Victorian High Country

Blue Rag Trip Nov 2012

Macalaster Gorge, Butcher Country, The Pinnacles, Billy Goat Bluff Track, Matheson Track, Blue Rag Track, Basalt Knob Track, Crooked River Track.
A great 5 days in the High Country.

Met at Heyfield 10.00am saturday - 2 GU's, 1 Navara & 1 Pajero all with experienced drivers - and travelled through to Cheynes Bridge on the Licola Road.
Turned left up Black Range Track and travelled through to Macalister Gorge.
The Black Range Track was an easy drive. The previous week had seen a fair amount of rain throughout the High Country but for the entire trip the weather was fine and the tracks dry.

Black Range Track

Looking down onto the Macalister River from Cob Spur Track

Both the track down into Macalister Gorge and the Cob Spur Track down to the Serpentine Creek crossing were 'easy' to barely 'moderate' with sufficient ground clearance being the only requirement.
Followed the Green Hills Track to Cob Spur Track and camped the night down on the Serpentine Creek crossing.
We had originally thought to camp the first night at the Sisters on the Caledonia - Macalister rivers junction but the petrol / gas GU stopped on the climb out of Serpentine so we winched it
around and snatched it back down to the river.
Ended up staying at the Serpentine Creek for the night after hours of trying to solve what we thought was the problem - ended up finding a blown fuse - and running out of daylight.
Compact area to camp for 4 to 6 vehicles next to the creek with ample firewood to be sourced. There was also ample water flowing in the Serpentine (nearly enough to tempt putting a line in) but I imagine this would change later into summer.
Headed up from the crossing Sunday morning, only to get four or five hundred meters up the climb before the Patrol ran out of engine again -turned out to be a bared wire moving around and shorting out the main engine fuse.

Cob Spur Track - parked and walked back down to get the petrol GU started

After more running 'mechanical' work (it does pay to have spare fuses, workshop manual & a tester) we headed off again.
The Cob Spur Track from the Serpentine Creek crossing is initially reasonably steep in some sections with some loose areas and sharp bends to slow down momemtum. From the top of the climb through to the Jamieson Road it was mainly high range driving.
Overall the track was 'easy', possibly reaching 'moderate' for the short section after the crossing.

We travelled through to the Sisters - Macalister and Caledonia junction - via Glencairn Station and Black Soil Track and then followed the Macalister to the bottom of Butcher Country Track.

The Black Soil Track down from the Bull Plain logging road to the Macalister River was uneventful with some steeper sections broken up and taken in low range to save the brake pads.
Before the first river crossing there's a short track to the right leading to the junction with the Caledonia. A good place for a camp with room for 8 or 10 vehicles at where there used to be a shack called Honey Moon Hotel in the late '70's early '80's.
This track originally crossed over the Macalister and followed along the Caledonia for several km's, but now the crossing is impassable.

Junction Macalister & Caledonia

Followed along the Macalister River Track doing the 7 odd river crossings. Although the track is now fairly overgrown with black wattle after the fires, there are a number of places to set up small camps with the largest at the start of Butcher Country.
A couple of pinches along this track with broken sections but overall an easy drive.

Macalister River crossing

Climbed up Butcher Country and turned right down the link track to stay Sunday night on the Caledonia River 2 crossings back from the start of Dingo Hill.

Campsite on the Caledonia

Butcher Country hasn't changed over the years, but the initial climb from the Macalister did seem to be broken up more than the memory recalls.
The last section of the Caledonia from the helipad was steep, shaley and uncomfortable - the diesels with extra engine braking fared better than the petrol motors with the Pajero having dash lights by the bottom at the river flats.
There are several camp sites along the Caledonia with ample firewood to be sourced.
Heard deer during the early morning close to camp with evidence of their movement in a nearby creek bed.

Monday climbed Dingo, turned left onto the Tamboritha Road and then right onto the Maroka Road. Stopped off at the Pinnacles for some photos and then went down Billy Goat Bluff Track to the Crooked River Road.
Dingo was a good climb, shaley with a few ledges and tight switch backs but everyone was smiling at the top. Rated at moderate to difficult in some sections this particular trip.

Top of Dingo at the back of Higgins

The drive along the Maroka road was high range - only to keep some traction to the front wheels on the gravel -  with several picture stops and time spent watching a pair of wedgies.

Along the Maroka Road looking north.

Driving the extra few km's along the Maroka Road from the left turn off onto Billy Goat Bluff Track is well worth the time. The scenery, after walking up to the fire tower at the Pinnacles, is 'something to write home about'.

The Pinnacles

 

Fire Tower at the Pinnacles

Billy Goat Bluff Track was 'easy'. As was mentioned, tongue in cheek, by one of the drivers it should be renamed 'Nanny Goat', after being re-cut recently.

Fuelled up at Dargo and then camped the night at Harrisons Cut on the Upper Dargo Road.
Good campsites at Harrisons beside the Dargo River with several large and smaller areas - the area we stayed in comfortably held the 4 vehicles, tents, swags etc with half a dozen steps to the river.

Campsite at Harrisons

Monday took Matheson Track to Downey Road and then through to Blue Rag Track along the High Plains Road.
Matheson Track predominately high range. Downey Road 2wd.

Deer hunters base camp on Matheson Track.

Along the High Plains Road near Treasures

Travelled up to the helipad along Blue Rag and then backtracked along Blue Rag to Basalt Knob Track and down into Talbotville.
Blue Rag - what can I say that hasn't been said before. It's an easy drive except for the last pinch, the scenery is absolutely spectacular and it's a definite destination to 'cross off the list'.

Last section of Blue Rag to the helipad.
 

About midway along Blue Rag

On the helipad

 

On the helipad

For the main, Blue Rag was taken in high range, with the occasional low range to climb 'easy' short sections. The last section to the helipad in low range rated at 'moderate'.
Basalt Knob was high range 'easy' down to the helipad and then low range 'moderate' bordering on 'difficult' to the Crooked River.
For anyone doing a return climb up Basalt I would rate it as being 'difficult' at minimum, due to the step ups and shaley surface.
Met up briefly with 4x4 Earth 2012 at Talbotville but decided to go through to Winchester on the Wongungarra River for the last nights camp due to the availability of firewood.

Campsite beside the Wongungarra

Continued down the Crooked River Track with 2 more river crossings and then headed home.

On this trip I took full videos of Dingo Hill Track, Billy Goat, Blue Rag & Basalt Knob. Because the files are too large to post I'll put up pic's once I've processed the videos.