitta and on to a little place called Anglers Rest which is to the North of Omeo and somewhere that we visited early in October on a 4wd club trip.

After an expensive fuel stop, we filled both tanks and a Gerry can full of diesel, just to make sure and we turned onto the Hume Highway.

I had wanted to come off at Tarcutta and start taking some of the dirt tracks off the main Highway, however we came to the main turnoff for Wagga Wagga and we were diverted from the Hume Highway and on to Wagga Wagga. No matter, I thought, just a few kilometres and there is another track that we can take and divert that way, but no, there is a road closure sign. This is not looking good.

I phoned Helen and said jokingly that we may end up camping in Wagga tonight as we were not sure about the road closures, she kindly did a quick check on the Internet and found that the Hume Highway was closed due to an accident and told us that traffic was being diverted via The Rock and Henty. I looked at the map and my heart sank as it is a long way round!

We see another road closure sign and this one is manned, so we pull over to ask the road workers how far the closures go as I told him what we were trying to do. He explained that the closure was at Holbrook, which was some way down the Hume and suggested that we did not even try to take the tracks across country, there is a 5 hour traffic jam down there and you will get stuck. He advised of a fatality at 7.30 this morning, it was now nearly lunchtime and our long diversion paled into insignificance knowing that someone had lost their life. Had I checked the traffic reports earlier I would have been able to find a different route entirely to take us down through Tumut and Tumburumba. I have learnt that lesson now and I have downloaded the app to my iphone to give me live traffic reports, very handy.

Never mind, we got back on the road and drove into Wagga, we stopped to grab a skinny chai latte from Macca’s on the way through and onward to Albury via Henty.

I knew we would not get as far as we originally planned, but we had a fairly easy journey and made it to Mitta Mitta without any trouble. My next plan was to find a camp site using our trusty old Camps 5. Believe me when I tell you it is old, it is by now very well used and almost 4 years old, has been superseded once and Camps 7 is due to be published early in 2013.

The first site that we saw was at Snowy Creek just 11 kilometres south of Mitta Mitta, however it was a tiny site on the river and was very well packed! There was nowhere to turn so we took the 4wd only track up into the Alpine National Park. This road is closed during wet weather. We were lucky it was all very dry!

The scenery into the mountain was stunning and we were wondering if the other campgrounds would be as packed, after all, they were right on the river and the river is a very popular spot. With that in mind we eventually come across a place on the side of the track which we could tuck ourselves into nicely and thought this would be better than trying to drive on and stopping very late.

All too soon the kettle was on and we were tucking into our dinner which consisted of the leftovers that Helen had packed us away with. A hearty meal of cold turkey, pork, ham and potatoes went down very well.

The views down toward Lake Dartmouth were amazing, the area was very serene and all we could hear were birds tweeting and the occasional rustle of the lizards scuttling through the leafy undergrowth. Darkness fell and with a bright moon in the sky we hit the sack.

By now we had not seen or heard a single vehicle come through since we parked up at 5.30.

The morning light flooded through the open screens in Gypsy, it had been a warm night and still no vehicles had passed us. We were so close to the road, a passing vehicle would no doubt have woken us.

We got up, breakfasted and hit the track, we found a turning spot and went back down to toward the camp site and back onto the main highway. The only vehicles we saw between 5.30pm and 9.00 were the ones parked at the campsite.

We wended our way through the mountain roads toward Omeo, the scenery was spectacular, we saw some of the other campsites on the way down and investigated them, but they were all pretty busy, but it is that time of year and for families it is a popular holiday time with January being school holidays.

We spot a campground from the road but we miss the turning so we drove on, but as we did we also see a brown snake basking in the middle of the road, as Andy turned the wheel so as not to run over it, the snake starts to move. He assures me we missed it, but as we wanted to see the campsite anyway we turn around up the road and head back.

The snake has gone so we could not have run over it, we are both relieved.

We check out the Joker campground, this one is less busy, but decide to look at the Anglers Rest campground anyway, then we can take our pick.

The Anglers Rest Campground is right next to the Blue Duck Inn, which is a very popular spot despite its fairly remote location. When we pull in we find an ideal spot on the side of the river straight away, it is not quite level so we will have to drive Gypsy onto blocks to level her off. Andy fixed a spirit level to the front of the A - frame on the trailer so we can easily see how level we are (or not as the case may be).

We make ourselves at home very easily and enjoy our riverside location. I checked the water out and it does feel rather cold, people are swimming in it, but I am not sure that I am that brave, despite the searing heat.

We decide to eat at the Blue Duck Inn as a treat, we ate there when we stayed in one of their cabins when we were on the 4wd club trip. We know the food is good and why not, we are on holiday after all.

Gradually the campground filled up leaving only a very tiny spot next to us, it was late afternoon when a campervan appeared. The occupants got out and asked if we minded them parking so close. It was not a problem for us, especially as they would really have a job parking anywhere else. The only issue was that they struggled to get level too!

An early dinner was in order, the Blue Duck gets busy so we headed up there at 6.00, and there was a steady flow of people coming in and out at that time. We ordered our food straightaway so as to avoid the rush.

We then went outside and our new neighbour Kate was sat at a table and invited us to join her and Michael. We obliged and sat down, as soon as we sat down and started to talk the evening just flowed. We swapped stories of travels and work but eventually time came to break up the party and we all headed off to respective camps.

For some strange reason, Andy is struggling to get out of bed in the mornings, I seem to keep getting out of bed before him which invariably means that I have to put the kettle on. It is unlike Andy having a lie in, but I must not grumble as I do still get my cup of tea most mornings when he gets up for work.

