Rohan and Nigel Christmas Australian Alps Walking Track

March 2008 Walhalla to Tharwa

I had left work on the Friday afternoon and driven from Dubbo to Kiandra (500km) and placed the last food drop just as it was going dark. I continued on and grabbed a quick bite of Chinese at Jindabyne before dropping in at the YHA Thredbo hostel and leaving the forth food drop (another 155km). I cruised on through to Khancoban and then Corryong before stopping for the night just outside Mitta Mitta around midnight (after driving nearly 900km in total for the day). The next morning I headed south along the Omeo Highway again and placed the third food drop near Sunnyside (where the AAWT departs from the highway). The road was in far better condition than last time I was here. From there I continued along to Glen Wills and used the Bogong High Plains Road to come in the back way to Falls Creek. I stopped and got brunch at the bakery in Mt Beauty and then left the second food drop at my friends house in Tawonga. I was back in Wodonga before lunch time and well ahead of any arrival time that Rohan and Rachel had envisaged. My driving mission was finished and I gratefully adopted a rear seat position from then on (after my 1100 kilometres of driving since leaving work).

Some jars of sauce for 35 days of dehydrated dinners

Rohan's cereal was very bulky compared to my muesli. The gluten free wraps were Rohans's as well; two wraps with salami/parmesan for lunch. I had the same but with 11 Vita Weats.

This is lunch for the 35 days for two people. I am eating the Vita-Weat and Rohan is on the wraps.

Weighing up the dried fruit and getting ready to bag it up.

This is all of the parmesan cheese shown previously after being cut and vacuum bagged into daily portions. Each portion is for two people per day.

The salami received the same treatment as the parmesan.

14kg of the best mince I could buy was for the meat in each and every dinner. It was cooked before being dried.

70 bags of dried fruit mix ( all dried at home); one bag per person per day.

Pollocks Gully, Kiandra. I have just hidden the food drop out there somewhere for future retrieval. It was just on dusk as it was stashed.

Rohan & Rachel at the Mt Skene lookout on the Jamieson-Licola Road.

At the Mt Skene lookout on the Jamieson-Licola Road. You can make out Mt Clear, Crosscut saw out in the far distance. This is where we are going!

About 5km out of Licola. Pretty funny in my opinion. It is referring to the landscape which is totally burnt and devoid of live vegetation.

Saturday 16th March 2008 Day 1

Walhalla to O�Sheas Mill

Rachel, Rohan and I stayed in Traralgon overnight in a motel after going across Mt Skene (on the Jamieson-Licola Road) in order to do the last food drop yesterday. We had breakfast in town and purchased lunch to bring out to Walhalla. We sorted all of the gear out in Walhalla before taking the parting photos and heading off. There was a short while where I could not find the maps for the first section and I started contemplating heading off without them for the first stretch to Rumpff Saddle. We walked to O�Sheas Mill camp site to find two other walkers going from Walhalla to Mansfield along the AAWT. There are also around 20 loud and annoying grade 9 kids on some sort of Outward bound thing. We will walk up to the Baw Baw plateau tomorrow. Bloody hot; sweating in tent at 8pm; mozzies are also bad (hence why I am in the tent).

All packed up and ready to go.

The rotunda (the start of the AAWT) is under renovation.

And away we go!

Only 680km to go now!

The old steel bridge across the Thomson River.

Monday 17th March Day 2

O�Sheas Mill to near Mt St Gwinear track junction

We woke at O�Sheas Mill Site around 7am. A lazy and slow start at 8:30am was the result. The Firebreak Track has been cleared since last time I came through. We found the next group of students at Mushroom Rocks and they were abseiling. There were more tents set up all over the place. We encountered the next group climbing up to Mt Erica above; they were travelling very slowly. We set up camp at the same place I camped at last time around 1km short of the Mt St Gwinear track junction. The Baw Baws are pretty dry at the present although there is still water nearby though. I am drinking a lot more water than last time due to the hotter weather. We will travel to Stronachs or Thomson River tomorrow; most likely the later. The blowflies are also very annoying at the campsite as well. When it got dark these pesky little black bugs came out in the thousands and followed us around. We ended up with a tent full of them as it took a while to realise they were actually getting into the tent through the zip. They were coming in as fast as we could squash them so we turned off the lights and gave up and hoped that they would not eat to much.

We have conquered the first mountain of the AAWT. Little did Rohan know what was further on.

Tuesday 18th March Day 3

Near Mt St Gwinear track junction to Thomson River

8:30am � 5:30pm walking time

We decided to skip staying at Stronachs Camp which in turn split the Thomson and Jordan River steep descents so they didn�t have to be done in one day. The path across the Baw Baws was cleared to over a meter wide so it was very easy travelling; until after the Mt Baw Baw turn off. It then went back to its normal scrubby closed in format. The fire trail that leads to Stronach�s had also been slashed recently making for easy travel. The AAWT was moved slightly around Stronachs and hopefully this new section will not become overgrown due to disuse. We were both pretty buggered as we got into camp. It also appears that a bulldozer has followed/cleared the path across the river and up to the spur going to Mt Easton. I hope he went all of the way as the climb will be much easier if it is the case. Feeling pretty tired after yesterday, going to have a late start, wash clothes and then head off in them while they are still wet.

The overgrown track after the turn off to Mt Baw Baw village.

The overgrown track after the turn off to Mt Baw Baw village.

This is on the old fire trail descending towards Stronachs Mill Campsite. You can tell you are on an old fire trail by looking at the gap between the trees above head height.

Descending to the Thomson River Valley along the Trig Point Track. Seriously steep decline.

Descending to the Thomson River Valley along the Trig Point Track. Seriously steep decline.

Descending to the Thomson River Valley along the Trig Point Track. Rohan is holding the camera level here which gives an idea of how steep it actually is.

Wednesday 19th March Day 4

Thomson River to Jordan River (at Red Jacket)

10am � 3pm walking time

Both feeling a little buggered after yesterday. We both slept badly and had something (dog?) creeping around the camp in the middle of the night. We had a late and lazy start at 10am. The bulldozer had made his way up to the saddle just past the 770m peak and turned around; it made the going very easy. A little further on we hit all kind of destruction with bulldozer action everywhere. They had pushed over everything in a very wide path but all of the trees were still littering the swath. The ground was severely upturned etc. The new path cut just to the west of little Easton (931m) and also just west of Mt Easton Trig Point to join the existing track. Once we got onto the Thomson-Jordan divide road we saw an approximate 50m wide cleared buffer or firebreak. All of the ground was bare, the largest trees left alone and the rest in big bonfire piles. It continued like this all of the way to the Jordan River. We had a wash this morning and a quick dip tonight; it feels good. We will head onto Black River tomorrow unless we are feeling poor. We have one days food up our sleeve anyway; but we will probably use it somewhere in the sections before Mt Hotham.

Scrambling up the bulldozed section towards Mt Easton. It was very hard work.

On the way towards Mt Easton. The background gives you an example of the destruction and fallen trees that you have to climb over or go around. It is also very steep as well making it one of the hardest sections on the walk.

At the Mt Easton Trig point. We had a rest here.

Typical cleared fire trail on the Thomson-Jordan Divide. The cleared section is around 50-60m wide and goes on for kilometres.

Descending to the Jordan River on Casper Creek Track. This is one track where you cheer for joy when you can finally see the bottom of the descent. It is very hard on the knees. I am standing up vertically here giving you an example of the steepness (seriously no illusions here!).

Rohan is writing his diary at the campsite at Red Jacket on the Jordan River. It is a very pleasant campsite. The rest of the river is choked with blackberries making campsites few and far between.

Thursday 20th March Day 5

Jordan River (at Red Jacket) to Black River

8:30am � 5pm walking time

There is tape all up the Victor Spur so they are going to clear this section of track as well to make it into a fire break. Clearing has also occurred on/beside the Mt Selma Road. We had lunch near Fiddlers Green; it was no longer green or recognizable compared to my memories. There were flies everywhere as well. Lunch was a very unpleasant experience (no shade and plenty of flies). There is also no track marking from the Mt Selma road onwards. We took the low road on the Chapman Spur Track and I totally missed the fire track descent to the Black River. We had spoken to one of the rangers earlier on the Victor Spur Track and he had said the section where the AAWT heads down the Black River was choked with trees. So heading this warning we kept going and headed straight down the Champion Spur Link Track to the campsite. The river crossing was completely blocked by huge trees and the previous campsite was totally unrecognizable. Not much wildlife remains although the trees are still alive and slowly recovering. We had also asked the ranger to place a call (which he didn�t do!) for us to let all know we are well and progressing alone fine.

The surveyor�s tree still stands although the surrounding vegetation has been cleared to make a fire break. It looks a lot different compared to the last time I was here.

This is a typical scene of destruction from the fires around Fiddlers Green.

