Just a few notes on 4WD trips during the first half of 2004 in which I participated. The purpose was to look for another project for the Idlers 4WD Club, to follow on from the success of the Marthavale Hut rebuild, plus to assist the Victorian High Country Huts Association (VHCHA) with their Hut assessments.

An Idlers 4Wd Club Trip in early February 2004 went past a few Huts so some small detours/stops were in order.

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Tomahawk Hut is looking a little sad. 

A great log hut with high sloping corrugated iron roof in a beautiful location. Fireplace/chimney needs a rebuild, some replacing of the roof iron, plus a new door.

Further along this track there are another two huts.
Obviously someone is looking after Refuge (No 3 Track) Hut, as it is magnificent condition.  Unfortunately the same could not be said for Bus Hut further down the road. The most notable problem was the collapsed fireplace/chimney. Visitors have thoughtlessly continued to light fires in the fireplace and as a consequence the internal studs and weatherboards around the fireplace have become seriously burnt.

A "hut trip" organised a trip for the 19^th April that was to take in a number of huts. We left Healesville around 8:00am and travelled via Mansfield, Cambarville, into Big River Country near Stockmans Reward. The first hut was to be a Refuge Hut near Gum Top Creek. Well after some bridge rebuilding we stopped at the GPS location and searched the bush to find, just to the east of the track, sheets of corrugated iron, remains of a bed, and broken bits of crockery. Disappointing, but at least we located the hut site.

The next hut was the Mt Duffy Refuge Hut, which was just up the hill at the end of the 4WD track we were already on. Suffice to say that the track became just a tad too steep and rough. After a bit of a delay on the hillside we backtracked eventually reaching Mt Duffy the long way via forest roads after giving up on another overgrown track. Unfortunately, like the first hut, all we could find at the GPS location was a number of sheets of corrugated iron, plus evidence of the remains of the fireplace. Large trees growing in what must have been the main part of the hut suggest that this hut must have been destroyed long ago. 

Undaunted we pressed on to Fifteen Mile Hut, listed by VHCHA as on "Fifteen Mile Road, near Taponga River". Relief as the hut is there, though a little south of the position on the map. Sadly the hut is in poor condition. Construction is from pre made wooden panels placed on the ground and nailed together. A corrugated iron roof has then been placed on top of the panels. The whole structure is in the process of falling down under the weight of the roof. Due to the techniques of construction probably a complete rebuild would be required with the hut being lifted off the ground.

Wilson Creek Hut near Lake Eildon was then next hut. After a long easy great drive we arrived at Lake Eildon’s Jerusalem Inlet. VHCHA listed the hut as "Near Taylors Creek TK, Lake Eildon NP". Now the map shows Taylors Creek Track starts at the tip of Jerusalem Inlet heads east to Wilson Creek track then a number of kilometres south east to Wombat track, which also may be an end point of Wilson Creek. Taylors Creek Track then continues on for many kilometres to the east/south east. We drove along Taylors Creek Track, which follows a ridge with very steep drops on either side. We stopped and looked for any signs of a hut at numerous points, particularly where the map indicated that Wilson Creek might be near the track. We did the same with both Wilsons and Wombat track, plus the peninsula between Wilson and Jerusalem Inlets but could find no evidence of a likely hut site or track. After a couple of hours with darkness descending we headed for home arriving back at Healesville at 7:00pm.

We didn't give up and after many phone calls we got the tip from a local ranger. So on the 13^th May, whilst doing a Track survey for in the same area for Four Wheel Drive Victoria, we made a slight diversion and again headed down Wilson Track towards the Lake. Stopping on the hill just before the steep descent to the lake, we hopped out and looked around and found a track that winds its way down the hill between the trees. This track is short though a bit steep, and stops next to some fencing surrounding old mine shafts.

 To get to the hut was pretty much a straight walk down the hill towards the east. The 500m walk is steep, bit of bush bashing involved and quite slippery even though it was a fine dry day. The hand-dug shafts you pass as you go down are fascinating, and they appear to be bottomless. Eventually you are in a gully and there to the east you can sight the Hut through the trees. As you approach the Hut you come across a number of relics from the mining days and then there is this wooden structure that houses the gold stamper/battery. The gold stamp/battery is interesting in that the uprights are forked "trees" sunk into the ground to get them level then other "trees" placed across and tied down with 8 or 10 gauge wire with the corrugated iron nailed on top. Still more bits of mining stuff laying around and the hut is now just a little further on up the hill, about 20 metres away.

The Hut is somewhat cut into the hill. Made from rounded poles with the outside metal sheeting nailed to the poles. Some timber used to cover from the roofline to the metal walls. Corrugated iron roof with guttering. Fireplace has been covered internally with concrete reinforcing so it cannot be used. Internally there is some graffiti on the round wooden beams, a bathtub, bunks, and an information board relating some of the history of the area.

