Day 246 Royston River to Keppels Hut

 VIC 22 (246) Wednesday 26th January, 2022 17.5km

5157.5 / 74.4km

Not a long day. Not a happy day.

Packed up Ready to move Royston River

I started off OK and climbed out of the river valley. Sun came out and the flies started. I get up to the main road and at the turn off a notice telling me the track I'm to take is closed ahead.

The road 

The words no access to Keppels Hut, my next camp, or Marysville.

The road eventually came to a locked gate

I'm at a loss there is a long arse detour then a walk down a major road. So I decide to ignore and continue.

Stll Beautiful creeks

I get to the locked gate 4 kilometres later and it says it is closed due to dangerous falling trees. Since I've already walked across a lot of ground with the same tree problem so I continue on.

From what I can see its the difference between the National Park and State Forrest People on how they manage access. Anyway it's not a long day as I climb a 2 wheel 4wd track to Keppels Hut. I know I didn't take too many photos as the opportunities weren't numerous but I'm sure I'm missing a few.

By the time I get to the hut I've had enough of the flies and rush straight in to get some relief. I tried later to walk up the track to talk to Belinda where there was a signal but was chased back very quickly by the March fly swarm. So I collected water at a small stream beside the hut and went inside and stayed.

Day 245 Mount Terrible to Royston River

 VIC 21 (245) Tuesday 25th January, 2022 38.2km

5139.2 / 92.7 km

The day started well. There was a lovely sunrise with a fog down in the valley.

Sunrise

The Goulburn River Valley

The track drops off Mt Terrible down to the Jamieson Eildon Road. According to the book the camp for trekkers is down along there somewhere.

Love the tree

But I get down there by breakfast and decide to keep moving. A short walk up the bitumen and then back up the track to climb again.

Some Blackberries to chew on

My thoughts initially is to get as high as I can so tomorrow's walk is shorter. The March flies are horrendous. I would say I kill a fly every 5 minutes as they latch on somewhere. There's a constant buzz of them around me as I walk. Then there's the little black ones. I put on Aeroguard and that seems to stop them coming under the brim of the hat. The biggest problem is the lack of rest. I just can't sit for too long before the flies make it hard. So moving is best.

Taponga River

The track after breakfast just climbs and climbs and climbs. The day is hot and I'm dribbling sweat. There is water in creeks but getting to it through the blackberry bush is impossible. The consolation is the climb is via a road so is quite civilised. Until it turns into a track then it climbs steeper. I come across another sign saying I'm heading up into a logging area. All I can do is keep walking. I walk through a dead mountain ash forest with a lot of dead trees falling over.

Finally I get to a locked gate.

I'm not going back Down

I bypass it as I'm not going back and it's about 5pm and I get to the log stacking/loading area. Two gentleman are talking and I call out to see if I can bypass. Everyone except these two have gone home. They are a father/son duo and the father offers to give me a lift out of the logging zone down to where he turns off to go home. About 4 kilometres. Something I regret a little as it's the only downhill since breakfast.

He tells me the walk up Mt Bullfight also goes through another logging area so I decide to get past that. I think I've already done about 30kilometres and there's still daylight left. So climb the next hill. This is Mt Bullfight.

Thought I was going to Look

Decided against it

I get past the logging area but the road turns into a wheel track and is muddy but I'm looking for a clear spot to camp anywhere with no overhanging timber but the track just winds it way through BlackBerry vine on both sides.

Blackberry choking the sides

In the end I get down to Royston River to a clear spot beside the bridge. It's been a long day and it's after 8 pm.

I set up have a cup of tea and go to bed. I've covered a few kilometres and dropped a day of the schedule. They need to poison some of these declared weeds. It is out of control. Made me work though. Probably for the best. The public camping areas are busy and I reckon as the weekend comes it looks like it will be busier.

Day 244 Jamieson to Mount Terrible

 VIC Day 20 (244) Monday 24th January, 2022

Yesterday whilst sitting around and doing nothing I met Briony and husband Luke. We had a chat about different things including a group paddling the Murray River in support of homeless veterans. Facebook page: THE LONG PADDLE VETERANS OF THE MURRAY.

I mentioned my plan to paddle the Murray River and I'll be looking at their journey. However, Briony and Luke offered to give a lift the 7 or so kilometres to the Poletti Track which will take me up to Mt Terrible and thus back on the trail. I didn't want to make them get up too early so I said I would have breakfast at the store. I also needed to work on the hat to make it wearable with the pack. I had a bit of blue ribbon I picked up around Rumffs Saddle. It still had the balloon attached. I carried it with me since and have now found a use for it. So I get dropped of at the base of the hill and begin the long slow climb. It's a long way up. And of course when you think you've hit a high point there's always another. Just to get up to the Mt Terrible track are 5 false summits.

Up We go

False summit more up to do

Mt Terrible Over there

Finally I'm at the Junction. The first thing is you lose 100metrs just so you can do it again. In the saddle is a little Mazda 3 sedan. I take a look and it's been there a couple of days. No plates. Not a spot you'd expect a non 4wd. I get Belinda to ring it through to the police. They already have a report. They need to come up and put a sticker on it.

