This trip to Running Creek near Jamieson in the Victorian High Country was organised to take one of our sponsors, Paul Harrison (Harrison 4WD Centre) away 4WD’ing and camping for the weekend and show them what the club all about and what we do. That is – getting out into the bush camping out of a 4WD, and to get together and enjoy that passion with others. A base camping trip was on the cards.
We had 7 vehicles, 13 people from Sandhurst 4WD Club and 2 vehicles, 6 people from Harrison 4WD Centre.
Day 1 – Bendigo to Running Creek
Friday 4th May 2018
Heading over on the Friday night, Tim was into Running Creek by 7.00 pm then Paul by 7.30 pm. Paul Harrison and the boys arrived about 8.30 pm, then I had 5 vehicles on the way over arriving about 9.00 pm.
We all set up camp in the dark then over to a well lit fire we all introduced ourselves to each other, and shared a few beers, chatting and laughing together, we finally got to bed (the last ones around 2.30 am), ready for a big days driving.
Day 2 – Symes and Mitchell Track
Saturday 5th May 2018
Saturday morning we were woken by the Kookaburras fairly early at about 6.00am (impressive, seeing that some didn’t get to bed until 2.30 am that morning), lit the fire as the weather was very cold and still raining a little with misty showers, we all had our breakfast and being excited for the day ahead of us, we headed off at 9.00am to tackle those hills. There had been a good 15-20mm of rain the day before so we had a feeling we might be in for some slippery tracks that morning.
We climbed out of Running Creek and headed back along Howqua Track a couple of km, we turned left up Symes Track and straight into low range. Symes Track is straight up and quite steep but not to bad until you reach Mitchell Track. The convoy turned left at the top heading along Mitchell Track which wasn’t too bad, then we got to a very slippery down hill section, which we had to take our time with. After the descent, it flattened out a little then started to climb, very rutted at the start then just steep and very slippery.
We reached a spot where another group in front of us was having trouble getting two vehicles in their four vehicle group up a steep and slippery hill – it took them about 1 hour to winch two vehicles up this section of track. Finally it was our turn, and with 9 vehicles we had 4 vehicles make it and the other 5 vehicles had to be winched so that actually took about 1 hour to get all of us up this section.
When Greg came up in his Hilux, after winching the first section he was able to drive the last little bit then something went bang in the rear diff, (we later found out that it was the rear brakes fell apart then pieces of the brakes went through the diff and into the Locker snapping teeth off the crown wheel). As we were only half way along the track he had to be winched and dragged out the whole way, and it took about 3 hours to get him out.
The 5 vehicles in front of the Hilux went on ahead so we weren’t getting in the way, and we headed for the Slate Mine at the top of Mitchell Track and had lunch, we kept in radio contact so we knew what was going on. They radioed through and said to meet them at camp so I sent 4 vehicles back along Steiners road while I cut up some fire wood for the fire. We got back to camp around 4.00pm got the fire going then about half hour later the others got back after a very long and slow drive with a blown diff. That night we had a big fire a laugh at what happened and what could of happened, a few drinks and most of us turned into bed before midnight after a long day.
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- Running Creek Campsite
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- Paul H’s Nissan Patrol
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- Tim’s Patrol winching up Mitchell trk
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- Brett coming up Mitchell trk
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- Winching on Mitchell trk
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- Naomi on Mitchell trk
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- Steve on Mitchell trk
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- Paul on Mitchell trk
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- Greg on Mitchell trk
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- Paul H on Mitchell Track
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- Jim on Mitchell trk
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- Slate Mine Mitchell trk
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- Slate Mine Mitchell trk
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- Slate Mine Mitchell trk
Day 3 – Running Creek to Sheepyard Flat
Sunday 6th May 2018
Sunday morning most of us had a little sleep in because we didn’t have a big drive for the day. Paul Harrison and the boys packed up camp and took off about 10.00am to get the Hilux back to Mansfield so it could be picked up by a tray truck and taken back to Bendigo.
The 7 other vehicles headed off crossing the Howqua river at Running Creek and then heading up Dungeon Spur Track and up to Ashwin Track which turns into Three Chain Track, this was a great drive with sections of steep and rocky hills then clay, and with Mount Timbertop in our sites we ended up at the car park of Mt Timbertop on the Howqua Hills track, where Tim, Paul and Brett left the trip to head for home while myself, Steve, Naomi and Jim headed into Sheepyard Flat.
Getting into Sheepyard we turned right towards Howqua Hills track and went down to look at Frys Hut spending about 20 mins down there. After a quick look we went right up the Howqua Hills track then going through Tobacco Flat where it climbs straight up, it’s fairly steep but a great drive. We reached the top turning right onto Steiners road and back to Running Creek where Naomi and Jim hooked up their camper trailers and headed for home. Steve and myself sat around the fire and the time went so slow so we had a early night.
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- Tim’s Patrol on Three Chain trk
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- Three Chain trk
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- Three Chain trk
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- Three Chain trk
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- Looking over Mt Timbertop
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- Looking over Mt Timbertop
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- Three Chain trk
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- Frys Hut Howqua Hills
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- River crossing Running Creek
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- Dundgen Gully trk
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- Rus’ obligatory selfie
Day 4 – Running Creek to Stringybark Creek
Monday 7th May 2018
Monday morning we were up at 6.00am from a good night sleep, sat around the fire for a while and had breakfast then packed up and headed off, crossing the Howqua river again and checked out more campsites along the Howqua.
We tackled a track marked on the map with no name, it says ‘track to be closed in the future’ because it is so steep, so we had a go and yes it was very steep, 1st low range for me but plenty of traction so we kept on going and the track comes to a dead end with some fantastic views at the top.
We turned around heading back down then turned right heading down Ashwin track through a nice little Campsite and then getting back onto Dungeon Spur Track and making our way back to Running Creek Campsite.
We then decided on another drive so we went back up Symes Track and at the top we went right this time at Mitchell trk and followed this track all the way to Jamieson. This part of the track had short steep sections and rocky in places then the Dozer had been through and the track got fairly easy. After a while it changes again to a fairly tight goat track up to the phone tower and a dirt road into Jamieson where we aired up.
We headed into Mansfield to get more supplies and beer and headed towards Tolmie on the Whitfield road, when we got to Tolmie we took the Tolmie-Tatong Road to Stringybark Creek, setting up camp at the Stringybark Creek Campsite. The campsite is a beautiful open grassy campground with toilets, we went for a walk around the Ned Kelly site where the Kelly Gang had the shootout with the Police back in 1878, we walked back to camp, lit the fire and relaxed for the afternoon with a few beers and into bed by 10.30pm.
Day 5 – Stringybark Creek to Bendigo
Tuesday 8th May 2018
We got up on Tuesday morning up at 6.00am and had breakfast around the fire; I was heading home today while Steve hung around checked out Powers Lookout going through Whitfield and camped at Edi’s Campsite for the night. While I headed off about 10.00am checking out Jones Campsite on the way, through Tatong and Benalla and home.
Participants
- Russell (105 Series Land Cruiser)
- Tim (Nissan Patrol)
- Brett (Toyota Hilux)
- Steve (Toyota Prado)
- Naomi (Toyota Prado)
- Paul (80 Series Land Cruiser)
- Greg (Toyota Hilux)
- Paul H (Nissan Patrol)
- Jim (Toyota Prado)
-Russ
