Craig's Hut / King Hut / Vic High Country - Trip Report 19th-20th Nov 2011

[Silver]

looks lovely Bel, very different to here at the moment, dry dry dry, but, wait, we are going away this weekend, 14 river crossings and 100mm of rain predicted! Dhuck reckons we will be fine!

[snicko]

Hi Guys
Just got home. (pretty much stuffed tho)
Hopefully put some words and pics up tomorrow.

[Sir Roofy]

[QUOTE=growlers71gq;165298]Great vids roothy I was waiting for the history lesson/commentry but i hear the phantom whistler is back in some of the vids ;-)[/QS

SORRY MATE I WAS IN ORE OF THE PLACE MY SELF
AM DEFINATLY GOING BACK AGAIN

[Sir Roofy]

great videos roofy!

im trying bel it gets a tad frustrating with the editing

[Maxhead]

Hi Guys
Just got home. (pretty much stuffed tho)
Hopefully put some words and pics up tomorrow.

Great. Hope you had a good trip back....
Can't wait for those sneaky shots you took

[Silver]

http://youtu.be/30LIDBsbmkc


THANKS TO ROSSCO BEL DID ALL THIS TRACK WITH OUT ANY DAMAGE AT ALL

BEL YOUR A LEGEND MATE

ALL THIS IN A STANDARD RIG ON ROAD TYRES

GO BELZI

Thanks for the great video - nice driving Bel and guiding Rossco. What also struck me as the owner of 22 yr old Silver is how quiet them new fangled GUs are!

[frenzy]

Top stuff guys! What a nice place.
Cheers,
Steve

[snicko]

Every thing fell into place at the last minute for us to go on this Vic meetup. Was the best ever.

We left home Wednesday 16 Nov and stayed in Port Pirie the first night.
Left PP early and planned to stay at Horsham but was still feel good so kept going to St Arnaud. Pretty quiet town until 5am when all the Corellas decided to wake us up!!
Left there Fri morning to meet up with Bob in Bendigo and travelled to Mirimbah up to the telephone box junction on to the Circuit Road round Speculation Rd onto King Basin Rd and camped at the King Hut Camping area.

Several of the other members had set up their camps and had gone to get wood. (So we could have a Bl@@dy good fire!! eh Bob?? Hahaha)

Once everyone was there it was dinner time. It had started to rain and Bob said that the weather was going to get nasty like a possible thunder storm!! Welllll I don’t like thunder and lightening so I had a nice spot picked out UNDER our rig if the storm came!! Lucky for me it didn’t but I think some of the others would have liked to see me under our rig!! Hahaha
.
Well the weather did change and it rained steady on and off all night and we woke up Sat morning to everything wet. Our roof top was soaked (but didn’t leak) so after breakfast when it was time to go for a drive Bob offered to take us in his car. What a champion. Roofy and Jane came with us as well.

Four rigs set off to explore in the rain. First stop was the Bindaree Falls. Just spectacular as we could actually go behind the falls.
Poor Fletch had his engine light come on so under the bonnet he went. He was not sure what the problem was as the rig was running sweet. (He checked the fuel filter for any water)

Back into the rigs all drenched (as it was raining steadily) and headed off. Crossed the Howqua River to Bindaree Hut. This is where Andy decided to test out Bluey in the mud!! Rossco to the rescue!! (Bels Vid)


VERY QUIET IN ST ARNAUD


FOLLOWING BOB


TURN OFF TO TELEPHONE BOX JUNCTION


BEFORE SETTING UP


KING HUT CAMP SITE


THE WOOD FOR THE BIG BL@@DY FIRES!! HAHAHAHA


THE RIVER NEXT TO THE CAMP SITE

BINDAREE FALLS






FLETCH CHECKING THINGS OUT!!


OVER THE HOWQUA RIVER


PIKES FLAT


ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER WHERE ANDY GOT STUCK


COMING BACK AND WASHING THE TRUCK IN THE RIVER AFTER GETTING BOGGED

[snicko]

CONTUNING:-

Back over the river and up the 16 Mile Jeep track to the Bluff.
The road was steep, wet and slippery and after negotiating an “interesting” section a GU tray top Ute came around the corner and asked us to stop (Bob was right on the inside corner) as there was 6 more ”CARS” coming down the hill behind him.
Roofy and I got out to direct traffic and I went around the corner staying on the outside in the trees to stop anyone from hitting Bob. (It was still raining!)

OMG!! There was sliding down the steep rutted slippery hill a Rav4!!
He was so lucky his wheels were turned out as he slipped into the deep rut and it flung the car around. If his wheels had been turned the other way the force would have rolled the car and as it was fairly steep I don’t think it would have stopped at the bend. It would have gone over the edge as well!!!

He had road tyres on as well and with the mud on them they were like slicks!! Behind him came a Ford Dual Cab with a “L” plate in the window, a Mav GQ, a Pajero, and a Nissan Pathfinder. They all slipped down the hill and round the corner, past Bob and the rest of our crew on down the hill!!! OMG!!!
I forgot to get the camera when I got out of Bobs car!! Bugger eh?

As I had seen these cars come down I decided to help the weight in Bobs car by jumping in with Rossco and Bel and I’m not sure who Roofy got in with. Anyway Bob really had to bury the right foot to get up so I had made the right decision.

Got to the Bluff in the fog and then it started to rain really heavily. Bob said the view is quite spectacular! ..………mmmmm!! well we all just had to believe him!! hahahahaha

ON THE WAY TO THE TOP


VIEW AT THE TOP OF THE BLUFF




THE HUT

[snicko]

CONTINUING:-
Back down the mountain passed all camp sites that had 16ft caravans and Commodores in them!!..........speachless!! hahahahaha
Came out onto the black top at Merrijug then called into Mirimbah for a coffee, cake and fuel.
Fletch filled up then his car would not start!! He found out the wire was broken on his alternator!! Any one know an auto electrican??? hahahahaha
He did a temp fix and limped back to camp with nothing working but the motor!! (fogged windows and all!!)

Hubby was still in Bob’s truck and I was still in with Rossco and Bel. After getting coffee hubby asked if I was coming back with them. Roofy asked too so I was going to….well I went to the Loo and as I came out they drove off!! (I had told Rossco that I was going with Bob and I could have easily been left behind!) I got back in the GQ.........so......... after we left I got Rossco to call up Bob and ask if I was on board?? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha dead silence on the UHF!! Hahahahaha Rossco had to ask again!! Hahahahahaha
Rossco, Bel and I were laughing so hard we had to be carefull on the radio!! Hahahaha - Priceless!!

Back at camp the boys set another Big Bl@@dy fire to cook the camp roasts Bob organised.
A camp oven roast is the best. (Lots of veggies Andy brought and gravy Fletch brought.)
MOUNTAIN SHOTS


PRETTY IMPRESSED WITH FLETCH'S TRUCK






FLETCH UNDER THE BONNET AGAIN


MY RESCUE VEHICLE!! hahahahahahaha (still pretty funny!!)

YUMMY CAMP ROASTS


HIS HIGHNESS FROM A DIFFERENT VIEW!!