Posted by I had my latest start yet knowing that I’d mostly be on the Cowombat Flat Road through the day with only one short section of sharp uphill to contend with this morning. I had one of the only off the self dehydrated meals with me picked up from yesterdays food drop, Cooked Breakfast by Backcountry Cuisine and was keen to give it a go. This also meant time for a hit coffee!
Only a short distance along Linestone Track the AAWT made a sharp left hand turn taking along a flattish path following the Limestone Creek. This was a pleasant section of single track and made me in a good mood. I was also in high spirits knowing that all the hard work of the AAWT has behind me and once onto Cowombat Track it would be much smoother sailing to the end.
Leading along the creek, there was plenty of water should I need it. Brumby tracks lead me astray a couple of times criss crossing Limestone Creek unnecessary. The route was easy to follow as long as I connected with track again so that I was headed up the correct spur line to the road. It was easy to find.
Just before the big hill climb for the day I ran into Hannah James headed towards me. An actual person hiking the track and the first hiker I’ve seen on trail since the start. At first I only caught movement of something headed towards me about 50m away and thought it might be a deer or horse. Taking a closer look I saw that it was in fact a human being.
We stopped and chatted for about 10minutes please to have run into someone else on track, sharing information about the sections we would each encounter ahead. Hannah was hiking the Bicentennial Trail south bound having spent 7 months on track all the way from Cooktown in Qld. And here I was thinking I’m an ultra long distance veteran. 7 months is a lifetime on track. Her journey would end at Healesville and then back to work to bring in some money to replace gear and find somewhere new to explore. Spirits up we bit each other well and continue on our paths.
I was soon onto the short but steep climb up through a rocky outcrop. Orchids were out in abundance in the spring weather. Once on top the trail flattened and it was easy going. Unexpected I was soon out the road, swearing I still had a couple of kilometres to go before the road.
The entirety of the rest of the day was on the Cowombat Flat Road and uneventful. It woud be a road bash all the way from here to Theedbo over 2 or 3 days.
Part way into the road and at the moment I was about to strip down to ahorts a group of 3 4WD comes past each stopping for a brief chat. They are were all ParksVic Volunteers clearing tracks. Volunteers clearing track? Fair enough. If the work come free, why not. All three cars were great and interested in the the AAWT.
The kilometres were boring Cowombat Flat and it hiked it all before. An audio book helped pass the time. Cowombat Flat couldn’t come fast enough.
The weather didn’t know what it wanted to do today either. Rain showers sufficient to warrant stopping to retrieve my jacket and umbrella kept sweeping through but then the sun would come out, rays beating down causing it be too hot to keep my jacket on. It was a constant stop-start morning changing layers.
Finally Cowombat Flat came into view, its vast expanse of open grass land sprawling out in front of me. I loved this place and had camped here many times before in the past. I had a quick explore around the wreckage of an old Dakita DC3 that had crashed here in 1953, killing one and survivors having to hike out to Benambra.
Out in front in the middle of the flat the state border formed by the Murray River could be seen, with signs on both sides from Vic and NSW.
Originally I had planned to camp at here on the NSW side however it was just on lunch time and a great day. I made the decision to keep pushing on after lunch knowing that it would be easy kilometre on a well formed track and would make for a shorter day tomorrow. I could in fact have reach Thredbo tomorrow if I really wanted to but kept telling myself to slow down, have an easy day tomorrow to Cascade Hut and a half day the following day into town. There was no rush from here.
With lunch down I kept moving, aiming to get another 8km or so in before finding somewhere to camp on the edge of the road. They were easy kilometres and one thing I immediately noticed is the continuation of the Cowombat Track into NSW is way nicer. Aligned much better to the topography than the Vic side and way better graded, making for climbing on all the uphill pinches.
I made it to the where the Snowgums Wallk meets Cowombat Track on the north side of The Pilot that stood prominently out on its own back behind me. I’d climbed The Pilot before on another trip so no need for a side trip on this adventure.
Camp sites weren’t easy to find on the rocky ground and beneath tall dead timber waiting to fall. I’d climbed over too many dead trees across the track on the way here to want to pitch a tent anywhere near them. With a bit of scouting around and some rock gardening later I had a nice, sheltered site just off track in a stand of regrowth with no widow makers above.
I found some 3G reception and made a quick call to the YHA in Thredbo to upgrade my room. Originally I’d just booked a shared room to secure something, not quite knowing when I would arrive in town, and cheap enough to right off if I didn’t make it in time. But my time frame was well locked down now and I knew when I’d be in town.
Mick Beckers 