Mitta Mitta area – Easter 2011 (Part II)

Sunday

A nice lazy start to the day.

We eventually jumped into the Prado just after 1000h and headed south down to the Lightning Creek camping area. I placed some rubbish into the bin and just as we were headed out some young fella in his ute decided to shower us in rocks and crap because he thought his 2WD ute was tough enough to spin the wheels in the dirt.

I stopped to thank him for his thoughtfulness as the Prado wouldn’t look right without a few dents and marks. Cheeky bugger said it was his pleasure. Must have felt tough with his three mates by his side!!! By then the missus ‘advised’ me to leave it alone…..

Anyway we continued south on the Omeo Highway and turned down Lightning Creek Track. I was looking forward to having a play with the Prado as we’ve never had it bogged before – unlike the Defender!

With 14 creek crossings along its length, Lightning Creek Track doesn’t get much of a mention in the 4WD magazines – actually this whole area doesn’t much either. The creek was running about the ‘top of wheel’ height or below for most of the crossings, apart from one.

I took a look at the exit and I stopped and aired down to 16psi. I also got the hand winch out and attached a winch extension to the front recovery point. I even convinced the missus to carry the recovery gear over and show me the depth.

So what happened? The damn thing drove straight up there like there was no issue at all. No lockers, no muddies and a lack of clearance (I scrapped a lot) and it still went up. So I still haven’t had to recover it yet – might have to try a bit harder!

Not long after the crossing I could hear a noise from underneath the vehicle.

Getting to the top of the track we turned right onto Razorback Spur Track. I did this track back in 2008 with Richard and not much has changed. It has brilliant views the full length of it, but there aren’t any photo opportunities due to the trees around.

What we didn’t do in 2008 however was to go down and visit the Quart Pot Flat Hut, which was our destination for lunch today. We turned left onto Limestone Gap Track which isn’t actually marked – it’s a sharp left hand turn and slight uphill.

The first 4km’s or so is quite easy and you can get away with using high range 4WD if you wanted too. I stayed in low range for comfort more so than anything else. At about the half way mark (approx. 4.5km’s) there is a great scenic lookout. Looking north you can see the southerly part of the Dartmouth Dam, and on the Southerly side there’s a great view over the surrounding hills.

From the lookout it’s basically all downhill. You will require low range but it’s not overly difficult. I’d be more than happy taking the trailer along this track although there would be sections that you wouldn’t want to meet another vehicle.

Arriving at Quart Pot Flat Hut we signed the Parks Victoria visitor book located inside the hut itself. There were a few mossy’s about, although this would be caused by the proximity to the Wombat Creek and the recent rains.

Having filled ourselves with a nice bite to eat of ham and cheese sandwiched

we climbed back out the way we came – its one way in, one way out.

Reaching Razorback Spur Track we turned left and followed it along its length to the Omeo Highway, along the way grabbing some firewood for the night. Due to dropping down to about ½ a tank of petrol we continued through to Mitta Mitta and topped up – it was $1.52 per litre but I suppose that’s expected out here at this time of year.

Arriving back at camp the kids decided to play up a little so they had some tucker and were sent to bed! I was fortunate enough to be allowed to stay up a tad longer so I had a couple of rums whilst enjoying a fire with my youngest fella.

Again it was a very enjoyable day driving some tracks that I haven’t had the chance to try before.

Monday

Today wasn’t about 4Wding. Today was all about remembering those that had unfortunately paid the ultimate sacrifice to this country. And as such we got dressed up and travelled to Eskdale for the memorial service.

I was quite disappointed to see how many people were camped on the banks of the creek down here, and how few bothered to turn up for the service. However I was very relieved to see how many locals from Eskdale and Mitta Mitta turned up, and how welcome we were to their community.

I guess people only worry about their public holidays when the choices arise!

After the service we grabbed a bit to eat and then decided to take a different route back to Mitta Mitta instead of the highway. From Eskdale we turned onto the Mitta Mitta North Road, and whilst it is still bitumen in winds its way alongside the river through farming and dairy properties.

