Thread: Vic High Country tracks - Now with a trip report

We did both of those as well on our trip. Caledonia was the track of the trip. Has everything - steep climbs, mud, river crossings, long flat grassy sections. It is a track which would be great fun (read Hard) in the wet. River crossisngs were fairly easy when we did it, just look for boulders.

Bucther country was a little steeper but still easy.

These tracks as Greylandy said are probably not to suitable for trailers.

Dave.

Originally posted by Greylandy+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Greylandy)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-hiline
what happened to you at Sheepyard

i was waiting and waiting to meet you


oh well never mind :wink:

Apologies Ray ... we were heading for Sheepyard but due to time restrictions made the call to do Butcher Country track and head out at Licola.

Baz, I'm sure he's not that scary but rumours tell me otherwise .. [/b][/quote]

pity we didn't catch up mate

dont listen to the rumors :wink:

Rumors??????????????

Oh those ones.........

Nah he is like a Lamb..... all cute and fluffy.... ohh and yummy....

Mmmmmmmmmm Lamb....

barrrrrrrrr barrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Okay where do I start with a trip report. I hear it's not good without pics so I'll put some in as well.

Firstly, thanks to all for your information on Butcher Country Tk.

Friday 13th (Great day)
Departed Melb at 8.45 with a fellow D3 owner who has a TVan and we both head up to Mansfield for a top up of fuel then onto Whitfield and a stop at Bennie's for lunch.

We travel past Dandongadale Falls (which I missed) - My mate told me it was only trickling this time and then onto Lake Cobbler. I was disappointed with the condition of the lake and the campsites. I wouldn't like to camp here. Maybe I was expecting a crystal clear lake but it was very murky.

Onto Mt Speculation Tk and up to Camp Ck which is just below the short walk to Mt Speculation. The road becomes quite rocky the closer you get to Camp Ck but my friend's D3 with road tyres and TVan did it without a mark on a wheel. It was interesting to follow and watch the wheel articulation plus traction control of the D3 over rocky terrain. The Coopers on my D3 cruise along. Set up camp at Camp Ck.

Mt Speculation Tk near Camp Ck.


Saturday 14th
Short stroll up to the Mt Sepculation ridge which overlooks the Terrible Hollow and the Wonnangatta Valley.


Mt Buffalo in the background from Mt Speculation.


We depart from our fellow D3 owner who is staying up on Mt Speculation to do some day walks and we travel back down the Mt Speculation Tk toward the Staircase. The Staircase is rocky in some sections and I got the wife to video some of the descent and she even caught me banging the D3 on a rock step (oops a bit too fast). I suppose in the wet these rock steps would be a bit slippery, lucky it was all dry.

Onto the Circuit Rd and down to Bindaree along the Howqua for lunch. From here I intend to travel up to Bluff Hut on the Bluff Link Rd onto Lovick's Hut and camp along the ridge near Picture Point and King Billy but the campsites are full of cow pooh and the campsite at the intersection of Brock's Road and Bluff Tk is full of cows :x Damn. I wanted to get set up early and just chillout but I decide to push on to look for a campsite down along the Macalister River or up on Howitt Plains which is about another hour on.

I found a great site at the beginning of the Butcher Country Tk and it's flat and there is no cow pooh or people. Surprisingly it has mobile coverage so I call up my mate to find out how he is doing at Mt Speculation. He is just relaxing under a tree on the summit of Spec . What else could you ask for?



Sunday 15th
Will this day be the highlight of our trip or will it be the end of my camping/4WDing adventures?

We set off from our campsite down the Butcher Country Tk around 9.00am. I'm mindful that the weather is now overcast and there were words of wisdom from Steve about "DON'T DO IT IF ITS WET". Greylandy says' "it will take 4 to 5 hours". So what happens if it dumps and I'm well into it? Well I'll just take the risk and as they say "Just do it".

As you all said the track is great, take your time, watch where you place your wheels and you will have fun. I had a ball on this track. My wife loved it as well. My son enjoyed playing his Leapster 8O . The vista's are memorable, the track is so varied in surface and gradient that you just enjoy it. Descending down to Calendonia River and seeing what must be Dingo Hill Tk going up the other side was amazing. I wondered to myself how hard Dingo Hill is going to be??

Along Butcher Country Tk


One of the many descents


Top campsite along Calendonia River (Only stopped here for lunch)


One of the river crossings on Calendonia River


Up Dingo Hill Tk


View back across to Butcher Country from Dingo Hill Tk


Well, Dingo Hill Tk is not that difficult in the dry. It is steep and is continuous for a few kms with many switchbacks which you need to have 2 goes at getting around. I could hear the rear diff lock engaging on the sharp hairpins.

It took me about 4 hours to negotiate the track from the beginning to the flat part of Dingo Hill Rd with a bit of time for lunch.

As RichardK said don't take a camper trailer in there. He is right. It would be far to difficult.

On my way to the base of Dingo Hill Tk I passed a group camping along the river and a bit further down the track I stopped to take some pictures. Suddenly a Patrol TD came around the corner and I was blocking the track, as I hurried to move my D3 the driver yells out, don't hurry I just want to follow you up the hill to see how your D3 copes up the climb. Oh, was this a challenge, did he think the D3 couldn't make it? Anyway we had a bit of a chat and off I went with the Patrol eagerly following me through a couple more river crossing and then up the climb. We stopped for some pics and the guys in the Patrol jumped out to check out the D3. I suppose they thought it went okay. Finally they said goodbye and they turned around and headed back down.

What a marvellous track to take. It certainly beats going down the Howitt/Tamboritha Rd which is boring compared to this. My wife loved the trip and so my camping/4WDing adventures continue on. The next trip is into the Wonnangatta Valley.

Chris

Great report Chris, what a lovely part of the country that is, we will be back there soon.

What tread are your Coopers and what size are they and any comments on their performance? I am looking to put a more agressive tread on my D3.

Originally posted by RichardK
Great report Chris, what a lovely part of the country that is, we will be back there soon.

What tread are your Coopers and what size are they and any comments on their performance? I am looking to put a more agressive tread on my D3.

They are the Cooper SureTrac ST. LT245/70/17. I would get a set of the new STT's next time which have the antichip compound and a more aggressive pattern for mud. I've got a lot of chipping on the rears already and I noticed that the thread blocks are starting to crack around the base on the rears and it maybe the case of too much pressure in difficult terrain and the tyres slipping more than they should due to the pressure. When I noticed the cracking I dropped the pressure down to 30PSI (hot).

Chris.

Originally posted by PCH+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PCH)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-RichardK
Great report Chris, what a lovely part of the country that is, we will be back there soon.

What tread are your Coopers and what size are they and any comments on their performance? I am looking to put a more agressive tread on my D3.

They are the Cooper SureTrac ST. LT245/70/17. I would get a set of the new STT's next time which have the antichip compound and a more aggressive pattern for mud. I've got a lot of chipping on the rears already and I noticed that the thread blocks are starting to crack around the base on the rears and it maybe the case of too much pressure in difficult terrain and the tyres slipping more than they should due to the pressure. When I noticed the cracking I dropped the pressure down to 30PSI (hot).

Chris.[/b][/quote]

You can get the ST-C now that is the ST's with the anti chip compound.
What is their grip like compared to the noriginal fit Goodyears :?: