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 Topic: Our Recent Xmas Holiday (Part Two)
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25/2/2018 at 9:44am
Location: Melbourne Australia
Outfit: Windsor Rapid Off Road Van + tents
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We had camped the previous night at the Walnuts Camping area located south of Mitta Mitta on the Omeo Highway.
Our first stop this morning was at the Glen Wills Cemetery beside the Omeo Hwy. Located in the middle of nowhere now, it once served the mining communities of Sunnyside and Glen Wills.
Between August 1894 and August 1920, ninety-seven burials took place, 40 of them being infants.
In the early 1920s it became too difficult to make a profit at the mines so they closed and both towns abandoned.
In time the whole area became over grown and virtually forgotten. In 1985 bridge builders were constructing a new bridge nearby when the mother of one of the builders (of Croatian descent), visited her sons, she was amazed that there were no crosses in the Cemetery. Before leaving she encouraged them to build a large cross which they did and promised that one day they would come back and erect crosses to commemorate the grave sites. This they did in the summer of 1991. As there is no plan of the actual sites of the graves, they were placed in rows consistent with the two graves that where visible.
Originally Sunnyside/Glen Wills was reached by a rough bush track from Omeo known as the Knocker Track. (The current road was put in much later) It got that name as all animals used along it were pretty knocked up when they arrived at their destination (mining area). Mail was delivered by horse drawn coach, heavy goods by bullock wagon and farmers from Benambra brought up fresh meat, vegetables, and other produce.
It was along that original track that I proposed to make my way to Omeo (why take the bitumen when there is a dirt track alternative)
This is a description of the track that I found online for modern travellers.
“The Knocker Track (4wd only) is signposted off to the left about 10km after the Mount Wills access track, and is an alternative 17km route to the Omeo area.
For present day travellers it is a nice 4wd short-cut down towards Hinnomunjie Bridge, passing through yet another abandoned gold mining settlement, that of Staleyville.
The Knocker Track offers a bumpy and rocky ride; it is quite a climb to The Knocker itself (1506m) and then a steep descent towards the Mitta Mitta River, with some excellent views along the way”.
No probs I thought, yes I’m towing a 2 tonne van, yes I have something wrong with my front left hand wheel but hey I’m Big Col !!!!!
We took it easy and other than some strange noises from the car and the brakes being a bit on the pong we had no troubles. It was very steep and windy and the day quite hot so the car, the brakes, my nerves (and Jen) had a lovely rest when we stopped at the Hinnomunjie Bridge over the Mitta Mitta River.
When the Knocker Track came into existence in the 1890s, a punt was used to cross over the river here. This was not suitable for most traffic so after a lot of agitating a new fan dangle bridge was built.
Whilst there I took another squiz under the car, it wasn’t a pretty site. The rubber boot over the CV joint was severely distorted and oil had been splattered every where, I had obviously done more damage than what I thought and it was time to get it professionally looked at.
The mechanic at the Omeo Service Station confirmed I had snapped/stuffed my CV joint and it needed replacing. He ordered one in from Bairnsdale, (a hundred ks or so south of where we were) which would arrive late that day and then apologised that he couldn’t fit it until maybe 9.30 10.00 the next morning. Sounded good to me, he was not sure I should drive to far and said we could camp at his station. I said I would drive a few ks out of town and stay beside the creek there as we had driven a hundred ks or so with it like it was, and along and over some dicey tracks as well. The look on his face was priceless, I’m glad Jen didn’t see it !!!!!!!!!
A very pleasant (relaxing) afternoon was spent waiting for the car to be done the next day. I knew the car hadn’t been right and so had been nursing it along, not worrying or telling Jen about it at all. Now I was again at peace with the world.
Whilst the car was being fixed we had a few hours to again suss out the lovely historic town of Omeo.
Situated right on the main street is an historic precinct that has a number of the towns original buildings as well as other memorabilia from that period in it.
Inside one of the cells, not sure the guns would have been there when it was being used originally!
An old engine outside the the Courthouse and the Courthouse itself.
Inside has been set up as a museum.
This is from the local paper in 1864 and then a couple more buildings from around 1860.
Some buildings along the main street.
There is a lovely walk through Livingstone Park that leads to a creek of the same name and other historical features.
Just after lunch we were on our way again, heading across the hills towards an intended camp somewhere beside the Dargo River. Along the Birregun Road/track we stopped at a remote and unusual memorial, “The Dogs Grave” monument site.
What an amazing effort driving stock through those hills all those years ago, the dog perished in the 1860s and even today following the windy dirt road you feel as though your doing it tough.
We arrived on the Dargo River and after a couple of ks found a campsite to die for (figuratively speaking!) Located on a bend of the river, it had a deep waterhole right in front of where we positioned the van and plenty of shallows to potter about in.
Dargo itself was only about 10 ks south of our camp so we took a drive into it the next day. It was first settled in the early 1860s and today is still one of Victoria’s remotest communities with a population of approx. 150 people.
This Anglican Church was built in the 1890s and is now a private home.
Here are a few of the old homes scattered about the place that give Dargo and the general area so much character.
I’d been through Dargo maybe a dozen times or so but had never been to it’s cemetery. There were a number of very old headstones and lovely views to distant ranges,
On another occasion we went for a drive upstream to a place called Harrisons Cut. There miners had cut a 50 metre diversion channel through rock, diverting the waters of the Dargo River effectively cutting off a long section of the original river. The dry river bed would have been extensively mined, all this was done in the early 1880s at a very remote site one that even today is reasonably difficult to get to.
Looking upstream along the river where the water was once blocked off and mined for gold.
We both swam in the crystal clear waters, if thirsty you just took a gulp as you swam along. This River has about the cleanest, purest waters we had ever experienced.
Here are a few more pics of our absolutely stunningly beautiful free bush camp, doesn’t get much better than this.
We spent 3 glorious days and nights at that spot, but soon we were to hit the road on the last stage of our holiday.
Our last evening on the Dargo River.
The final report covering the last stage of our holiday will be posted soon.
Col and Jen.
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The worst day above ground, is a whole lot better than the best one under it. Live life to the fullest while you can.
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