Looking South/South East on the Champion Spur track at salvage logging in the distance.

This photo was taken on the vehicular crossing at the Black River campsite. We are looking upstream here at the choking logs that fill the river valley. We were supposed to navigate the AAWT for approximately 1km through this. The River ended up in this condition as there were major floods after the bushfires when no vegetation had recovered.

Rohan reading at the Black River campsite.

Black River campsite. I couldn�t even recognise where I actually camped last time on the river flats.

Friday 21st March Day 6

Black River to Rumpff Saddle

9:20am � 3:20pm walking time

The path around to the base of the spur (where the fire trail up to Mt Shillinglaw begins) was just total regrowth. However once we got up above the valley floor the old abandoned fire trail was fairly distinct and easy to follow. We fumbled a little finding the saddle to allow the climb onto Mt Shillinglaw itself. We stopped for beef jerky on the summit and promptly became very cold. Since it was Easter Friday we got passed by around 5+ vehicles on the Jamieson-Licola Road; very busy for this road if you know it. We picked up our food drop intact and carried it down to Rumpff Saddle where we made our camp. Surprisingly we have seen no more people down here. We burnt the food drop containers to avoid having to return to collect the rubbish. Rohan was much happier today; an easy 15km day and a good rest do wonders. Today was very cold; not sure how cold but we could make out breath �smoke� at 4pm. It looks like the March heatwave may have finally passed anyway. A few days ago I was sleeping in a silk liner only; now I am wearing thermals (uppers and lowers) while writing this at 8:15pm. I am about to go to bed. We will head to The Low Saddle tomorrow. There were also no signs from the Mt Selma Road through to the Jamieson-Licola Road due to the 2006 fires.

You can make out the old graded fire trail here which heads up to the unnamed 1073m summit before Mt Shillinglaw.

On the spur climbing to the unnamed 1073m summit before Mt Shillinglaw.

On the better formed and used fire trails just before the Mt Shillinglaw summit. The dead trees are a very stark reminder of the fires total devastation.

Saturday 22nd March Day 7

Rumpff Saddle to the Low Saddle

8:40am � 5pm walking time

Rohan seems to be loosing it with his breakfast cereal (Vogels gluten free stuff and coconut milk powder). It is quite funny to watch him in this way. He ate most of it dry before sticking the water in. It is definitely his least favourite meal of the day. I am a little over my breakfast (muesli and milk powder) but nothing serious yet. It was bloody cold last night until the wind stopped blowing. However today was a fairly warm day in comparison. The walk to Mt Sunday was fairly hard as it is rocky and very undulating. We had lunch on the helipad and then after Rohan found the marker we tried to head down. For the second time I couldn�t find the track even though I knew roughly where it was. Some clown had put pink tape leading down one of the gullies; it would have been a long way to the Low Saddle by this route. We eventually found the path (recently cleared) and made our way down. The scramble to get water was very steep before going onto the campsite at the Low Saddle. Today turned into a surprisingly long and hard day, much harder than the distance suggests. We also met three motorcyclists from Woods Point on the Mt Sunday Track. They had a high degree of interest and knowledge of the AAWT. We gave them Rachel�s number to make a check in call for use (which they didn�t do!). Tomorrow we will head for the track junction past the summit of Mt McDonald before making a decision as to where to camp for the night. It will either be the Nobs or push on through to Chesters Yards; water will be a factor as to where we stay. We have a spare days food so we may lay up for a rest day at Macalister Springs or elsewhere.

This is the Mt Sunday Track heading towards Mt McKinty.� The track is seriously rough and has exposed rock faces in many places like here. The whole track is littered in bits and pieces of four wheel drives that have had little accidents along the way.

Mt Sunday in the distance.

Descending on the old fire trail from Mt Sunday towards The Low Saddle.

Sunday 23rd March Day 8

Low Saddle to in between Nobs/High Cone

8:40am � 6pm walking time (It took Nigel 1hr 30min to get water)

I was dreading this day in a mild way as this is where I developed a sore knee last time. I found navigation a lot easier this time across the rocky slopes and outcrops leading up towards Mt McDonald. We had a beef jerky stop on the unnamed peak before Mt McDonald. I pointed out Mt Buller, High Cone and the Nobs to Rohan. On the climb to the summit Rohan was finding the cross elevation traverse difficult; he rolled an ankle at some stage as well. He was slowing down coming off the summit to wards the fire trail. I left him there to rest and was back 90 minutes later with water. I had to descend nearly 2km to gather water as the first set of creeks was bone dry. We pushed on seeking one of the saddles between the Nobs and High Cone; we should have stopped at the Nobs for the night. We bumped into four hikers heading for Mt McDonald; they were very happy when we confirmed the presence of water for them. We set up camp and had an event free night, although the full moon makes for confusing sleep patterns.

At The Low Saddle looking up at Mt Sunday. We descended from there the night before.

Just leaving The Low Saddle in the morning. Rohan was not looking this healthy or energetic by the end of the day.

Just leaving The Low Saddle in the morning.

We have just started to work our way up the spur on The Great Dividing Range that leads up to Mt McDonald. We are heading to these peaks in the distance.

Mt McDonald is straight ahead. We stopped on this unnamed peak (where we are standing now) and had some beef jerky. Rohan was feeling ok here but was totally stuffed by the time he got to the summit ahead. It is very hard getting there as you cannot walk on the ridge; the rock outcrops continuously force you to the left and downhill.

Rohan is now totally buggered!

View from the summit of McDonald. You can see The Nobs, High Cone and Mt Clear in this photo. The AAWT heads off to the far right of this photo before sweeping back along the high ground of the peaks in the middle of the image.

Looking back towards where we came from.

Rohan is munching away on his gluten free wraps with salami and cheese. If only we could toast our lunches they would have been much better.

My lunch; 11 Vita Weat with salami and parmesan cheese. Keeps very well and is very filling/full of energy.

This is a burnt AAWT marker where the track joins the fire trail between The Nobs and Mt McDonald. Replacement markers and posts had not been reinstated in this section of the AAWT yet.

Monday 24th March Day 9

Nobs to Chesters Yards

9:10am � 2:10pm walking time

We had four dinners remaining (before we ate one tonight) which dictates when we must reach Mt Hotham (as no food makes hiking and camping very hard). Rohan had his hopes set on a rest day preferably but calculations left this as no longer possible. My earlier workings were obviously incorrect. I don�t think this news did Rohan any good as I expected. This means our campsites will be Chesters Yards, Mt Speculation (Camp Creek), Barry Saddle and then around Mt Murray somewhere. Unfortunately the fires have destroyed or covered up the well worn foot tracks in between Mt McDonald to Mt Clear. Some can be followed but they are frequently covered in dead trees. Some paths have been cleared but quite often they are not on the old pathway. The high grass makes the task even harder. Rohan fell apart after the climb to Square Top and was totally stuffed for the rest of the day. As we were climbing Mt Clear the weather closed in and we got wet. The visibility was well under 50m in a thick fog. To be sure I was heading down the correct descent off the slopes of Mt Clear I used the GPS for confirmation. We set up camp and I had my first wash since Red Jacket; very smelly and very dirty indeed. The clothes are not perfectly clean, but are much better. Then it rained for an hour; just what we need with all of the clothes being wet. Anyway we lit a fire after a lot of effort to dry off some of the socks. The Crosscut Saw awaits tomorrow; I hope the weather clears as poor visibility would be criminal. Today has been the first day where we have seen no other people.

Tuesday 25th March Day 10

Chesters Yards to Mt Speculation

9:10am � 5pm walking time

Well it started pouring down rain again around 2am for a few hours. The rest of the washing was well and truly rinsed clean of all soapy water. Rohan was lethargic this morning and would have stayed in bed until lunchtime if I left him alone. I decided to carry all of the food etc leaving him to only pack his basic clothes and and sleeping gear etc in order that he shouldn�t fall apart two days in a row; it worked but it nearly killed me. The day started as very wet and cloudy but not raining. We climbed one of the King Billies but it was in the clouds with a 50m view. The rocks were slippery and dangerous so we skipped the second King Billies summit and descended to the adjacent road. Shortly after starting the track to Mt Magdala it started to rain as well so the combination of rain, wind and cloud made it cold and miserable. If we had of had spare food we would have gone to Macallister Springs Hut for sure. We ended up doing the Crosscut saw in very little visibility; I feel sorry for Rohan as the wonderful views were denied to him.� We eventually descended to the campsites below Mt Speculation and set up camp. Every step I took today was in wet squelching socks and boots. My feet were like prunes at the end of the day. The weather is cold and the tent still wet; although it is slowly drying. After dinner we are both crawling straight into bed as it is our only warm and dry sanctuary; we can�t wait.

We have just left Chesters Yards and are on our way to The King Billys on a wet morning. The weather only got worse from here.

