This Melbourne Cup weekend, we took on what may be our most challenging and rewarding trip yet: locating the very start and source of the Mighty Murray River.
Our base camp was set up at the beautiful Native Dog Flat Campground on Limestone Road, with the Buchan River flowing through and wild brumbies grazing at dawn – an incredible sight.
Our journey began from the gates on Cowombat Flat Track, with 13 riders tackling the rugged 4WD trail for 13kms to reach Cowombat Flat. From there, we hiked another 2kms.
The trip tested our endurance beyond expectation, with steep mountain terrain that forced us to push our bikes up hills. Some sections were so steep that we had to hold the brakes to gain footing on the challenging trail. Exhausted from the journey in we made it to Cowmbat Flat – a beautiful open plain and rode over the small section of the Murray from VIC to NSW. Although this looked like a nice place to claim to be the start of the Murray, it wasn’t, and we hadn’t come all that way to turn back. So, some of us continued our search for the true source of the Murray River up a further 2km.
Our only markers were a small rock pile and a pink ribbon, indicating a tiny walking trail. After navigating to an open flat area, we spent half an hour searching for the next section of the trail, winding through dense bush with the help of GPS and our young adventurers – Luke, Frank, and Jack. They helped guide us, getting lost off the path on brumby trails and missing hidden markers, at last, we found the spring source, marked by a single metal pole. It was an incredible feeling to reach this point after a 1.5-hour search. There, we found a small notebook in a container, where we wrote our names. The notebook also hinted at the next landmark: the Forest Hill Cairn – marking the borders. We followed the path up the ridge, ascending to the historic cairn – a stone pyramid built in 1870s (and restored in 2004) marking the boundary between Victoria and NSW. It was a sight to behold, standing in solitude atop the ridge, with the stones lined at each corner to mark the direction of the borders.
Heading back to our bikes was a lot quicker than the way in which was a relief. We met Russ who we thought had gone on earlier to try and find the start of the Murray and Cairn – he hadn’t so some young legs took him back in to find the markers – this time a lot quicker than our initial journey thanks Jack and Frank – legends!
We returned to our bikes where there was some panic in everyone’s eyes – Andrew was missing and had been geographically challenged walking in thick bushland in a few circles – after many searchers and fingers hovering on the SOS button of our sat phone, we found him down the track parallel and not far off –phew… a few valuable lessons learnt!!
By this stage, we were all exhausted and bracing ourselves for the grueling 15-kilometer journey back to our cars. On our way out of Cowombat flat and the final thing to tick off our list was the crash of a Douglas C-47 Skytrain in 1954 at the Ridge, hidden on the left hand side heading back. Just before reaching Mt Kosciuszko, the starboard engine again failed and the plane crashed, 4 on board, one fatality.
The return trek tested everyone’s physical and mental limits—even the fittest among us. It felt like there was always another hill looming, each one seemingly endless. Finally reaching the finish line and seeing our cars was a huge relief! Thanks to some caring team members with cold bottles of water, and a ranger on standby who helped a few of our group, we all made it across the finish line—exhausted, completely spent, but incredibly proud!
This journey was truly unforgettable. It was physically demanding, but our team’s resilience and the stunning landscapes made it all worthwhile.
There were a few well worth celebrations that night and we shared stories of everyone’s different perspectives on their own experiences.
The next day a few rested by camp and a few headed to Rogers Hut and a few along the Limestone Track to the scenic campground at the Poplars and a paddle in a beautiful crystal-clear section of the Murray River. Not once, not Twice but Three times bogged – Karl had to get a bit of help going backwards!!!
The evening brought more campfire fun, singing, and celebrating the unforgettable trip we’d all shared.
If you want to know more about our adventure and how to find the Source of the Murray River and the Cairn – contact our club President Russell Thorsen – who can tell you all you need to know to prepare for a trip!
