Eastern Alps Region - Vic Alpine National Park Track Closure's Reopening?

[Grant209]

Morning all,

Mostly directed to any Victorian Members who might have some News from 4wd Club who assist with Vic 4WD Club & DSE Activities.

I'm after information on Eastern Alps Region of the Alpine National Park Track Closures . . .

Been planning a 4WD Trip down to Victorian's Eastern Alps Region of Vic Alpine National Park in the New Year, looking at taking in Mackillop Bridge, Ingeegoodbee Track, MacFarlanes Flat Track, Davies Plain Track through to Tom Groggin station.

On the DSE Website, a large portion of the 4WD Tracks in Eastern Alps Region are currently closed due to Bushfire Damage from the 2019 Bushfires.

Have sent an email, and tried Ringing DSE Offices in the area, but haven't heard back from anyone as yet, so just wondering if anyone in the group has heard any News on when this Region might be reopened?

Grant

[mudski]

Get the Vic Traffic app. Tells you all road closures in Vic, Including tracks.

[PeeBee]

Just tried ringing DSE in Erica to enquire about a specific track, all offices are closed until further notice, rang the option '0' and spoke with a guy in Melb, tedious, but he eventually found the info I was looking for, so hats off to him. I asked about why offices are closed , 'no idea'. Hope the app is accurate and up to date.

[Grant209]

Get the Vic Traffic app. Tells you all road closures in Vic, Including tracks.

Really . . . . how cool is that

[PeeBee]

Get the Vic Traffic app. Tells you all road closures in Vic, Including tracks.

Maybe I am doing something wrong, you say track closures? Pls look up Fulton creek track , and trig track north of Walhalla and tell me what you find - i cant get a listing on the Vic traffic app?

[MB]

Top right corner of their web page Philstar...master keys purchase open year round application mate!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2020/11/80.jpg
Total Rip-off though, they haven’t worked since the early 90’s very naughty silly bugger days :-(


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[PeeBee]

Top right corner of their web page Philstar...master keys purchase open year round application mate!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2020/11/80.jpg
Total Rip-off though, they haven’t worked since the early 90’s very naughty silly bugger days :-(


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, and the vibration and motion activated cameras are there to catch the rascals, images straight to the satellite and in your mailbox before you get home - thats the modern world for you.

[MB]

Quite disgusting you can’t seem to get any huuman phone answers before departure I must say old mate!
Try ringing nearest pub maybe?



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[Winnie]

Maybe I am doing something wrong, you say track closures? Pls look up Fulton creek track , and trig track north of Walhalla and tell me what you find - i cant get a listing on the Vic traffic app?What was the answer on trig track? I thought it was still closed from when those young people were killed there, would love to do that track again though.

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[PeeBee]

Chris it is closed, appears unfortunately at the normal seasonal gate that intersects with CMF track. I was hoping they closed it on the east side of the river to preserve access to the brilliant waterhole campsite, but no, typical DSE, they do the lazy and dumb thing and block it off at the same spot where yahoos rip the gate out of the ground every season.

[PeeBee]

Chris it is closed, appears unfortunately at the normal seasonal gate that intersects with CMF track. I was hoping they closed it on the east side of the river to preserve access to the brilliant waterhole campsite, but no, typical DSE, they do the lazy and dumb thing and block it off at the same spot where yahoos rip the gate out of the ground every season.

[Grant209]

I had a little more luck.

Ended up getting a Text Message from one ranger saying Davies Plain Track through to Tom Groggin station should open early December.

Ingeegoodbee Track and MacFarlanes Flat Track will remain closed well into 2021 due to unsafe track conditions.

A couple of YouTube Video's from 2018 and 2017 I came across, did show Ingeegoodbee and MacFarlanes Flat Track in very well used condition . . . so not really unexpected that they ill be closed for some time, but Happy with that . . . can't plan a drive through NSW National Parks like you can in Victoria, so am looking forward to this trip.

[PeeBee]

Update on trig Track in east gippsland. DSE have now bulldozed the track closed at the seasonal gate where it intersects with CMF track, and have a hug pile of bolders ready to move into position on the wester side of trig track where it is accessed off the walhalla/matlock road. the track that is still currently open is in pristine condition, but not for long. The brilliant waterhole to the east of CMF tk is now only accessible by foot - huge dirt bern and massive trees push up behind the locked gates and an extended length fence is installed to stop anyone getting past it - could have been handled differently i believe.82637 Plus a sign left by a concerned camper at the campsite on the river we stayed at - hits the spot if rather crudely. campsite was spotless when i arrived and upon leaving.82638

[Grant209]

Well my Vic High Country Trip has been Canned due to Vic Boarder Closures around the North Sydney COVID out brake.

It sucks, but maybe later in the year in Feb, March, April or May, I might look at making a Mini Holiday Run down doing 4 to 5 Day Trip into the North West Vic High Country.

