Day 236 Wonangatta Station to Howitt Plains

 VIC Day 12 (236) Sunday 16th January, 2022 18.6km

4948.7 / 283.2km

Today is not a big day. I'm heading back up the range to my food bucket at Howitt Plains. Depending on how much food I have I might stop for a rest day. My legs are getting wobbly on these ups and downs. My day starts early and I pass through Wonnangatta Campsite proper after about 3 kilometres

A horse tour group

. Everyone is still in bed. There is one large group that look like a horse group by the logo on the 4wd. I did see a sign for a horse paddock but didn't see horses.

Woonagatta Station

I pass the old homestead site then move on and divert up to an old cemetery. The story tells a hard life with the Smith's leaving when the wife giving birth to twins died and the twins died 3 weeks later. The father and sons then left the property. The Bryce's were here a while but Annie Bryce lost her 3 year old daughter then her oldest daughter who had lived here for 17 years died at 21. Annie Bryce was the last person buried here in 1914 as she wanted to be with her daughters. Sad stories. I feel blessed to have 3 grown and healthy children. I would never really want to outlive them.

Cemetery at Wonnagatta. Sad

The trail turns up a two wheel track that disintegrates into mud holes the 4wdrivers have churned through. I think it's going to be a long day but after a kilometre or two even they give the track away and the trail descends into an old overgrown wagon track.

Dry river track

Old creek crossing. wood

The horse group has come down this way and I can easily follow the crushed grass. It then a couple of crossings of the Dry River which thankfully is not dry and then the trail turns into a animal track recently walked by the horse group. Easily followed and zig zagging its way up 1000 metres over the next 7 kilometres.

Looks like a camp spot

Track deteriorates but a NT sign points the way 

I stop to filter some water for the climb and when I leave I've left behind my 3 litre CNOC bag. Somewhere during the day I've also lost one of my Adidas camp slip ons. All this way and I lose two things in one day. Of course I note this when I camp and I'm not going back down the 1000 metres to find them.

Up Top

I get up top and it's the most pleasant walk I've had so far in Victoria. The path is a horse pad and of course they've zig zagged their way down. Churned the track a bit as it's a little damp and as they come back up later the following day I see there are about 20 of them in total. The group is from Mansfield. They have left some gear like a trailer and some tarps so that gives me good idea where to plonk my tent well out of the way.

The bucket.

I find the bucket undisturbed and cart it down to Howitt Hutt and work out I'm zeroing here tomorrow. It's good just to sit rehydrate rest the legs and eat the excess food. Every stop I've been setting up the Solar panel in the ultimate capture position and its not making much difference to generating enough power. I'm getting worried as the next town is still 9 or 10 days away. I turn off the phone and photos are short as I only turn it on occasionally.