On Mt Howitt. It was raining, windy and we had hardly any visibility.

On Mt Howitt. It was raining, windy and we had hardly any visibility.

On the Crosscut Saw.

On the Crosscut Saw. This was about the only glimpse of The Viking over the whole day. The Razor is hidden in the clouds to the left.

My sodden feet; at the Camp Creek camping ground (near Mt Speculation).

Wednesday 26th March Day 11

Mt Speculation (Camp Creek) to Barry Saddle

8:30am � 4:30pm walking time

It rained again last night. The next morning was very cold and putting on totally wet socks and boots was no very pleasant at all (putting on smelly socks and boots is much better). Once again packing up everything totally wet; this is something I hate doing (we still have dry clothes/sleeping bags etc. It is only really the day wear and tent etc which is really wet). We were all rugged up on the way to Catherine Saddle and the sun actually came out for a short while. We promptly lost the track about 100m from the saddle and we both could not locate it; not a good start to the day. We climbed straight up to the ridge and found it again; it was well defined which made us happy. The track to Mt Despair and the Razor was easy to follow and resulted in a quicker walking pace; it had been cleared recently. We had a few little issues along the way to the Razor as we approached the cairn to signify where to head to the Viking Saddle.� The track is marked in blue tape which helped a lot; the clearing crews obviously followed afterwards along this taped route. We had lunch at the Viking Saddle and pondered the climb that awaited us. The track up the Viking was hopeless; we found the blue tape had been removed and the cleared track was marked by a series of �X� marks made in tree trunks with chainsaw cuts. These were very hard to follow in places and we totally lost the track. It seems that the cleared path has little resemblance to the original and leads up some crazy places where the original did not. Once on top of the Viking and through to the Barry Saddle it was well marked and cleared. This was a vast improvement on the last time I was here when there was no marking and people were wandering everywhere forging new tracks and getting lost (from entries in Barry Saddle log book). Everything had been slowly drying out but about 30min before we reached the Barry Saddle (and camp) we were drenched in a quick shower again. Rohan is more energetic now and is looking forward to rest days and lots of food. We will punch on to around Mt Murray tomorrow and walk out to the Alpine Road near Mt Hotham the following day.

In between Catherine Saddle and Mt Despair. This was all wall to wall scrub last time I was here.

In between Catherine Saddle and Mt Despair.

In between Catherine Saddle and Mt Despair.

Near The Razor; The Viking is in the distance.

Looking back at The Crosscut Saw.

At the cairn on The Razor. The cairn marks the way to the Viking Saddle.

Nearly at the top of The Viking. It is a fair climb/scramble in places. Note the cleared trees with fresh chainsaw cuts.

Nearly at the top of The Viking. It is a fair climb/scramble in places. Note the cleared trees with fresh chainsaw cuts.

Nearly at the top of The Viking. It hard work with a pack on.

The Viking is conquered!

Looking at The Razor from The Viking.

View from The Viking

Descending The Viking is basically as bad as it was getting up. Note the blue tape placed by John Chapman; it marks the track so the clearing crews could come through after the fires and re-establish the track.

Writing the diary entry you have just read at The Barry Saddle. There is a water tank here.

The Barry Saddle sign made a good clothes line. It was very cold though so not much drying occurred.

The campsite at Barry Saddle.

Rohan is giving you an example of how cold it is. Once the sun disappeared the temperature plummeted.

Thursday 27th March Day 12

Barry Saddle to helipad near Mount Murray

8:50am � 6:15pm walking time

Another slow start to the day on a cold morning. The tent was sopping wet from condensation which really accumulates on my tent when there is little or no wind overnight. The tracks today are well used fire trails (apart from one section where the second water tank is where the track is disused and covered in fallen trees). The hilltop water tank has no roof at all (due to fires) yet it is still � full. We carted water from here to Mt Murray to avoid looking for water after a long day. We ran into David Booth from Bywong who was doing a modified route of the AAWT heading from Tharwa to Walhalla. He was travelling very lightly by cutting all necessary equipment to the extreme. After hearing about a couple of his wet and cold nights in a tarp/sleeping bag/bivvy he had convinced us that carrying more weight was indeed a good desirable thing(at least in our minds anyway).We had lunch on top of Mt Selwyn which gives good 360� views. I pointed out to Rohan the Crosscut Saw, Mt Buffalo and Mt Hotham. Rohan really fell apart after a late lunch and we made camp shortly after 6pm. Luckily the wind enabled me to get the tent and slightly damp sleeping bags reasonably dry as it is going to be a very cold night. Rohan is rugged up in nearly everything he has already. It is only 10km to the Mt Hotham road; not sure if we will go all the way to the summit but it is tempting to do so now with light packs before a few rest days with friends at Tawonga.

On the Selwyn Track after leaving The Barry Saddle.

On the Selwyn Track after leaving The Barry Saddle.

On the Selwyn Track after leaving The Barry Saddle.

On the Selwyn Track looking up the overgrown track heading up to Mt Selwyn South It is a pretty steep pinch of a climb.

We met David Booth of Bywong NSW heading up to Mt Selwyn South. He was doing it a lot easier than us as he was going downhill and carrying next to nothing. He had left Mt Hotham the previous day and stayed near Mt Murray.

Lunch break on top of Mt Selwyn. There used to be a fire tower here.

Mt Hotham in the distance (just to the right of centre). You can just make out the communications tower.

This is Mt Buffalo looking from the South. Not many people get to see it from this angle. Rohan didn�t recognise it.

View from Mt Selwyn.

Getting closer to Mt Murray. Rohan had really started to drag the chain by now.

This is at the helipad near the old Mt Murray Hut site. It was bloody cold and Rohan had everything he in the range of clothes on. He had really cracked as you can see by the facial expression. It was obviously going to be a very cold night.

Friday 28th March Day 13

Near Mount Murray to Mt St Bernard

8:45am � 1pm walking time

We slept very well, but awoke to the whole tent being totally frozen on the outside. I had trouble rolling the tent up and trying to get it into the storage sack. My hands were very uncomfortable and partially frozen whilst accomplishing this task. I pushed Rohan this morning to scoff his cereal down more quickly as he eats it painfully slow (generally I have had my cereal, packed up the tent and started to pack my backpack by the time he finishes). I feel like lighting a bomb under him some mornings to get him moving as in reality he is wasting the good part of the day once we stop walking. Poor Rohan was buggered this morning and was walking so painfully slow it was maddening. Eventually he changed his thought patterns and started walking properly. I deliberately didn�t point out we had to climb The Twins and he only figured it out when he was looking at the climb. He actually admitted he would have slowed down even more if he knew about the climb prior. Heres hoping a couple of rest days fix him up. We eventually reached the Hotham road and it took around 20min to manage to hitch a lift of the mountain down to Bright. We rang our friends Peter & Benita and Peter came and picked us up. We both had a real coffee and I had a sausage roll while we waited. I purchased some Shellite as well as I had forgot to leave the fuel with the food drop at Peter & Benita's ($10 for 1 litre at the rip off camping shop; I can buy the same product for $7 in Dubbo!). We unpacked everything on arrival and the tent was still frozen at 3pm. Now at least the boots will get a full chance to dry out. The washing has been done by Benita (who has no fear of clothing that stands up by itself and socks that try to crawl away) and the hot shower was bliss. We were treated to roast lamb and vegetables for dinner which was perfect.

The Twins are the two peaks ahead. This is the point at which Rohan finally figured out that we had to climb them. It is a very steep climb.

On top of The Twins looking at Mt Hotham. You can make out the road snaking around in places. Mt St Bernard is slightly left of centre where the road loops around and buildings are visible.

The cairn on The Twins. We had lunch up here; very pleasant.

The end of the Twins track where it meets The Alpine Road (at Mt St Bernard). The Dargo High Plains Road shots off to the right here as well. The Wangaratta Ski Club is the building in the distance. Rohan tried to kiss the bitumen here and found it impossible with a pack on.

Rohan has found the bitumen and inner peace. He was pretty miserable and kept making up reasons as to why people wouldn�t stop to give us a lift. We were here around 20mins before getting a ride.

Waiting for Peter in Bright.

Happy Rohan.

I have just had a real coffee so I am pretty happy as well.

Saturday 29th March Day 14

Rest day in Tawonga

Bacon and eggs with all of the trimmings for breakfast. A very lazy day is my plan. I am loading the current photos to the photobucket account for friends and family to view at the moment.

