Buster Howqua Hills Area
24021km / 50km
After a stroll around exploring the Burnt Bridge campsite which was much bigger than we thought (we feel we had the best spot especially with good river access). We took out the recovery gear and tried out the winch for the first time. All went well, albeit under very flat and easy conditions.
Then we drove along the Eildon Jamieson road- good with bitumen all the way.Gorgeous lookouts of the Eildon reservoir area. We stopped in Jamieson for some milk and bread.
Then drove up through Howqua to Running Creek camp. Fantastic spot. There are 4 camps that are separated by the river with shallow crossings. Not surprisingly there are a few people here. More in camp 1 as you don’t have to cross the river even though it is quite shallow.We found our spot in camp 2 with terrific river access with a rocky beach and shallow but also a deep pool to swim in. We gathered some smaller bits of wood for the fire. We enjoyed a refreshing dip. Later in the afternoon we followed the track for a 40 min return walk to camp 4. Had another dip in the river before having dinner which consisted of lamb leftovers with fried rice. We had a pleasant evening in front of a nice fire. The next morning we slepted in until 8! We went for an explore across the river (by foot) to camp 3 - a nice spot with grass campsites but not as good river access. Returned then went across river (again by foot) to camp 1. It was getting quite busy being a Thursday and with lovely weather over the approaching weekend. A few big 4 x4 groups. From here there is a walking track all the way to Sheepyard Flat. You can also drive there from here via 4x4 tracks- Steiners Road and Howqua Hills Track.
Back at camp, Mark washed the solar panels. It was a hot day, so the afternoon consisted of a few dips in the river and a stroll through camp.
Cooked green chicken curry for dinner. Used the outdoor shower for a quick wash before settling in Buster for the night.
Day 5. Friday 22nd November
Travelled 117km to Upper Howqua campsite via Craigs Hut
It was time to go and do some more exploring but we promised ourselves to come back to Running Creek camp in the near future.
Today we were going to Craigs Hut near Mount Buller but first we needed to go to Mansfield to get a few more supplies. Of course we couldn’t go past the bakery for breakfast.
Then headed out again along the Mansfield Mt.Buller Road and turned off at Mt Stirling Road. This turned into the Circuit Road (classified as a 2nd track) and which, as the name suggests, does a circuit around the Mt. Stirling Alpine Resort. It was a beautiful drive through alpine forests. We turned off and took the Clear Hills 4x4 track to Craigs Hut that offered spectacular views across the Howqua Valley and mountains. The hut has an interesting history, becoming famous for its part in the Man from Snowy River movies (1985/87). It was rebuilt after having been burnt down in the fires of 2006. After enjoying the views we descended back to Circuit Road and continued on until we reached Bindaree Road. 5 km further we stopped to do the short walk (200m) to the charming falls. It was well worth the stop. Another 5 km saw us reach the Upper Howqua camp ground which offered a couple of designated fire pits and picnic tables. We were amazed that Starlink managed to get a signal in amongst the trees, but it did drop out due to obstructions it was still good enough to watch some YouTube and get the Facebook post up.There were a few cars parked here as there is a hike up to Mt Howitt that is on the Great Alpine Walk. We weren’t as energetic and just had a stroll along the road.
The weather continues to be quite warm. Tonight’s dinner was chicken burritos. Here is our trip today in Bluey highlight.
It was the most quietest night, no night noises at all and dark as there was no moon.. making it kind of eerie.
We set off after our coffee and drove a short distance to the Bindaree hut. There were a few campers here.
We then took the 4wd Bluff Link Track (23km/2 hours), graded as easy, we were fairly confident that Buster would not have any trouble tackling this track. At the other end is Brocks Road which comes down to the Howqua Hills historic area, better known as Sheepyard Flat. Which we know well as we have camped here many times before. The section of road up to the intersections of Bluff Track and 16Mike Jeep Track was the roughest. From there it was really a 2wd road which we were happy with. Along the way we had some terrific views of the Bluff. We stopped at Refrigerator Gap for breakfast. There used to be a logging settlement here and it got its name from it getting pretty cold up here as it’s around 1200m alt.Once we were on Brocks Road we encountered many 4wds heading out for an explore. We looked at a couple of camps and managed to get a terrific spot at Pickerings down the very end that had a perfect plunge pool in the river on a hot day. Walking track and hut here too. It’s busy as it’s a Saturday. We enjoyed Steak tonight cooked just perfect on the camp fire.Unfortunately the weather has turned and heavy rain is predicted today, so we decided to head home (only a day early). We did a detour up to MtBuller. It’s been 20 years since we last came up here and that was during winter… lots has changed.
Then a quick stop at the dump point in Mansfield. That was the end of this adventure.