To be honest it’s probably only a 5 minute difference in travelling time, as it’s more direct than the highway. Stopping at Mitta Mitta for some quick supplies we then headed back to camp. It was surprising how many people were packing up and heading home. I presumed that everyone had Tuesday off as well, however I might be wrong!

I made up a beef casserole and placed it into the slow cooker for dinner. The slow cooker has become a real asset to us since Christmas and it certainly makes life easier.

The rest of the day was spent resting and enjoying a few quiet beverages. I thought about throwing a line in the creek but I have to admit to feeling a tad too lazy. The kids enjoyed an afternoon riding their bikes around the bush.

Tuesday

We packed up camp, topped up the leaking rear tyre and hooked the Trak Shak back onto the Prado. The kids had met some ‘friends’ yesterday afternoon so they ducked up and said their goodbyes; and exchanged phone numbers!

We travelled back up the highway to Mitta Mitta and turned off towards Dartmouth. Travelling approximately 1km past Dartmouth we turned left onto the Mt Benambra Road. I must admit I love this part of the country. The highways are gravel and the roads require low range!!!

The climb up is relatively easy, but I went into low range for both comfort and control. We came across a couple of bikes in the area, and although they were quite courteous I would still keep an eye out for them if travelling anywhere in this area.

Again the views are absolutely brilliant. It is hard to concentrate on your driving when every turn opens up another view you want to look at. Unfortunately trees are in the way for a decent photo, but clearing them would wreck the charm of the area.

I was quite surprised to see snow gums as we neared the summit. Compared to some of the hills in the High Country, this is a relatively small height. However thinking about it, it makes sense that it would be covered in snow at times during winter. Interestingly enough I didn’t see any gates that would signify the area is closed over winter…..

Arriving at the summit I found that there was nowhere to turn around. It was a 200m reverse back to the hut to again face the direction required. However before reversing back down the track we took the time to savour the view. Everything else up to this point (with the exception of Blue Rag) paled in comparison to the 360 degree view afforded primarily because of the viewing platform.

The summit has a manned fire tower during the summer months and it doesn’t take much thought to understand why it’s located where it is.

The hut 200m below is for the person manning the tower however the toilet is accessible to all. There is also a fireplace and table for public use, although it would be a game person to camp overnight in winter.

Climbing down the other side of the summit I found the Prado to be lacking in engine braking. This was expected but was compounded by the weight of the trailer. 1st gear low range still required frequent braking which obviously isn’t preferable, and took a different style of driving compared to the Defender. I will look into the torque converter lock in the near future.

Approximately 7kms down the track I took a sharp right hand turn into the Benambra Spur Track. At just under 3kms long it is quite short; however it certainly drops quickly enough. Difficulty isn’t overly hard and I wouldn’t be concerned in any 4WD. This brings you out into the Tallangatta Valley, right on the Tallangatta Creek.

Fittingly the name of the track running alongside is the Tallangatta Creek ‘Road’. It certainly isn’t a road initially as it consists of two wheel tracks at the best of times. We came across a perfect little spot to set up camp for a weekend and I don’t think you’d be disturbed too often.

Following the creek further you start to get into farming and dairy properties. Unfortunately the road eventually becomes bitumen and opens into a normal road. It was easy to maintain 100km/h along the length of the road; however I would be a tad more cautious during milking times.

We ended up stopping at Tallangatta for a late lunch of fish and chips before the final leg home. An hour and a half of cleaning followed and a deep scratch was discovered by the missus on the passenger side of her car!

So overall this was a very enjoyable trip; primarily looking at a new area of the VIC High Country. Although it has left me with more areas to look at now compared to when we started off on this trip. I hope you’ve enjoyed the read.

Cheers
Chris

For interest the two rear tyres have now had tyre repairs done at $70, and ABC was reporting the other day that the Victorian budget has announced a project to seal the Omeo Highway – so the gravel parts may soon be disappearing.