Day 248 Marysville

 Zero day Marysville

Day 247 Keppels Hut to Marysville

 VIC Day 23 (247) Thursday 27th January, 2022 24.6KM

5182.1 / 49.8km

I started from the hut still dark.

The setup in the hut to keep bugs away

I only got about a kilometre when a thunderclap caused me to look at the radar and I stop and put up the tent fly over the groundsheet. Then I sit for 3 hours as the storm passes over.

A lot of rain so I eat breakfast drink coffee and guide the water around the groundsheet.

After the radar shows the storm had finally passed I start the long walk down the mountain. There is a lot of water and I have to jump a few trees until further down. I didn't hear any fall.

The Radar

Further down near Keppel Falls someone's cut a path through but not for cars. So I assume the road is only closed to cars.

After the storm still showers

That's until you get to the gate that says all personal prohibited. I did pass a family going up on mountain bikes so who knows.

Fallen trees

The after storm run-off

Anyway I walk down. The blackberry vine on this side has been poisoned in spots so I assume the National Parks do a little maintenance. There is a lot of water coming down the hill.

Keppel Falls

Lady Talbot Drive

I eventually got to Marysville about 3.30pm. I've booked a donga style room. Not bad value at $79, as long as other people don't make a lot of noise. 2 more days walking left. 1 zero day Marysville.

Town Entrance

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