Obviously Parks Victoria must be looking after the hut and the surrounding area (fences around some of the mineshafts). They claim, on the information board, that the hut dates back to 1930, and the gold claim for the area was filed in 1871, worked for a few years then closed. Reopened in the 1930’s and again worked for a few years. The mineshafts are now home to 3 species of bats, which are listed as endangered.  Overall the hut and the wooden gold stamp/battery are in very good condition.

The next trip was on the 27^th of May again starting at 8:00am at Healesville. Overall it was another 250K drive from Healesville to Healesville that took around 11 hours with some good but somewhat easy 4WDing. The trip was highlighted not only by some huts but a light dusting of snow which just made the bush like a wonderland in a few areas. Great day, but bloody cold.

This time after Cambarville we headed to Matlock then drove along Frenchmans Spur Track to check out the Refuge Hut that is marked on the map. Well, can report that there was a hut at that location once but sadly now there are only a few bits of metal, beer bottles, and stones that were used in its construction.

However we kept at it as we had been told there was a hut around here somewhere. After some backtracking and searching we turned onto a small track and followed it for about 120m into the bush to a hut. This must be what is known as Frenchmans Spur Hut and it is in fair condition, obviously used by Deer Hunters who have done some minimal maintenance. Short wooden planks used for wall covering, corrugated iron roof with aluminium guttering. Internally there are a couple of old large "Jason recliners", a couch, bunks, a bar, a sink fed with water from the tank, plus a 44-gallon drum serving as a fireplace.

As it was really cold we headed off to the Mt Matlock Fire Tower Hut. Sadly all that remains of the Refuge Hut is the shower base though the dugout is still there, albeit collapsing.

Pressing on we eventually drove along Ryan Spur Track when there virtually in the middle of the road was a hut. Ryan Spur Hut is in good condition. It is a single room hut, bunks at one end, sink and bench at the other. Outside of vertical timber planks, no internal lining. Some floorboards need replacing. Roof corrugated iron with no guttering. The hut is set on some rather large logs lying on the ground, which may suggest it was a timber cutter’s hut.

We were running out of time with the weather closing and it was a long drive to Mt Terrible Hut at the Firetower. Arriving at the hut you are just struck by the great character of the hut. A number of Idlers did a clean up in early December when on a day trip from our Xmas camp and pleasingly six months later there was very little rubbish lying around.

A weatherboard hut lined internally with Masonite covered with graffiti. It has a bench with sink, but an empty water tank due to a broken downpipe. Second room, metal cladding with concrete floor, has been added on to serve as a "shower room" using solar bags. Corrugated iron strung between veranda posts possibly to provide some protection from the weather for firewood, animals, or motorbikes. Some of the corrugated iron over the veranda would need replacing, plus a bit of guttering and downpipe, as well as a couple of sheets of Masonite, and a good paint job overall. Fireplace may need a little work/clean-up, as does the stone work on the porch.

An expression of interest has been submitted to the VHCHA on behalf of the Idlers 4WD Club to work on both Tomahawk and Mt Terrible Huts subject to supply of materials (VHCHA or DSE) and in the case of Mt Terrible delivery of the materials to the site.

At we are more hopeful with respect to Tomahawk Hut, and plan to do a detailed assessment/material list in late October/early November for submission to the VHCHA for approval so work could commence around February/March 2005.

Maps & Waypoints.

OziExplorer files for download…..

 

Overview:-             Auslig/Natmap 1:250,000    Warburton map   SJ 5506
Detailed Maps:- VICMAP 1:25,000/1:50,000
Baker Creek	8122-43		Hut Waypoints.         Datum:- WGS 84,   all zone 55H
Big River	8122-44		Tomahawk	447512     5900292
Eildon	8023-12		Refuge (No3 Track)	448035     5897842
Enoch Point	8123-33		Bus	450125     5894910
Gaffneys Creek	8123-32		Refuge (Gum Top Creek)	413000     5847900
Juliet North	8022-4N		Mt Duffy Refuge	414999     5850791
Juliet South	8022-4S		Fifteen Mile	412060     5854188
Lake Mountain	8022-11		Wilson Creek (turn off)	409358     5874258
Matlock	8122-41		Wilson Creek (car park)	409505     5874405
Mount Gregory	8122-42		Wilson Creek	409697     5874379
Rocky Peak	8122-43		Refuge (Frenchmans Spur Track)	422341     5839575
Royston	8023-22		Frenchmans Spur	424074     5837845
Rubicon	8023-24		Mt Matlock Fire Tower	428430     5840873
Steavenson	8022-14		Ryan Spur	424040     5849140
Taggerty	8023-31		Mt Terrible	423790     5860784
Taggerty South	8023-35
Torbeck	8023-21

For more information on High Country Huts check out the Kosciusko Huts Association website where there is a great section on Victorian Huts.

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