Monday 31st March Day 16

Mt St Bernard to Cope Hut

9:30am � 6pm walking time

Our rest days finally ran out and we returned to Mt St Bernard to continue the journey. Rohan has been in a better mood as Rachel came back from the coast yesterday for dinner with us and stayed the night. I was under no illusion that the weather up on the high plains/Mt Bogong was going to be nice as we could see snow on the West Peak from Peter & Benita�s balcony in Tawonga. The weather closed in to a fog on the way up the Hotham Road from Harrietville. When we arrived at Mt St Bernard it was cold, windy and drizzling. We rugged up and headed off up the road after our goodbyes to Peter. The easy walking was very cold and pretty boring without the views. We decided to stick to the road and skip Mt Hotham as the 50m visibility made it a little pointless. The poor weather finally disappeared after we descended to the Dibbins Hut. We had lunch in Derrick Hut before reaching here to get out of the wind before this. Once we climbed back onto the High Plains the weather was better and the visibility held although it was still cold and windy. Rohan was buggered once again; I left him 1km from Cope Hut (he knew where he was) and he arrived 15min after me. There was a father and son here from Wangaratta on an overnight hike as well; we were talking for a while.

The view from Peter & Benita�s balcony in Tawonga. The West Peak (near Mt Bogong) is up in the clouds behind the power lines. We were not expecting good weather as we headed off.

Back up at Mt St Bernard where we got the lift the other day. The weather was as expected; light rain, fog and pretty miserable.

Getting ready to go once again.

Same place; lovely day isn�t it?

Climbing up to the Bogong High plains (after Dibbins Hut). You can see some of the snow poles that you follow from Mt Hotham all of the way to Mt Bogong.

On the Bogong High Plains. Mt Jim is on the far right. Rohan struggled here walking in the narrow rutted track and found walking beside it easier.

Mt Jim.

Getting very close to Cope Hut. It is about 1km away up and over the rise ahead. I left Rohan around here.

Tuesday 1st April Day 17

Cope Hut to Cleve Cole Hut

8:05am � 4:30pm walking time

We fired up once more around 7am and set about getting ready to head off once again. The sound of trucks and graders shortly after 7:30am was not at all pleasant. They are getting the road from Falls Creek to Glen Wills Valley ready for bitumen. The crushed rock is coming from some sort of tunnelling works which are occurring at Bogong Village in between Mt Beauty and Falls Creek. We had to stop for Rohan to strip off once we started to walk; he thought it must have been a lot colder than it actually was. The wind was pretty cutting though upon the exposed plains. We met a couple around Mt Nelse out for an overnight walk. We continued onto the Ropers Hut site to find a new hut is under construction in the traditional style. It looks like slabs of foam will be installed in the walls; so it should be nice and cosy and not an eyesore. Rohan struggled on the decent to Big River (doesn�t like downhills much) and was 45min slower. The water was to cold for a bath as well he reckoned as well. I waited for him at the junction of the track for the T-Spur at the top for 30 minutes; he was having a slow day. On arrival at Cleve Cole Hut there was a wet tent layed out drying on the steps so we knew we had company for the night. John & Sandra (from middle coast NSW) were out on a multi day Bogongs walk and were interesting company. John has been tossing up the idea of doing the AAWT for quite a few years but has yet to take the plunge. Rohan was impressed by the luxury of Cleve Cole. It was nice to have the still and warm air inside rather than the cold cutting wind outside.

Breakfast time at Cope Hut.

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Breakfast time at Cope Hut.

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We have made some headway!

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Cope Hut.

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Looking back at Rocky Valley Storage. Falls Creek is at upper far right.

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Same location as previous picture; Rohan is getting peckish.

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On the descent to Big River showing the fire regrowth and recently cleared track.

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The track junction at the top of the T Spur. I waited for Rohan here. Cleve Cole is a few kilometres to the right.

Wednesday 2nd April Day 18

Cleve Cole Hut to Mt Wills

8:50am � 2:15pm walking time

I had a lovely sleep that was only disturbed by the others going to the toilet during the night. We got up around 7am and had a slow and easy pack up before departing. The weather was pleasant except for a coldish cutting wind. I pointed out where we were going today to Rohan from the top of The Long Spur; it is amazing as you can see the whole of The Long Spur and then Mt Wills above it, the full days walk. We had lunch at Big River Saddle around midday. The climb all of the way to the grasslands below Mt Wills have been recently cleared (around 2m wide). It made for good walking even though it was painfully steep. As we neared the summit I commented to Rohan that we might get wet� as the clouds across the High Plains and Mt Bogong were very dark. We set up camp in the hut for a lazy afternoon quite quickly. The roaring winds were soon joined with rain. I am happy to be in the hut rather than cramped up in the tent. Rohan must have consumed some steroids or something last night as he stayed with me up the climb to Mt Wills; very impressed (although he is having an afternoon nap at 4:30pm though). Our next food drop is on the Omeo Highway just below here and we are one day up on food now. I had anticipated walking through to the Mitta Mitta at Taylors Crossing and having a rest day there. However if the weather is atrocious tomorrow we may stay here for another day.

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Cleve Cole Hut.

The house rules of Cleve Cole Hut.

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A sink and running water.

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Gas stove for winter use I presume.

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The old fire box has been upgraded as well.

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The bunk beds an fellow camper Sandra.

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Behold The Long Spur.

Suspicious characters.

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The pleasant foot track along The Long Spur.

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This is taken a few kilometres from Mt Wills after the hardest part of the climb up from Big River Saddle is completed. It is very pleasant walking.

�Inside the Mt Wills Hut. Rohan is reading through the Hut�s log book.

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Two bedrooms with two very long bunk beds in them here.

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The 1757m elevation makes for cold nights.� It is late in the afternoon looking from the hut door.

Thursday 3rd April Day 19

Mt Wills to Mitta Mitta River at Taylors Crossing

8:30am � 6:30pm walking time

It was a very cold night and going out for a toilet break in the middle of the night was definitely not enjoyable. The ancient �FATSO� stove is hopeless in two ways; it leaks air everywhere so it burns fuel at a very fast rate and it is very hard to put wood in. So hence the heater leaves the hut very cold at night very quickly. When we got up at 7am it was snowing lightly. I was not surprised after all of the rain that was falling in the early part of the night. We packed up, swept the hut and set off. We lost the track a few times and found it again each time. Eventually after battling fallen trees, overgrowth and blackberries we hit the Omeo Hwy. It was sunny by this time and the snow had stopped falling. Our food drop was intact and we set about packing it into packs. We had one day spare food and picked up seven more; the packs were now super sized and heavy. A farmer came along at the opportune time and took out rubbish away for us. The descent to Gill Creek was totally cleared and very easy to walk on and required no navigation. Last time it was a scrub bash that required constant lookout for the markers. We had a quick lunch at the creek mindful of the remaining walking distance to the Mitta Mitta River. The campsite at Gill Creek is very small and would fit 1-2 tents; very average to poor camping. The climb all of the way from Gill Creek to the fire trails has also been cleared. It was so much easier than last time but it is still very steep. The descent all of the way to Four Mile Creek was painful but not too bad; waiting for Rohan was the hard part. Along Four Mile track Rohan was really dragging the chain and eventually we reached the junction with JP Gap track. We headed north to unluckily find the hut with two 4WD vehicles occupying it so we headed back to Taylor�s Crossing reserve. We were disgusted to find the 4WD owners have in the past destroyed the post and railing fence around the camping area so they can park there vehicles closer than 20m away from the fireplace. Looks like it will be a cold night; rest day tomorrow.

It is snowing.

Mt Wills Hut in the snow.

Just leaving Mt Wills Hut.

Less snow and a lot warmer as we get closer to the Omeo Highway.

The Omeo Highway. The track to Gills Creek heads of to the left just in front. Our third food drop was placed around here.

The fire track along the ridge towards Gill Creek is totally cleared. It is amazing what a bulldozer can do. Last time I was here it was a total scrub bash continually searching for markers.

An old blue AAWT marker high on the tree. We are at the bottom of the tracks� and just above Four Mile Creek.

The new type of camouflaged AAWT pine pole marker hiding in the scrub. They are very easy to miss.

Track junction on the Four Mile Creek Track.

Waiting for Rohan; you can see him in the centre slightly to the left.

Nearly there. Rohan was stuffed once more as there is some serious descending and climbing in this day. It would be very hard going in reverse from Taylors Crossing to Mt Wills in a day!

Friday 4th April Day 20

Rest day

Slept in, followed by doing the washing and then having a bath. A glorious day; all of the washing fully dried.