Abandoned Car

On top of Mt Terrible is a tower. I thought it was just a phone tower but as I get closer you can see its a fire lookout tower with all the aerials on it.

The tower is still up

There's also a nice little hut which has been rebuilt after a fire. It has a water tank so I decide to stop for the night.

The Hut

Behind the hut

A few visitors come through in their cars. Two cars pull up Steph Ethan, Dave and Steve are on a high country tour. Steph has just come from a horse tour that included going from Wonnagatta to Howitt Hut. Not the group I saw but one after. They make me a sandwich and give me a fruit juice popper. Thank you.

The view down to Jamieson

A couple of thunderstorms come through in the afternoon. Only a couple of drops of rain. When the fire watcher from the tower leaves a police car rocks up. I hope he stuck a reported sticker on the car. But they seem to be doing touristy things. They offer me a beer which I decline. Then I'm on my own for the night. I sleep on the bench in the hut. No critters no bugs. Good sleep.

Colours of Sunset

Day 243 Jamieson

 VIC 19 (243) Sunday 23rd January, 2022

Today was a zero day in Jamieson. However Belinda's mother had notified the ABC program Australia All Over with Macca of my journey and told her to get me to ring in. Bit hard as I needed to be in signal range on a Sunday between 5.30 am and 10 am. I'm also a reluctant speaker so I did let it slide a few times. But today I got up and went down the local phone box and rang in.

I thought there would be some rigmarole to go through but a quick chat to the lady producer and I was on. A note for the unwary is to not ring in just before the news breaks. This limits your time. I had a little more I wanted to say with regards to the trail needing support. I think it needs to develop further to a new age. Bring in the mountain bike people. It's the new thing.

When you see how Thredbo has changed in summer for the mountain bike people you can see the potential. Omeo was building trails to bring them in. A mountain bike trail is much friendlier to horses and humans than some of the tracks that are currently used. The extensive volunteers that work on the Bibbulmun in WA and the Friends of the Heysen Trail in SA all have strategies to boost numbers. I like the end to end groups in South Australia where people join a group and over years complete the Heysen Trail by pooling resources and going out In a group with car pooling and shuffling.

I met a group in Quorn that covered about 100 kilometres of trail in the Flinders but returned each night to the motel. They only carry day packs and get dropped off in a 12 seater bus each day to get picked up the other end. On other sections the people with fewer resources are helped through the multi night process by the others. It means more people who might not be confident on their own can gain experience. Anyway, biggest thing for the National Trail is to get new members. I think families were $80 per year. They had trouble filling all board positions last year. Still a lot of horsey skill there but I'm sure things will change. If you walk/ride parts of the trail register the walk. Insurance is one thing but the Bibbulmun Foundation collects data of people on the trail for funding purposes. I assume this trail is the same.

New Hat

Road to River

The River a Jamieson. Gets very busy

The river bank

Hat modified so not to interfere with the pack

Day 242 Lookout on Lazarini Spur Track to Jamieson

 VIC Day 18 (242) Saturday 22nd January, 2022 21.8km walking

33.8km total

Today is a trip down to Knockwood via the Army Track. There are two river crossings. Of course the track is steep and slippery and I tumble twice. Once breaking my walking stick. I feel unbalanced walking with only one. It's been at least 14 or 15 years since I started using two poles consistently. These poles went to New Guinea with me. The plastic handle is split at the top and I hold it all together with gaffer tape. Which I wear down constantly due to the way I hold them. Also each pole has a section oxidised to the other so I've lost some adjustment. I repaired the broken pole by shortening it just slightly and it works OK so far. But it's a good excuse to modernise and spend money on a new set. I don't trust all mechanisms as I do put a lot of weight on them sometimes. I've had poles collapse before this set.

I'm due to get my last supply bucket down the bottom of the hill at Knockwood. There's a river that runs down towards Jamieson. I'm arguing with myself on what to do about the power and its only when I realise I won't have any photos of the last section of the track I decide to divert into Jamieson and recharge the battery packs. The bucket is hard to find as I hid it well. There were only 4 trees to look behind but I had lain a lot of fallen bark across the top and missed it on the first pass through. I didn't muck about and just through all the stuff into the pack and put the rubbish in the bucket.

Hidden under that

The bucket

I will pick up the bucket on the way back when I've finished. Then it's out on the road and start walking to Jamieson. Now I've driven the road when I put the bucket out and I knew telephone signal started about halfway back but my decision to divert was made from a long view of a map and it didn't look far. I thought about 15 kilometres. Belinda corrected my thinking, as she does, to a more realistic distance of 35 kilometres as it winds with the river. It was hard to walk the road as it reflected the heat and there is this cool looking river on your right just bubbling away. I wondered if my sleeping mat could hold my weight with pack and I just float. I walked past families camped and people fishing and just dribbled sweat.

I don't normally thumb a lift. If someone stops and offers I might accept. But after I had lunch I was still a long way so I decided to actively ask for a lift. After about 5 cars a lovely gentleman, Lyndon, stopped and offered me a ride. Very much appreciated. Couldn't buy him a coffee as he and his wife were due elsewhere.

