Melbourne Cup Weekend Trip to Dargo - Nov. 2006

Day one.

We started at the car park at the K-Mart service centre at Airport West, we being Chris, Sarah and Jessica (TRIP LEADERS!), Ken, Deb and Shae, Lance, Debbie, Melissa and Belinda, Greg and Carolyn, Dean and Haley, Rick and Daniel, and Bryce. We had arranged to meet Walter at the Moreland Rd Freeway entry, so duly picked him up on the way, and Theresa and Henry and Anthony, Arlene, Tash and Mia, at Gumbuyah Park, although we didn’t have to wait quite that long.

Although the Shewan’s were a little late, the weekend was off to a great start, as it was a beautiful day and the weather forecast was fine. But it didn’t last…. As we left Gumbuyah Park, Anthony started to have some car problems (Nissan!). He couldn’t maintain the highway speed limit of 100kmh so we pulled over to look. The temporary solution was to disconnect the battery to reset the computer which worked until we arrived in Sale, where, because Anthony had to stop and fuel up, the problem once again reared its very ugly head. So he called the RACV and while we waited for their arrival, had lunch. The RACV man couldn’t locate the problem so Anthony made the decision to pull the plug as he didn’t think it wise to go bush with an unknown computer problem. Whoops, so much for the good start.

Anyway, we waved goodbye and moved on towards Dargo. At Dargo, Dean refueled, and we then proceeded up Dargo High Plains Rd to Upper Dargo Rd to find ourselves a camp. We found one camping spot that was good but occupied by one vehicle and its contents, so we moved along a bit, but ended up back at the original spot as nothing else was suitable for a group of 9 cars. The two occupants weren’t too fazed so we set up camp.

Day two.

Sunday morning saw us up and mostly out of camp by 9.15am, the Griggs’ staying behind to spend the day swimming with the kids.

We drove up Grady’s Ck Rd then turned variously into Link Rd, Hibernia Rd, Conway Tk, Wonnangatta Rd, towards Billy Goat Bluff. While climbing up Billy Goat Bluff, Chris received a call from Walter and Henry to advise that there were tent poles on the track. Chris stopped dead as he suddenly remembered he had had poles on the roof rack, and perhaps he’d better check. Sure enough, they weren’t there anymore. Walter and Henry and Theresa collected them but had decided to auction them off to the highest bidder! Fortunately, nobody else wanted them so Chris was able to retrieve them with only a little face lost. Thanks Henry, Theresa and Walter.

From there, we went up to the Pinnacle where we walked out to the fire tower and lookout, although tower is a bit of a misnomer as the tower part is missing. This is due to the fact that the hut part is actually situated on a spit of land on the edge of a cliff so we were actually able to see into the fire spotters den from the surrounding verandah. After admiring the view for some time we wandered back to the car park and had lunch actually at lunch time! So, post lunch was down Castle Hill Tk, Junction Spur Tk, Scrubby Ck Tk where we played in a few river crossings. Then it was back onto Wonnangatta Rd and Short Cut Rd from which we went into Dargo itself where we went to the pub for a few drinks. Then of course, back to camp in time to cook dinner and go for a swim in what turned out to be quite pleasantly temperatured water.

Day Three.

Monday! Everyone was up and ready to go by 9.10, Griggs included this time, so we set off for our next day trip. This time it was just a round trip with no destination on mind, just aiming for an interesting, hopefully challenging, drive. So, from Jones Rd, we moved onto Orten Tk via Mount Steve Tk (look Steve, they named a Mountain AND a track after you!), where we had a little fun. To start with, it was a bit narrow, so therefore an itchy scratchy track, which descended quite steeply to a creek bed. The creek exit was a little steep, but the track up the other side proved to be quite a challenge. Chris managed to get up ok, safely followed by Ken and Henry, but then along came Dean, who had a few problems. First, it took him several attempts to get anywhere, and then when it looked like he was going to make it, he got hung up on a rock and came to rest with one wheel in the air. We then required two vehicles to snatch him up the hill, but this also took a few tries. Once we got Dean up the hill, everyone else succeeded first try. We think Dean needs a lift kit for Christmas, Haley! By this time it was 12.30 so we stopped for lunch. Hmm, this is habit forming, lunch on time.

After lunch we moved onto Gidley Tk, followed by Storer Tk, then Friday Spur Tk, which was quite steep, and people started complaining (how dare they!!!) about the itchy scratchy condition of the track. So, in an attempt to appease these whingers, Chris produced a bulldozer to widen the edges. Then the complaints came in thick and fast about the dust created, so he made it rain. Yes, they still complained. So back to Mt Steve track then Wayne Tk, Jones’s Rd and thus back to camp at the end of the day.

Day four.

Time to go home and of course, as it’s the final day, it’s raining, so everyone had to pack up in the wet. The plan of attack for an exit was to go out via Mt Hotham and Bright, thus down the Hume highway; however the Griggs family were having a relaxed pack up so they decided to stay a little longer and go directly home the way we’d come in, and as Daniel lives in the south eastern suburbs, Rick stayed to keep them company.

So, at 9.30ish the remaining seven vehicles pulled out onto the Dargo High Plains Rd and proceeded on their way. At Mt Hotham it was overcast but no longer raining, and a quite pleasant temperature for re-inflating of tyres, then it was on to Bright, where it was an even better day with the temperature at a rather impressive 25C. After lunch in Bright, Debbie bought the paper so we could run a Melbourne cup sweep. Shae had Efficient, which was scratched, but in the end it didn’t matter as the Shewan’s had all three place getters! Talk about tin-arsed!

Then, it was each to his own as all headed out of Bright across to the Hume and home to arrive in an indecently cold Melbourne day!

Thanks to all who participated and hope you had as much fun as we did.

Some pictures of the trip can be found HERE!

Words by Chris & Louise.

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