Saturday 5th April Day 21

Mitta Mitta River to Johnnie�s Top

7:45am � 3:50pm walking time

We set off early because we were awake before sunrise. The track has been rerouted to follow the road from Taylor�s Crossing around Fraser Tablelands. It makes for boring but quick and easy walking. We had trouble tracing the track in the descent to Morass Creek and with the help of my memory and a little bit of searching we located the final graded track that leads to the creek itself. The crossing was overgrown by blackberries which made it very difficult to negotiate. The creek was once again disgusting and a very undesirable place to set camp. The ascent back out of the valley was once again hampered by blackberry and other prickly trees and plants. We were very glad to be out of there. The cross bashing from the Corryong Road to the Beloka Range was recently marked in pink tape and reasonably easy to traverse; the track condition was about the same as it was in 2006. Clearing from the top of the first climb from the Corryong Road to the Beloka Range Track would be nice though as the blackberries have overgrown the track and it makes life very hard. The rest of the walk across the Beloka Range to Johnnies Top is quite pleasant though as it traverses well used fire trails that are not too steep. The summit of Johnnies Top is covered in regrowth gum trees that are around 4m high now; all of the dead ones still stand and remind one of the 2003 fires and there devastation. I fell fairly good today after the rest day. Tomorrow we will head for Buckwong Creek with a stop and explore at the Mt Murphy mine area. We have more cross bashing through fire regrowth in two sections tomorrow so it may be slow going.

Taylors Crossing campsite on the Mitta Mitta River.

Another progress sign; only 340km to go now.

The campsite. A lovely spot for a rest day.

This is where the vehicles cross the river. There is a drop toilet on the far bank.

On the bridge.

The bridge; campsite is on opposite bank in distance.

The Benambra � Corryong Road after making it across the festering Morass Creek.

Along the Beloka Range track heading for Johnnies Top.

Our campsite on the summit of Johnnies Top. The view would be amazing if you could see above the regrowth.

Sunday 6th April Day 22

Johnnie�s Top to Buckwong Creek

7:55am � 4:45pm walking time

The night was not as cold as I expected; the tent was not even frozen! As we descended we could see the valley below was under a blanket of fog. Eventually we went into the fog and then finally below it. At this point we could finally see the valley below. The descent to Buenba Creek has fire regrowth on it but is not to bad to navigate, it is just a little slow. All of the descent and Buenba Creek is full of horses and there mountains of horse poo; pretty disgusting. It is about time the restart the aerial shotting of these feral animals as the damage they do is pretty severe. Either that or they might as well let all of the cattle back in. We enjoyed lunch by the Buenba Creek at the bridge near the old Buenba Hut site. The climb up to the Mt Hope Road was reasonably pleasant as it is not as steep as many of the previous climbs. Careful navigation is needed thought to arrive on the road at the correct location; we were 50m out from the signs when we hit the road. I came across a sleeping tiger snake today to whom we gave a wide berth. Rohan had �cracked the sads� by the time we hit the Mt Murphy intersection and didn�t want to go and have a look. We continued to the rebuilt and locked hut on the Buckwong Creek and set camp. Tomorrow is a big day to Bulley Creek near the Cobberas. Interestingly Rohan really struggles when bush bashing; travels very slow and hates it. Luckily after tomorrow there is very little of this remaining for him. There are cattle everywhere around Buckwong Creek; I thought there were no more active grazing leases in effect? Happy 60th Mum.

Rohan descending the last spur from Johnnies Top. We are only around 200m from Buenba Creek at this point.

Old fences and gates from a grazing past. We are very close to the old Buenba Hut site.

The Buenba Hut site is where the Poplar trees are in the far distance. You keep expecting to see a farmers ute and cattle around here. There are feral Brumbies in the hundreds in this valley.

We have just finished lunch and I washed my hands in Buenba Creek behind me.

Monday 7th April Day 23

Buckwong Creek to Bulley Creek (near base of Cobberas Number 1)

6:30am � 5:15pm walking time DAYLIGHT SAVINGS HAS ENDED

A long and hard day for both of us. We had a little �off track� time on the way to Misery Trail caused partly by the track redirection interfering with my memory as well as the constant growth of the scrub. Rohan found the climb particularly hard near the top where it steepens considerably. We had no problems descending to Macs Creek Road. I was shocked to find the section from here down to Dead Horse Creek was marked and cleared. It was a real scrub bash down a steep escarpment last time. Being exactly on the easiest path made this section far easier. We had lunch just after we crossed the creek. The clearing of the track promptly ended near the junction of Smoke Oh Creek although the tape continued all of the way to Limestone Creek Track. The Stony Creek section was a real surprise to Rohan as he had read the book the night before. I will lie and say he enjoyed it enjoyed by all. After climbing out of there and rejoining the Cowombat Flat Track we made it to the campsite near Bulley Creek. The creek only had water in a few pools under the Tea Tree Bush; it gave me a fright when Rohan called out it was dry. We had some rain last night just after I went to bed; Rohan decided to chance it and received the consequences.

Following the track beside Buckwong Creek. There was a mob of cattle around this area.

We have stopped for a snack break after the hard climb up from Buckwong Creek. We are sitting on the Misery Trail (on Davies Plain Ridge).

A massive root ball on a fallen tree. We are following the Stony Creek in the steep river valley along this section. There is no defined track.

After climbing up from Stony Creek we gained the pictured Cowombat Flat Track. We are about to enter the Cobberas Wilderness Zone and are only a few kilometres from the Bulley Creek campsite.

Tuesday 8th April Day 24

Bulley Creek (near base of Cobberas Number 1) to Cowombat Flat

1:30am � 3:50pm walking time

Had a late start and left the camp wet and still fully set up and headed off to climb Mt Cobberas Number 1. We went by the Moscow Peak route but crossed over to soon and ended up below the saddle which made the climb a little more difficult as well as requiring the use of the compass. Rohan was very impressed by the far reaching views, I pointed out the Main Range, The Pilot and Mt Bogong in the far distance. We descended directly west then WNW down a spur which leads back to Bulley Creek about 1km upstream from the campsite. This was a far quicker and more direct route down. It was pretty hot eating lunch and packing up the camp. The walk to Cowombat Flat was a stark contrast to yesterday; nearly 10.5km travelled in 2hr 20mins and done easily to boot. We had a clothes wash and a bath of sorts in the mighty Murray River when we got there. It is good to be clean again. Putting on the wet clothes in the morning will not be pleasant though. We will visit the source of the Murray River and Forest Hill cairn before going to Tin Mines (Carter�s Hut) tomorrow; another easy day.

A glorious day on top of Mt Cobberas Number 1

Looking North towards The Main Range on Mt Cobberas Number 1

Mt Cobberas Number 1

Mt Cobberas Number 1

Mt Cobberas Number 1

Mt Cobberas Number 1

Cowombat Flat with The Pilot in the distance.

The mighty Murray River has sign posts to mark the different states.

The track splits in two at Cowombat Flat. The official route is currently to the left; we went to the right.

Wednesday 9th April Day 25

Cowombat Flat to Tin Mines

9am � 1:30pm walking time

A late start as the tent was frozen and the inside was dripping wet with condensation; plus we still knew our clothes were still wet and were in no hurry to go through the agony of putting them on. It turned out the wet clothes were frozen even though they were under the tents vestibule. We put these on last to minimise the pain before departure. We went via Cowombat rather than Snow Gum Fire Trail so we could drop our packs on the bend and visit Forest Hill Cairn and Murray Spring. After a short break at each of these we returned to the packs and continued on. We kept going and arrived at Tin Mines at 1:30pm then had lunch. We have dried everything out, especially the tent and the mildly damp sleeping bags once more. Rohan has been very confused as he is unsure what to do with all of his spare time. It is quite amusing to me since we have covered around 18km for the day, but walking is now fast and easy. We plan to walk out (26km to Dead Horse Gap, 30km to Thredbo) and set up camp in the YHA hostel in Thredbo tomorrow afternoon. I think bacon and eggs etc will be on the menu the next morning. It also looks like rain might once again fall judging by the sky but being in a hut makes us not very worried by this prospect.

Murray Spring; the official source of the Murray River.

Forest Hill cairn � this point and Cape Howe defines the straight line which is part of the NSW/VIC border.

Forest Hill cairn. Notice the heavy fire regrowth.

On the Cowombat Fire Trail heading towards Tin Mines. This is very typical of the track type all the way into Thredbo.

Not long arrived at Tin Mines (inside the Barn) and making a cup of soup.

Tin Mines � Carter�s Hut.

The Barn at Tin Mines

Tin Mines

Drying everything out at Tin Mines

Looking at the Ingeegoodbee River at Tin Mines.

Rohan was very impressed with the view from the drop toilet so he thought he might share it with everyone!

Thursday 10th April Day 26

Tin Mines to Thredbo

7am � 1:30pm walking time

Once again a very cold and draughty night at Tin Mines in �The Barn�. However it was far better than a wet tent when you are aiming for the YHA hostel in Thredbo. W arose around 6am and were on our way at 7am. We set off at a reasonable pace which we were both happy with and arrived at Cascade Hut right on 10am. This was 3 hours for 18km with a pack. Rohan is walking so much better now and can really punch out the hours and kilometres on the run. We came across a horse trap up on Bob�s Ridge that held two juvenile brumbies. They were far from tame and would try to jump and head butt there way through the steel walls of the enclosure when we approached. Further along the track we encountered a Landcruiser and trailer and another set of horse yards. We went and spoke to the contractor about the brumbies and the solution to the feral horse population they are trying to use. They confirmed the aerial surveys conducted have shown the horse numbers are increasing around 81% per annum since aerial shooting was stopped (and now relying on the trapping method alone). The remaining walk into Thredbo was very quick and easy. I absolutely love the last few kilometres along the Thredbo River before Dead Horse Gap. We arrived at the hostel at 1:30 and left the packs and went down to the benches and ate our lunch. At 3pm we checked in and did the shower and clothes clean routine. I seriously felt sick from the smell of our dirty clothes pile in the small room. We ran around in our waterproof pants until everything had finished going through the dryer. We had a shocking meal at the pub (come to think of it I have never had a good meal there) before retiring to the hostel for the evening.

First glimpses of the Main Range

Feral brumbies that fell for the salt lick trapping method

The Main Range taken from Bobs Ridge

The Main Range. Thredbo is further along to the right in the valley between where the photo was taken and the Main Range.

Looking back up the Thredbo River Valley.

Looking down the Thredbo River valley. Dead Horse Gap (and the bitumen) is just past where the where you can see the track to.

Dead Horse Gap � Thredbo is around 5km down the road to the right.

Friday 11th April Day 27

Thredbo rest day

Saturday 12th April Day 28

Thredbo to near Mt Anton

9:45am � 3:15pm walking time

Bacon and eggs for a second day in a row and real coffee. It was raining while we were in preparation to leave the hostel but fortunately it had ceased by the time we left. We started walking straight up to Crackenback Peak directly under the chair lift. We received quite a few shocked looks and comments from the people above. It started raining at the chairlift top so we donned the waterproof pants and jacket and the pushed on across the metal boardwalks. It was like Pitt St in Sydney CBD with people everywhere on a cold and miserable day. At the summit it was horrible with so many people thinking they have actually achieved something difficult rather than a 6.5km walk which climbs only a few hundred metres. As we continued along the Main Range we found they have �upgraded� the track to cover it completely in foreign quarried rock slabs to form a cobblestoned path. It has so many steps in it that is is absolutely awful to walk on. The flat sections are also hard to walk on due to the extremely uneven surface. They will find the track will now form beside the new steps as walkers seek to avoid them; it is only human nature (saving ones knees). We bagged Mount Twynam in the fog with no visibility and then continued on to near the Mt Anton saddle top set up an early camp. The rain stopped but the temperature in very cold. I cooked an early dinner so we can go to bed whenever the temperature dictates it necessary. Tomorrow we will cross The Rolling Grounds and then set up camp in the Schlink Hilton.

View from the YHA hostel balcony looking up at Mt Crackenback.

Slowly getting ready for departure after a days rest in the hostel.

That is where we are going; yes it is pretty bloody steep!

A new cache of food doesn�t help much with the weight aspect either. Not too far to go now.

The look on people�s faces above you on the chairlift is priceless.

The Crackenback Peak chair lift station. All of the hard climbing is over. This is where the day walkers get off the lift and stroll to the summit and back.

Thredbo Village.

The raised metal gangway that heads to the Mt Kosciuszko summit.

The Kosciuszko Trig Station on the summit of Mt Kosciuszko.

Rohan invited a few friends to come along for the day. Seriously how many of the day trippers are dressed is plain madness. It was pretty cold and windy as you can judge by Rohan�s clothes in the following pictures.

Heading off along the Main Range.

Looking easterly from the Main Range.

It is not very warm; we have our windproof pants on as well as the jackets.

Near Mt Anton up above our campsite. The weather cleared for a little while but it was still bitterly cold.

Near Mt Anton up above our campsite.

Near Mt Anton up above our campsite(tent in distance).

Enjoying a cup of soup. We are all set up early so we can be in bed before it really gets cold. I would hate to be up here in winter with the wrong gear.

Rohan took the camera up to the previous spot to capture some of the sunset images. We were pretty well in bed as soon as the sun went down.

Sunday 13th April Day 29

Mt Anton to Schlink Hilton

9am � 2:20pm walking time

A pretty cold night that was followed by some rain and thunder. Shortly after we went through buffeting winds and hail and round 6mm in diameter. It was so loud in the tent we could not hear one another. It was bleak outside and looked like we might be couped up for a while yet. Eventually the storm cleared and we were left with poor visibility and a little more rain on and off. We headed off and felt our way through the area and received an occasional glimpse that helped us greatly in determining the direction of travel. Eventually the weather lifted and the visibility returned fully. It was still pretty cold though as the hail was still on the ground in the early afternoon. We descended to White�s River Hut and I was glad to be off the high ground as I feared more poor weather. There was a group of around 20 school girls setting up camp as well as another group of boys with two adults. We filled in the log before walking on to the Schlink Hilton. Rohan is very impressed with it as well as the fact native fish exist in the nearby stream. I have collected and sawn some wood so we can live in style in the Hilton tonight!

High up and headed for The Rolling Grounds

Getting close to the Consett Stephen Pass

Consett Stephen Pass

Looking south down the Guthega River Valley from the Consett Stephen Pass. The Guthega Power Station and pondage is down the valley.

I am not sure the effort to cart and cut wood is worth it; but it felt very good. We are inside the Schlink Hilton here.

The Schlink Hilton.

Monday 14th April Day 30

Schlink Hilton to Grey Mare (via Kerries, Mawson Hut and Valentine Falls)

10am � 4:30pm walking time

We were rudely interrupted from our sleeping and reading combination this morning by the noise of humans outside at 8:30am. It turned out a couple of blokes from a weed spraying rig stopped to use the toilet. Anyway we were out of bed and dressed shortly after. We cut up to The Kerries and followed the ridge north all of the way before descending to Mawson�s Hut. The hut was one I had not visited before and it was good to see this impressive structure. We had a pleasant lunch here. It is amazing how so many people visit Schlink and Valentines huts but not this one. I suspect the lack of a fully defined path to the door along with poor navigation skills is the reason why. Rohan was very impressed with Valentine Hut and I gather he would have quite happily set up camp here. Instead we continued down past Valentines Falls onto Greymare Mine/Hut. Rohan was not silly enough to have a bath below the falls although he obviously thought about it for a while. Greymare Hut is clean but rat infested ( I could hear them in the ceiling at 4:30pm) so we will be hanging up everything overnight as I really don�t want a new hole eaten into my pack. Tomorrow we plan to go to Mackeys Hut and climb to the summit of Mt Jagungal on the way. Naturally if the weather closes in we will skip the summit. A very dark cloud front has been slowly rolling in here and I will not be surprised if it results in some rain once more. We have cut some wood so we are going to have a fire going for a while on this cold night.

Up on top of The Kerries. What ever you do don�t skip this and walk up the official track up the gravel road.

Slowly walking along to the end of The Kerries. We were heading for Mawson Hut which is down towards the bottom of the valley directly in front.

Apparently Mawson Hut is around here somewhere! It was actually over the over side of the ridge where the camera was pointed.

Beautiful views from the north end of The Kerries. I think we are looking towards the Brassy Mountains here.

Mawson Hut. We have lunch here. A very nice place to visit which is off the beaten path.

We got the feeling a few months before we arrived that the march flies were really bad. The whole page is based around a game scoring system for killing or maiming the march flies.

We are descending the spur beside Valentine Falls here.

We are descending the spur beside Valentine Falls here.

Valentine Falls. Seemed a little cool for a dip today.

Heading along the valley towards Greymare Hut. The hut is in the far distance up near the tree line.

Tuesday 15th April Day 31

Grey Mare to Mackeys Hut

9am � 4:30pm walking time

After a lovely cold night we were once again on our way. We got walking reasonably early and headed off on the Grey Mare Trail. At the base of Mt Jagungal we dropped our packs and climbed to the summit in a southerly direction. It is quite a steep ascent this way but puffing and panting we were there 35 minutes later. I initially started climbing to the wrong outcrop near the summit of the mountain. Once Rohan alerted me to this I saw the concrete cairn and well as other people. It turned out a family of four and one of the boys partners were out on a 5 day walk. So it was a summit with company. The views from the summit are very rewarding as they are totally uninterrupted.� The descent was very easy in comparison to the climb. We moved on to the nearby weather station and ate lunch in the shadow of the building. We pushed on then to Mackeys hut for the evening. Once the sun was close to setting the air cooled down a lot in a very short time frame. The hut has no insulation so you really feel the drop in temperature. The rats were running around the roof and under the floor boards well before dinner so we knew to expect visitors later on in the night (not so nice when you are sleeping on the floor). The next morning I found a rat bite mark in the plastic container in which I store my lighters. If you had packs and food on the floor available to the rats I believe you would have had a big mess indeed. The elevation here is around 1500m which explains the cold nights.

One of the few pencil nudes remaining in Greymare Hut drawn by Rufus Morris in 1954.