After breakfast we say our goodbyes to Kate and Michael, as they would begone by the time we got back, then we head into Omeo to stock up on fresh provisions, catch some internet, refill an empty gas container and above all, pop into the laundry to wash some clothes. All of which were easily done and then it was back to camp, but we diverted on the way back to look at the Hinnomunjie Bridge , the only remaining multiple truss bridge in Victoria.

The day started off cloudy but by now the sun was fully exposed and it was once again very hot and we craved for some additional shade. Fortunately with the canopies on the Landcruiser this gave us that opportunity. Andy pulled the Landcruiser around so that we could have full shade over the picnic table. It worked perfectly until it was time for the sun to go down.

We may have mentioned before but we have bought ourselves a satellite phone, really a good idea with the amount of time we spend out of town and mostly you are without Telstra’s network, thinking about safety we figured that we should just be sensible about it, despite the cost of the calls, it is miniscule in comparison to saving a life.

Andy is practicing with the text messaging function that sends our coordinates out, we thought this may be a good way to keep friends and family updated as to our location and of course if we had an emergency and needed help we could write that in the text. Although we shouldn’t really joke about these matters we did joke about the predictive texting and laughed at the connotations of trying to communicate that someone had been bitten by an Eastern Brown snake that would come out as something like “Help I have been bitten by the Easter Bunny!”

Joking aside, I don’t think we will be sending a text message, I would already be on the phone to the RFDS, The Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Saturday morning seemed to slip round very quickly, the days seem to be racing past but we decided that we wanted to move on and experience another part of the Victorian High Country, so once we packed up we headed back toward Omeo. A quick stop to grab a coffee and then we headed out toward Mount Hotham.

Mount Hotham is a popular ski spot for Victorians and those living on the border of New South Wales. Very easy to get to and I am assured by another traveller only about 3 hours from Melbourne, but I guess that depends on which part of Melbourne you live.

Of course at this time of the year there is not a patch of snow in sight, but the evidence of the snowfields is very visible with large warning signs on the roads to carry chains in the winter, roads will close in severe conditions and they tell you to beware of ice, no danger of ice today, the summer weather is scorching.

As we head out we make our way up to a small place called Victoria Falls, but lets not get confused about the majestic Victoria Falls located in Africa on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border, we head through a small but lovely little campground up a 4 kilometre dirt track, eventually we find a small pull in and a short walk to a viewing area. The falls exist somewhere down in the valley, very pretty, but perhaps not worth the 4 kilometre drive.

Back on the main highway we head toward Mount Hotham through places like Cobungra (where the largest cattle station in Victoria is) and through Slippery Pinch. The scenery is spectacular across the mountain ranges and the drive becomes quite scary as we eventually climb to about 1865 metres above sea level (according to my gps), it feels like we are driving down a very narrow strip of road that sits precariously on the summit of the mountain, no wait a minute WE ARE driving down a very narrow strip of road that sits precariously on the summit! I can feel myself edging toward Andy so that I don’t have that “right on the edge” feeling.

It is busy with tourists, but nowhere near as busy as it would be during ski season, I am sure it looks absolutely delightful up here when it is white with snow. Maybe we should come back in the ski season, but there is just not enough time to do everything.

We wind our way down the Mountain around sharp bends, being busy with motorcyclists and other vehicles, each bend taken with extra care.

Eventually we find ourselves in a small place called Harrietville, it was just like driving into an Austrian village, it felt very alpine, we see a sign for a caravan park and decided to take a chance and see if they had a spot for the night so that we could have a nice hot shower and take time to wander around the village, considering the brakes are smelling hot from the drive down it would be a good idea to give them time to cool down too.

We are in luck, despite being very busy with families on their Christmas vacation, there is a small unpowered shady spot for us under some trees, beside a creek. Once set up, we race off for a nice hot shower, always the best shower to have when you have spent a few days on the road without proper shower facilities.

We enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the shade and after dinner we wandered up to the main street to enjoy the sights of the village. It was beautiful and tranquil, a few people sat on the veranda of the local hotel enjoying a cool drink or two, we wandered past a little museum, which of course was closed but it explained to us about the little dredgers that were used for mining and are now displaying tubs of flowers throughout the village.

Eventually we happen across a little place called Avalon House, it is a café/bistro with accommodation. We find that they do coffee and take a seat in the garden. It is not very busy but then it is not their busy time of year, surprisingly as it is holiday time and I am sure this is just as beautiful now as it is in snow season. The owner, Sue Marshall, we find originally comes from Birmingham and not at all far from where Andy was from, we chatted for a while and oddly enough listened to UB40, a Birmingham band on the stereo.

We wandered back past the lovely properties that lined the street, some typically Australian and well decorated for the Christmas period, others somehow still could have been in Austria, another of our favourite places in this world.

Back at camp other campers are busying themselves with drinking and chatting next to their campfires. By now darkness has fallen and bedtime beckons, for another cool night in the mountain air.

---

Photos

Alpine National Park
Just an overnight stop

Summer Landscape
views over Mount Hotham

King Parrot
Just hanging around our campsite in Harrietville.

Comments

[Chris Collins]

a SKINNY chai latte?
Happy New Year to you both! You on a diet Mr Trenfield? I trust you are not too tied up with the Fires? But equally, I bet there as many moans about the heat as there is here about the rain? Anyway, Take care the both of you! Love and Best Wishes Chris and Willemien