As a bonus the general store makes good coffee and had Pepsi Max. One downer is, I left my hat in the car. Jamieson was full but Belinda had spoken to the caravan park and they offered me a patch of grass for $20 a night. Again, very much appreciated. They also let me plug the battery packs in the office overnight so they charged and I didn't have to hang about. Went to the pub and had dinner bought a bottle of Merlot and sat under my tree and caught up with the diary. Some drunks down the river woke me up about 2am but they soon tired and went. Now to rest my legs for the final push

Zippers not working

Day 241 Shillinglaw Creek to Lookout on Lazarini Spur Track

 VIC Day 17 (241) Friday 21st January, 2022 34.4km

The sleep was pleasant. Some plant I've crushed under the tent has a Herby type scent. The leaves look like sage but much sweeter smell.

Onwards

The walk today continues on a road and climbs but with the gradient at a reasonable slope the walk is quick. I get to an intersection where the AAWT comes back in. I sort of regret not taking the AAWT to this point. There's a water point here, which is atype of dam according to notes but I couldn't be bothered pushing through weeds to check it out. The road continues through along a cutting in the side of the Ridge to a spot called Rumffs Saddle. Then there's a steep climb up Barkley Jeep track to the Licola Road. There's a sign warning the 4wdrivers that the track is badly damaged and don't use. Other people have written on the sign as well. Goes to show even 4wdrivers will give up eventually.

As I climb I can see why the warnings. But it is the drivers who cause the damage that exacerbates with rain. It's is a hard slog but hopefully one day it can be repaired to a walk track. The march flies have found me and are my constant companions. Annoying when they find a spot and I slap at them only to miss and stumble on the rocks. It's a relief to get up top onto the road and pick up pace and with a little breeze they become manageable. The turn off to Lazarini Spur is made but I'm not hopeful of water.

They mention a spring down the road and I go down to check it out. There are signs mentioning log trucks and a few cars come out as I walk the road. The spring is a damp patch . I decide to go further to what looks like creeks further down the road.

The notice

It's early afternoon when I then come across a logging notice saying the spur road is in the safety zone for about 8 kilometres. I decide to walk through before morning as it looks like people have packed up.

On one bend there is a beautiful clear creek running under the road. I fill up with water then I just have to walk out the logging zone and find a spot for the night. This proved to be a long walk up and over steep little hills until I finally came to a lookout that had some room and no large trees to worry about.

View from the Lookout

The Solar panel is not charging anything smart. Looks like a controller within the electronics has blown. It will charge the inreach. It charged 7 or 8 seconds then goes off for 14 seconds. This just repeats. The inreach seems to be able to handle it and over a couple of hours takes in a charge. It's like a capacitor charging and discharging but with one or two more blown or a controller to smooth the discharge cycle not working. The phone is nearly dead. It's getting hot and I'm glad of the elevation and a breeze.

I set up the tent on the left.

Day 240 Black Soil Gully Track to Shillinglaw Creek

 VIC Day 16 (240) Thursday 20th January, 2022 16.8km

5009.7 / 222.2km

As I went a little further than planned today could have been a short day. But first I have to climb a hill then lose all the elevation on the other side. Typical day really.

The track straight up lookout hill

The hill is called Mt Lookout. Unless the track goes to the top I'm not. Halfway up a bloke in a Ute drives up. The road is rough and I can hear his stuff bouncing around from a long way off. He stops for a chat. He has spent a couple of days higher up but the fog hasn't helped him hunt. So he's moving further down to pick up some meat and then will go home.

We talk about some noises I heard this morning . A honking type noise. He said it is deer when they get your scent. As I'm talking to him I notice his left hand shaking and he seemed nervous. Maybe just not good at conversation but the stories about the couple at Wonnangatta and burnt bodies at Grant...as he drives off my mind starts wandering. He obviously has a rifle.

I start walking on the inside edge of each turn as I climb. Looking for an escape path. Should I go down or up the hill. It's the first time my thoughts have gone dark. In the end the climb is to strenuous and I stop caring.

Then back down again

The road does not go up Mt Lookout and I don't bother to take the side road. Once I'm at the top it's time to go down. But I stop and check my map. This can't be right. A road well travelled, in good repair and at a gradient a 2wd car could handle. But yes it is. Victorians do know a little about road building and they have heard of switchbacks . I manage the 8 kilometre descent to Rumffs Flat without falling over or painful knees. But then I hit the camping areas.

The road is civilised in its gradient

A switchback

Shazza and Dazza have been here. Rubbish and excrement not conducive to my mental health so I climb the road out of Rumffs Flat.

Looks Ok as you walk in.

Till you see the rubbish. Ill spare you the toilet

I have a choice, climb over 1000 metres in 7 kilometres with the first 500 in 600 metres or do the same at a gentle 20 kilometres. I choose the long way. All I'm looking for is water and a clean flat spot and 6 kilometres later I come across Shillinglaw Creek crossing the road. Beautiful cool clear water with a shade relatively flat spot under a tree. Ahhh bliss.

My Camp spot

I bathe and wash and drink tea and act civilised. I do it all without leaving behind rubbish or dirtying the creek water or the bush.