Greymare Hut

Greymare Hut. Have a look at the graffiti on the ceiling. It amazes me people travel so far to do such a stupid thing.

The view from Greymare Hut�s doorstep. Mt Jagungal is in the distance.

Greymare Hut. The lump of cast iron is an old fitting from a steam boiler or machine from the mining days of yesteryear. There is a drop toilet over one of the mine shafts here as well as plenty of other relics.

Looking back towards where we walked from and Valentines Falls (not visble).

Steam engine.

On the summit of Mt Jagungal looking over towards Canberra way.

Happy Rohan here! He was coping with the daily walking far better now.

The Jagungal trig point on Mt Jagungal.

Standing back on the Grey Mare Fire Trail looking back up at Mt Jagungal. The summit is not visible from here as it is behind the front knoll.

Grey Mare Fire Trail

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Wednesday 16th April Day 32

Mackeys Hut to Happy�s Hut

10am � 1:10pm walking time

A very cold frosty and foggy morning. Since we only had around 16km of boring upgraded fire trails to walk we enjoyed a sleep in until it was warmer. We had a lazy start once we finally arose and ambled off around 10am. The walking and scenery is pretty much the same as yesterday. When we finally reached Happy Jacks Road we speared off northwards straight to Happys Hut. I did this mainly to cut out the mundane AAWT official marked alternative; sticking to graded fire trails all of the time is very boring indeed. We arrived just after 1pm and promptly discovered it is not a warm day at all. As I am writing this it is 3pm and I have on upper and lower thermals on as well as a beanie. The elevation is still around 1500m; at least it is not snowing or raining! It looks like a very lazy afternoon of reading is the plan for the remainder of the day. We will head to Four Mile Hut tomorrow and pick up the final food drop in Kiandra the day after.

Mackeys Hut.

Mackeys Hut at 10am in the morning.

Grey Mare Fire Tail. Tabletop Mountain is over on the far left. The country is beautiful but the track is so boring. I would do a cross country route next time I visited more like the original 1988 route that leaves Grey Mare Fire Trail at Mackeys Hut and goes to Boobee(burnt 2003 fires), Brooks(burnt) then Happys Huts.

I was feeling very cold this day. I was suffering mild stomach problems as well. Here I am taking it easy in the afternoon on the bunk beds in Happys Hut. They are so uncomfortable that we slept on the floor with Happy the native rat.

Thursday 17th April Day 33

Happy�s Hut to Four Mile Hut

9:05am � 1:05pm walking time

The walk just seems to get easier as it goes along. We left just after 9am and stopped at the base of Tabletop Mountain. After dropping our packs we climbed to the summit and ate our jerky and other snacks and sat around for half and hour enjoying the view. It has a very good view back to Mt Jagungal, The Main Range and also all of the mountains around Canberra that I could not identify. Mt Selwyn on the other hand was very easy to identify due to the ski slopes and communication towers. We back tracked and retrieved our packs before following the track along past the Nine Mile diggings. Rohan was very impressed by the amount of dirt that had been sluiced away in the search for gold long ago. We ran into an older couple from Wagga Wagga heading out for three odd days from Mount Selwyn. They were heading for the new and rebuilt Broken Dam Hut and then onto Happys Hut the following day. We spoke to them for around 10 minutes. We followed the Four Mile Creek from where it crossed Tabletop Mountain Fire trail directly down to the hut. The extent of water races and alluvial mining in or near this creek bed is amazing. We settled in at Four Mile Hut for lunch and a relaxing afternoon without walking anywhere. Tomorrow we go into Kiandra and pick up our last food drop and make use of the public phone; I hope it is working. Interestingly two other parties have already been through here today before our arrival. The other interesting news concerns Happy�s Hut. Apparently the native rat is still alive and well. Rohan stated it came right up to his head (whilst Rohan was in his sleeping bag on the floor) twice as well as scampering around trying to find our food stash; I had slept right through it. Also this morning was very cold with the valley covered in a frost so I decided to make use of the huts plastic buckets/plastic tub and have a clothes and personal wash. It was basically because I couldn�t stand my odour any longer. Anyway to cut a long story short it was cold; when I tipped the second bucket of water over my head to rinse off it hurt a lot. My head actually stung for around a minute with a massive brain freeze. Rohan went through the same procedure afterwards; I was chuckling when he was rinsing off. But we were both glad we had a wash day. The wet clothes were put straight back on and were nearly totally dry by Tabletop Mountain.

A lovely morning complete with frost and there I am having a wash in the creek.

Up on the Tabletop Mountain Fire Trail and heading for Tabletop Mountain straight ahead.

On the summit of Tabletop Mountain. It gives surprisingly good and definitely worthwhile views. It is actually 1784m high. Mt Jagungal is in the distance.

Mt Jagungal in the distance.

Looking all clean after our wash that morning.

Nine Mile diggings, evidence of the sluice mining of yesteryear.

Four Mile Creek upstream of the Four Mile Hut. The whole creek bed has been dug up and moved into rock heaps in the search for alluvial gold.

Four Mile Creek.

Inside Four Mile Hut relaxing for the afternoon. Rohan is reading through the hut log book. It is not a really big hut; I took this photo from where I am sitting in the next photo.

Four Mile Hut is clad in old Kerosene Tins. I was lucky with the weather as my socks managed to dry fully (hanging on the end of the hut).

Looking upstream along Four Mile Creek at the hut.

Friday 18th April Day 34

Four Mile Hut to Witses Hut

9:30am � 3:30pm walking time

Another cold night and a very foggy morning. The �ultimate 500� in the hut is amazing; keeps a low amount of heat overnight quite easily; very comfortable indeed. We are really toughing it out at the moment � NOT! We once again had a lazy start to the day; this means a slow and easy start. I wonder if it is the lack of coffee or what? We strode into Pollock�s Gully and retrieved the food drop containers from its location (all safe and undisturbed) and made our way to the road patrol/toilet/phone box area further on near the junction of the road to Khancoban. It was like Pitt St once more with people stopping and going and vehicles zipping past all of the time. Seeing so many people and cars after isolation seems to confuse ones brain. We had a hot chocolate and lunch while we unpacked the food drop, sorted it out and repacked our packs. We made full advantage of the phone as well. Rohan left a message to Rachel. I found out Janine had stepped out from work for a few minutes; so I said I will call back in 10 minutes. When I called back she answered the phone. It was very good to talk once again. I couldn�t contact our parents (on a bicycle trip from Geelong to Brisbane via the coast) so I left a message on there respective phones. Now we have six dinners left (will eat one of these tonight) so we are not far from finishing the AAWT. After leaving Kiandra we promptly walked straight back into feral horse problem country. Once again mountains of brumby poo and tracks everywhere. Obviously the population is out of control and needs to be reduced the old fashioned way. These are the first major horse marks we have seen since leaving Thredbo. We picked up water for the evening at Tantangerra Creek just over 1km short of Witses Hut as I remember the water at the hut being sluggish and not particularly desirable. The hut was a real mess and the graffiti on the wallpaper made from newspapers over 100 years old in places is disturbing. Rohan is bored with this country already and requested a long day tomorrow so I will give it to him. I plan to go through to the Blue Waterholes (around 38km); although it is pretty easy walking. Tomorrow will decide what actually happens.

On the trail about 5km short of Pollock�s Gully

Looking back up Pollock�s Gully. We descended down the fire trail on the upper far left in this picture.

There is old mining activity and water races evident through this area of Pollock�s Gully.

After retrieving our last food drop intact we carried it to the old Court House where the phone and bin are. I recently read the phone has since been removed; good on you Telstra. We had a cuppa here while we slowly packed all of the food into the backpacks.

Getting hairy! We are on the Nungar Creek Fire Trail here.

The Great Dividing Range is up ahead. It is so small here that it hardly made us puff. It is the last time we cross or traverse the Great Dividing Range on the AAWT.

The Great Dividing Range hardly rates a mention. Rohan is showing you how big it is here.

Witses Hut and the graffiti.

Witses Hut.

