High Country tour

What a fantastic trip. Thanks to High Country Trails and Tucker. So this will be a big blog.

9 hours in the Snowy wilderness, although there is even more that is wilder.

Started at a 7th generation sheep station. The family were there in the 1830s and have explored the wildest of this country. They, like many wool farmers, are struggling to get the skilled labour at the right time. One idea being trialled is to use social media to allow workers to record when they are available. A great example of how the internet is making the employee the centre of the market – this is when I am available, so book me now.

 

 

Seems that some dogs are trusted, and some not.

Then headed down what passes for a track to Ted’s Hut. It surprised to find he was somewhat eccentric.

 

On the way some great trees and lots of birdlife, such as the perhaps lost young Sacred Kingfisher (water was not in abundance)  and some Dusky Swallows.

 

 

Then down to the River, amazingly only 1% of its pre-Snowy Scheme flow. Must have been a fantastic river.

Plenty of birdlife but you had to look carefully. Yellow cheeked honey-eater, Red-capped Robin – clearly a wise bird supporting the mighty St Kilda AFL team – and a couple of others I am still working on.

 

 

 

The River was incredibly beautiful, and the millions of years of eroding of the rocks was evident.

 

Many hills and mountains are still unnamed (by white men), so it was suggested this could be a Knob named after Monaghan. One of the party thought that Monaghan’s etc was inappropriate. So Monaghan Peak seemed more appropriate. I claim it for the republic of whosemebob.

On the other side of the river was a burrow that clearly contained a black panther?

The road out was daunting for the two passengers, but not for the drivers. There are 198 “erosion prevention mounds” on the way out.

 

Around 400 years ago, aboriginals carved small canoes out of these trees.

Before Europeans ran horses and cattle through here, the soil was above the bulb at the base of the trees.

At the top of the Box Ridge is an astonishing Deck built by my hosts. What a magnificent spot. The area beyond the River is total wilderness, no fire trails, no tracks. Rumours suggest some mad bastards might live there, but like the Thylacine, lack of road kill suggest otherwise.

 

It is said that the mountain to the right in the middle photo is the site of the feats which gave rise to the Man from Snowy River.

Awesome. Highly recommended. You could also sleep on the Deck.

Michael Monaghan