NSW Snowy Mountains Tour - January 2014

[Dave]

Following the discussions we had on the Outback NSW Trip in April, I would like to run a trip through the NSW Snowy Mountains in January 2014. I will have an Itinerary at the July meeting and can send a PDF copy to anyone that PM’s me with their email address.

In brief, the plan is:

Day 1 – Saturday 4^th January
Sydney to Tumut, via Yass and Wee Jasper 397km
Day 2 – Sunday 5^th January
Tumut to Khancoban, via Talbingo, Buddong Falls and Cabramurra 170km
Day 3 – Monday 6^th January
Khancoban to Thredbo, via The Alpine Way 75km
Day 4 – Tuesday 7^th January
Walk to the top of Mount Kosciuszko then drive on to Jindabyne 34km
Day 5 – Wednesday 8^th January
Jindabyne to McKillops Bridge on the Snowy River, via the Barry Way 152km
(I know that’s in Victoria, but this night is a bush camp and you can bring Mexican food :-)
Day 6 – Thursday 9^th January
McKillops Bridge to Jindabyne, via Bombala and the Snowy River Way 219km
Day 7 – Friday 10^th January
Jindabyne to Blue Waterholes, via Adaminaby, Yarrangobilly Caves and Coolamine Homestead 185km
Day 8 – Saturday 11^th January
Blue Waterholes to Canberra, via Tumut and the Brindabella Road 190km
Or Possibly Better, I'm told that Broken Cart Trail will be open from Long Plain to Brindabella Village - ALL DIRT and Scenic! This will reduce the drive from Blue Waterholes to Canberra to about 100km all up, not having to go back via Tumut. IF it is open - we will see when we get there.
People can then choose to stay in Canberra, or return to Sydney 290km
Total Trip Length - 1711km

The trip will involve easy driving on bitumen and good D grade dirt roads (possible C grade options). The trip is open to 4WD and AWD Jeeps, modified or stock, and camper trailers are welcome.

Please consider, and post up on this thread if you are interested. If you would like more information, please PM me with your email address. I guess given the tracks and distances we could manage up to 15 Jeeps.

Definites
1 DaveG - booked
2 EddyG - booked
3 WallyD - booked
4 RobS - booked
5 SteveF & Bec & Em - booked
6 Danny & Sharon - booked
7 JamesM - booked
8 JohnC - booked
9 Ewen S - StickierDuck - booked
10 Hunno & Harmony - not booked but we'll make do!

Thanks,
Dave

[SteveC]

Dave
I might be interested in that trip.
How fixed is your itinerary/places? Any chance of incorporating visit to some high country huts? Just a suggestion....
Steve

[Dave]

Hi Steve, if the huts you are interested in aren't too far off the route we should have time to go and see. Coolamine Homestead (Day 7) is one of the classic "huts" - actually a whole farm built around 1895 - and is very worth visiting, so we will. There are four or five more huts on our route, although some that I knew of were destroyed by bushfires in 2003. We can still stop and look, there has been a programme of repair and restoration of some huts. If you know where some others that you want to see are...

Dave

[uncaged123]

Hi Dave,

As discussed with you at last month meeting I would like to be included, can it commence on either the 1st or 2nd January as my partner has limited time off work.

Could you please also give my apology for my absent tonight.

Cheers Rob

[Dieselcon]

Hi Dave,

Im interested in this outing.. Will confirm closer to date..
Cheers and thankyou

Jose

[Wallyd]

Please put me down. JK rubicon with camper

[Dave]

Hi Dave,

As discussed with you at last month meeting I would like to be included, can it commence on either the 1st or 2nd January as my partner has limited time off work.

Could you please also give my apology for my absent tonight.

Cheers Rob

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the interest, sorry you couldn't make it tonight. These are the dates we discussed last month. I asked for feedback then, but no one had suggested any alternates in the month to now, so I have advertised them to the club and they are locked in. Got some interest in the trip as it stands, I think it suits most to have a couple of days after New Years Day (Wednesday) before setting off. I hope that this week will work for you. I have added you to the 'Maybe' list.

Thanks,
Dave

[Miraz]

Seems a shame to spend so much time on the tar - there are two decent trails that you might want to think about including that wouldn't change the itinerary much:-
1. Take the Davies Plain Track from Tom Groggin (between Khancobhan and Thredbo) over to the Murray River and Suggan Buggan, beautiful campsites along this road - http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/ass...nfo_davies.pdf
2. Then head to McKillops Bridge from the south, and take the deddicks track along the ridge line to the east until you hit the Princes highway north of Orbust to head north

[Dave]

Seems a shame to spend so much time on the tar - there are two decent trails that you might want to think about including that wouldn't change the itinerary much:-
1. Take the Davies Plain Track from Tom Groggin (between Khancobhan and Thredbo) over to the Murray River and Suggan Buggan, beautiful campsites along this road - http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/ass...nfo_davies.pdf
2. Then head to McKillops Bridge from the south, and take the deddicks track along the ridge line to the east until you hit the Princes highway north of Orbust to head north

Thanks Miraz,

Have heard of the Deddick Track, most seem a bit wary of it especially with camper trailers, one article said winches and difflocks needed on the staircase - I have neither - and by all accounts it would add a day to do it properly - head South further into Vic from Jindabyne, then come back North a day on the track to McKillops. Not sure.

Davies Plain track sounds interesting though, an alternate route perhaps from Thredbo down to McKillops without going to Jindabyne Day 5. Although, the link you sent classifies it as Very Difficult - Low Range High Clearance, so again maybe not camper trailer suitable? Perhaps it would be a good detour down to the river for lunch and back to the Alpine Way to continue to Thredbo. Has Dogmans Hut been rebuilt?

Will look into it, thanks.

Dave

[Steve F]

Put us down as a maybe Dave, I think we will come but dont want to take up a confirmed spot just yet, we'll probably just run with the rooftop tent as per the Cape trip as it turns out quite a bit cheaper than pulling the camper. Happy to go whatever route you decide as it's not an area we've been to in the Summer

Cheers
Steve