Saturday 19th April Day 35

Witses Hut to Blue Waterholes

7:30am � 3:30pm walking time

It was a very bright night due to the moonlight beaming down and streaming in through the windows in Witses Hut. We were both awake early for a change but hesitant to get up as we were not sure if it was moonlight or the first light of dawn outside; eventually we decided it was the latter. The evening was coolish but at least there was no wet tent to contend with (from condensation). The walking was nearly the boring same up to the Murrumbidgee. We cut across the valley where the track keeps to the higher ground and saved the best part of 1km of track walking. We walked straight across the Murrumbidgee River and only got a negligible amount of water in our boots. To my disbelief (and disgust) NPWS has bulldozed a new fire trail from the Murrumbidgee all the way to Port Phillip Fire Trail via Millers Hut. The only part of the AAWT in NSW that was across country navigation bash now has its own fire trail. So this means the AAWT now runs officially on a fire trail, road or elevated walkway for the whole distance of the NSW section; how mind numbingly boring. Anyway once again the new trail followed high ground, but when walking cutting across valleys saves time and distance. I get the feeling Millers Hut will get more traffic now as well as it was not the easiest to find when heading northwards previously. We stopped for lunch at Hainsworth Hut (appropriately dubbed Poo Hut in the log book). Once again it had human faeces and toilet paper all around it as it still doesn�t merit a drop toilet even though the log books shows it has a large number of annual visitors. We then strode along to Blue Waterhole Saddle, across Coolemon Plain and onto Blue Waterholes (Coolemon Caves). We camped down near the gorge on the flat with the trees and the horse poo. Unfortunately it is a Saturday so there are people everywhere. We will explore the gorge and the main caves before heading off tomorrow. I will encourage Rohan to go out and visit the homestead as well. I am not sure where we will get to tomorrow but will most likely manage to climb Bimberri Peak and then camp down at Murray Gap or near Cotter Hut. It is cooling down quickly as the sun sets so it looks like another cold night is on the menu.

Approaching the Murrumbidgee River.

The not so mighty Murrumbidgee River. Note the new graded trail ascending the ridge on the other side of the river.

The new trail makes this board pretty redundant now. If you just follow the trail it leads you to Millers Hut and then Port Phillip Trail.

We nearly kept the feet and boots totally dry during the quick dash across crossing method.

Sunday 20th April Day 36

Blue Waterholes to Cotter Hut

9:40am � 5:50pm walking time

Rohan set off to Coolamine Homestead around 7:20am after I suggested he couldn�t afford to miss the opportunity. I read a few more chapters then got up and had breakfast before slowly packing up the camping equipment. It was interesting to see the kookaburras again flying around; last night we watched one fish out two yabbies in a row, which in turn were crunched until they were dead and then swallowed whole. Rohan got back and we had a coffee, finished packing up and then headed off to the start of Nicole Gorge. After dropping the packs we ambled along to Murray Cave and then traversed it to the siphon at the end; it was much lower than it had been last time. We then retraced our steps and picked up our packs then headed away from the Blue Waterholes. We stopped for lunch at Oldfields Hut and two rangers turned up while we were there. We chatted about general NPWS issues for quite a while. We moved onto Murray Gap before dropping the packs once more before heading up to Bimberri Peak. This time I managed to see the Telecom Tower on Black Mountain, Mt Jagungal, Tabletop Mountain, Booroomba Rocks and Mt Tennant(near the final destination). After returning to Murray Gap we pushed on and ended up stopping at Cotter Hut. It was after the sun had disappeared and I was putting up the tent while darkness was encroaching upon everything. It looks like another very cold night as we can clearly see the condensation of our breaths before 7pm. There is another camper here named Ed here as well; he came here from Oldfield�s Hut today.

Coolamine Homestead.

Coolamine Homestead.

Blue Waterholes

Stunning gorges and scenery at Blue Waterholes

Our campsite on a bend in the river at Blue Waterholes

We had to traverse this rock crossing to get to the campsite. Lots of the tourists get wet feet here due to poor balance.

Blue Waterholes

You can make out the ripples on the water surface from the upwelling of the water.

And the water disappears totally just a few metres upstream from the last photo.

And a little further upstream the creek bed then becomes and stays totally dry.

The siphon at the end of Murray Cave.

Inside Murray Cave near the entrance.

Inside Murray Cave looking out of the cave entrance.

Heading along the Blue Waterholes Fire Trail; we are getting close to the ACT border.

Murrays Gap and ACT. You head cross country from here to climb Bimberi Peak (highest mountain in ACT).

Bimberi Peak has worthwhile views. You can see Mt Jagungal (slightly left of centre) and Mt Tabletop (second peak from right edge of picture) clearly from here in the distance.

Looking over Corin Dam; Canberra�s water supply.

Looking south at Mt Murray. Murray Gap is directly between where we stand and Mt Murray.

A year after we have finished Rohan still has a beard. I don�t think he misses shaving much.

It is quite a big monument on top of Bimberi Peak. It is obviously well frequented even though a fair walk is needed to ascend it from any direction.

Looking easterly over Cotter Valley. Cotter Hut is down there somewhere,

Monday 21st April Day 37

Cotter Hut to Honeysuckle Creek

8:40am � 1:15pm walking time

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The day is nearly over and we only have around 17km to go tomorrow until we reach the Tharwa Visitors Centre; and the end of the AAWT. Once again I experience the mixed emotions of being nearly finished. We could have pushed on and finished this afternoon but had no desire to be on the outskirts of Canberra late in the afternoon. This way we will be there before lunch tomorrow. Memories of today are the masses of kangaroos in Orroral Valley and the climb to Tower Rocks. I found the kangaroos good to see purely because the only animal I have seen en mass till today was the feral brumbies. The climb to Tower Rocks had Rohan and I panting like the good old days in Victoria at the start of the walk; it has some steep sections in it back there. We arrived at Honeysuckle Creek campground at had our lunch before slowly laying out all of our gear. Since there was water available we broke out the soap and had a wash. I washed my shirt, pants and jocks as well. This way we should not be so on the nose to other people tomorrow as we make our way into the CBD. I am still looking for a hot shower and putting all of the clothes through the washer and dryer though. There are a few other campers around here at the moment. It is good way to break back into the noise of civilisation slowly before the big shock of tomorrow.

Looking back at Bimberi Peak as we leave the Cotter River. Cotter Hut is to the left.

Looking northwards up the Cotter River towards Corin Dam.

Cotter Gap (between Cotter Valley and Orroral Valley)

There are some very big rocks at Cotter Gap.

Orroral Valley and finally some kangaroos (and no feral horses).

Tuesday 22nd April Day 38

Honeysuckle Creek to Tharwa

6:540am � 10:10am walking time

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We had an interesting night with the company of two army buddies and there children at a nearby campsite. They were even gracious enough to spare a little of there red wine for us (unfortunately it tasted bloody awful from a metal mug). We got up and going pretty early as we were both eager to be on our way towards the finish of the walk and civilisation. The last day of walking is pretty boring upon a well defined track that has way to many steps on it. It has been diverted and wanders a different path which is full of painful zigzags and hundreds of steps. If I was to do this section again I would cut directly from the northern most point on the slopes of Mt Tenant directly down one of the spurs and then cut across the farmland to the Tharwa Visitors Centre to avoid the track; it is that painful. When we arrived at the Visitors centre we received a warm welcome from Lisa McIntosh (ACT Environment & Recreation) as well as a couple of coffees each out of there coffee machine. Lisa has a lot to do with the AAWT and has a lot of interest and knowledge on the sections. We managed to score a lift to the outer suburbs and were dropped off at the bus stop near a large shopping centre. We were on the bus for nearly 30 minutes going down every little side street in the suburbs before the bus arrived back at the same stop where we got on (but now it was very full). Rohan was assaulted verbally by this old battleaxe who I presume was a member of some party who believes all people that commit public transport infractions be lynched. We had both committed selfish sin of having our backpacks beside ourselves and out of the aisle where we could stop them rolling/toppling over. She gave Rohan a good work over by starting with the phrase �do you speak English�. I gave here such a dirty look while I was laughing at her; she chose not to pick on me as well. The funny thing was that we were taking up 1 and a half seats each, but the only lady silly enough to sit beside me quickly vacated due to my aroma. If the old lady decided to pick on me I was going to sit right beside her so she could enjoy it personally. Rohan found it necessary to get off at the Woden exchange due to the coffee filling his bladder; he assured me 10 more minutes was in fact to long to wait. We caught an express bus shortly after and got off in the CBD. Rohan had abandoned earlier intentions to jump straight on the Wodonga bound bus and sit for 4 more hours after he figured out how much we stank. We had been getting funny looks and people generally moved away from us on the bus trips to the CBD. We checked into the YHA hostel and went shopping for soap and disinfectant solution before returning to wash all of the clothes and indulge in a shower. We had a relatively easy night with a few drinks and some Italian food before retiring for the night. We had purchased tickets for the bus to Wodonga for the following day as well.

Looking up at Mt Tennant. Tharwa Visitors centre and the end of the AAWT is on the other side.

The track heading towards Mt Tennant.

Just short of Mt Tennant

Just short of Mt Tennant

On the northern end of Mt Tennant. You can just make out the Telecom Tower on Black Mountain (o the left of centre)

Clearer view of Telecom tower on Black Mountain

Just about to cross the road and finish the AAWT

A map showing the new unimproved alignment of the AAWT in blue.

Tharwa Visitor�s Centre.

The last (or first) post and marker on the AAWT

I think Rohan was glad to have been finished.

All finished!

Back at Albury.