In the mean time, My January Annual Leave looks like I'll be spending a couple days heading up to My Father's place at Mungindi on the NSW/Qld Boarder, first heading up to Port and then heading West exploring the back tracks from Kempsey alongside the Macleay River to Armadale, and then across to my Father's at Mungindi.

[NissanGQ4.2]

Update on trig Track in east gippsland. DSE have now bulldozed the track closed at the seasonal gate where it intersects with CMF track, and have a hug pile of bolders ready to move into position on the wester side of trig track where it is accessed off the walhalla/matlock road. the track that is still currently open is in pristine condition, but not for long. The brilliant waterhole to the east of CMF tk is now only accessible by foot - huge dirt bern and massive trees push up behind the locked gates and an extended length fence is installed to stop anyone getting past it - could have been handled differently i believe.

Starting 2 look / sound more and more like the Blue Mountains, we haven't lost it all yet, we still have state forest 2 drive in but pretty sure all the National Parks are looked, beside a couple of dirt tracks a 2wd could access :(

[Grant209]

Starting 2 look / sound more and more like the Blue Mountains, we haven't lost it all yet, we still have state forest 2 drive in but pretty sure all the National Parks are looked, beside a couple of dirt tracks a 2wd could access :(

NissanGQ,

Mate, I don't think Vic Parks are anywhere near as anal as our NSWNP's, many of the tracks I was looking at would be closed if they were in NSW National Parks.

Was talking to one of the Vic NP Rangers back early December 20, he was saying many of the Dry Season 4WD Tracks in the North West High Country that are still closed, are still closed due to last seasons Bush Fire Damage.

There was one track I was interested in doing that runs near the Vic/NSW Boarder that looked interesting on a YouTube Video dated 2016, DSE consider it too dangerous for inexperience 4WD'ers to negotiate and it is still closed to about March, when it is eye marked for refurbishment . . . our NSW NP's would just gate it and forget about it.

I remember talking to a Vic Parks ranger many years ago who was saying they Loved Vic 4WD Club participation, as the Vic 4WD Clubs provided their time and labour to report back on and keep tracks open, a task DSE couldn't do without 4WD Club assistance.

But yea . . . . I usually don't bother with NSW National Parks, I'm not into driving 10klm on a 2wd dirt driveway as you say, park and walk another 10min to a Nepean River Lookout, only to then drive back to the Highway. Katoomb's Three Sisters I've see once, and the bus loads of tourist and hippies don't interest me, I like to drive from Point A to Point B, C, D and E . . . and come out 30 . . . 50klm from where I started from on a different highway . . . not too many NSW National Parks Tracks you can do that with any more.

[happygu]

[QUOTE=Grant209;812890]I had a little more luck.

Ended up getting a Text Message from one ranger saying Davies Plain Track through to Tom Groggin station should open early December.

Ingeegoodbee Track and MacFarlanes Flat Track will remain closed well into 2021 due to unsafe track conditions.

A couple of YouTube Video's from 2018 and 2017 I came across, did show Ingeegoodbee and MacFarlanes Flat Track in very well used condition . . . so not really unexpected that they ill be closed for some time, but Happy with that . . . can't plan a drive through NSW National Parks like you can in Victoria, so am looking forward to this trip.[/QUOTE




I went for a run through MacFarlanes Flat and Ingeegoodbee Tracks a couple of Years Back, and the scenery is awesome, not too many people about.
They have taken out the really steep stuff on Ingeegoodbee ( from 20 odd years ago ) and made it all switchback to tame it all back a bit, so I think once it reopens you would have no trouble at all even if the dozer hasn't been through for a while. We cruised through easily.

The floods and the river have changed my favorite little camp spot at the last river crossing at the Snowy River end on the Ingeegoodbee, so there is now not much flat area, and it is only good for rooftop tents ... but who knows - it might be different again now after the fires.

Hope you get to go at some stage as it is well worth it.

[Grant209]

I went for a run through MacFarlanes Flat and Ingeegoodbee Tracks a couple of Years Back, and the scenery is awesome, not too many people about.
They have taken out the really steep stuff on Ingeegoodbee ( from 20 odd years ago ) and made it all switchback to tame it all back a bit, so I think once it reopens you would have no trouble at all even if the dozer hasn't been through for a while. We cruised through easily.

The floods and the river have changed my favorite little camp spot at the last river crossing at the Snowy River end, so there is now not much flat area, and it is only good for rooftop tents ... but who knows - it might be different again now after the fires.

Hope you get to go at some stage as it is well worth it.

happygu,

Yep the Ingeegoodbee Track is the one that I was hoping to do.

Hopefully later in the year, once the Boarder opens again and COVID has settled down again, by then maybe the Ingeegoodbee Track will be open again and I'll be able to do a take a set of shifts off work and make a week trip down and back.

The Boarder Closure may have worked out to provide a better trip later in the year lol

Grant.