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Hi all,
This years Xmas holidays for us as well as for hundreds of thousands of others across Australia, were severely effected by our countries worst bush fires in history.
Record breaking temperatures combined with our worst drought ever, made the country tinder dry and everyones greatest fears were realised when lightning strikes and other sources of ignition set the country alight.
Although at Xmas time there were many fires going in our state of Victoria, there were still areas deemed safe and fortunately for us that included our favourite camp/destination on the banks of the mighty Murray River.
Smoke haze was around us for the first 3 or 4 days, but we weren’t going to complain as so many were having it much tougher than us. Temperatures around 40 each day meant we spent a fair bit of our time in the river, in all the time we had been going there we had never seen it so low.
A few evening shots.
Then one afternoon we were alerted to a recently started fire about 15 ks from us by police. Most of the fires this summer had been started by dry lightning strikes as had this one. He said be prepared to leave but at this stage the fire was on the other side of the river (New South Wales). Fire retardant was being dropped on it but if it did cross the river we were going to be in the poop as the wind was blowing right towards us.
We immediately started to prepare for leaving, donning appropriate clothes for protection, putting our fire plan into action. We would walk into the river fully clothed to cool off as it was still hot while packing up.
Half an hour later a camper nearby alerted us to the fact the fire had jumped the river and they were getting out quick smart, so our level of activity quickened also. No panic, but this had the potential to be bad, not really for us but others and of course all that lived nearby, (people wildlife ecosystems etc)
No time for pics during this as we needed to obviously, get out.
This next pic was taken maybe 20 ks away looking back at the fire as we made our way from it, very small at that stage (we found out later that around that time a fire truck had been rolled by a freak storm within the fire, one killed and two others seriously injured)
We drove through Corryong (all other exit roads had been closed) and then headed south through the Victorian Alps towards Benambra 110 ks away, most of this road was dirt, hilly and very windy. From there we veered right taking the track across Lake Omeo heading east towards the Mitta Mitta Valley where we were going to camp on the Mitta Mitta River.
Approaching the lake and then in the middle of it, only occasionally it holds water so certainly not in this drought.
This had been a very tiring day, it wasn’t till mid afternoon that we started packing up and leaving our camp, I’m sure the stress of it all played a part as did towing on those sorts of roads. It was getting late in the day when we stopped near the top of the Blowhard Track.
It was from this height that we could see storm activity way to the south where more out of control fires were.
That white cloud mass is called a “Pyro-cumulonimbus Storm, bush fires in Australia can be so big that they often create their own weather pattern in the form of giant thunderstorms (usually dry), these in turn can start new or spread the existing fires even further by generating lightning and massive wind gusts and lifts.
We didn’t feel particularly threatened as the wind at that time was benign with the fire activity quite some distance away. Another reason we chose this particular destination is it gave us at least four different routes out of the area if the fires started to impact on us, although due south wasn’t one of them!
We pulled up alongside the river, keeping our van connected with a minimal set up as we just never knew how quick we may have to leave, if things went pear shaped.
That evening the fires to the south were more evident due to their reflected glow against the night sky, here are a couple of hand held pics I took that night.
Next morning I strolled over to the nearby Hinnomunjie Bridge. I have shown it previously but as I don’t have a lot to show from this trip, here it is again.
It was opened in 1910 replacing one built 20 years previous, it created a safer crossing for the increased traffic in the area which came from nearby mining towns of Glen Willis and Sunnyside
I believe the steel sections were added later so the bridge could carry an even heavier payload.
It is historically significant, being one of only two timber truss bridges of it’s type in Victoria. It is unique being the only one constructed by hand-hewn timber, the broad axe marks still clearly visible.
As the timber ages some of the mortice and tennon joints are able to be seen.
Around 8 that morning I was on the phone talking to my daughter, letting the family know we were safe, when in the distance I could see a rolling cloud of smoke coming towards us from the south. That call was cut short and we again left quickly, the Vic Emergency phone app told us that there was increased fire activity to the south of Omeo and that township may come under threat in the next 24 hours. We were quite safe but being again enveloped in smoke we thought it was best to hit the road again.
This is a pic of where we had camped, taken as we crossed the Mitta on our way, it shows how quickly things had turned for us for maybe half an hour earlier the air was clear.
Instead of taking the main road out in the direction away from the fires, we took a short cut up through the bush heading North West and hopefully to safety.
We stopped briefly at Anglers Rest, I’m not sure if the historic pub survived the fires that a few days later swept up this valley.
The Blue Duck Inn has an interesting history as has it’s name.
It stands near where a number of rivers meet, the Bundara River flows into the Big River a few kilometres north of there, just south of Anglers Rest the Cobungra River joins the Big River which then becomes the Mitta Mitta River. It’s a great fishing spot and is now part of the Alpine National Park
The original 1900 building was built from local timber, operating as a butcher shop offering fresh meat to miners on the walking track from Omeo to the gold fields around Mt. Wills.
A miner (Billy O’Connell) bought the building and obtained a hotel license in 1912, it didn’t turn out that well and so he nailed a panning dish to the front of the hotel and wrote on it, 'Blue Duck' in large letters, a mining term for a white elephant. If you take out a gold lease and it produces no gold, it's universally known as a ‘blue duck’.
In the early 1920s he again tried to make a go of it, transporting two houses from Omeo room by room through the bush on horse drays. One is the main building of the Blue Duck Inn, and the other was used as a residence, he settled there with his wife Lillian and raised 9 children.
The O'Connells left in 1946 after which the Blue Duck passed through many hands. The license was relinquished in 1967 when the gold petered out and most left the valley..
The Blue Duck regained its license in 1998 and to this day is still a going concern, hopefully it survived the current fires..
We paused long enough to take those pics, and these of the Cobungra River, just in front of the “Pub” adjacent to a lovely camp ground.
We finally got ahead of the rolling smoke cloud stopping briefly to take this pic beside the road.
We drove into the “Joker Campground” to warn a few campers that they were about to be engulfed in smoke and the state of the fires further south.
This is remote country with no internet coverage and limited radio signal if any, they were all oblivious to what was happening locally.
Looking up the Big River (clear skies) and then down, showing the approaching smoke, as we left most were packing up to leave.
From there it was basically heads down and bums up, we drove over Falls Creek (one of the states highest mountain, snow covered in Winter) through Mount Beauty and stopped at the Tawonga Gap lookout for lunch.
The view of the haze, looking back over Mount Beauty.
We continued over the range and into the Ovens Valley, after a brief search we came across a little track that I was able to back the van down, right to the edge of the Ovens River.
The track leading to our camp.
We basically spent all of the next day in the river, so refreshing and relaxing after the last few days avoiding fires.
We were keeping a close eye on 2 fires that had just started near Mt Buffalo (not that far from us) we received notification of those new fires via the emergency app. When we woke the next day, in smoke and with a fine layer of ash all around us we decided to bail and head for home.
This scene taken from the back of our van looked pleasant, but we had had enough!!
A quick breakfast and pack up and we were on the road.
All the other camps, caravan parks and towns such as Bright that we drove through and past were all busy with general holiday activity. By mid afternoon an evacuation order for nearly the whole valley had been put in place and it would have been mayhem along the roads. Luckily we beat all that with our early departure.
Again in clear air and well away from any trouble, we pulled into a wayside stop along the Hume Freeway one that I had wanted to visit for some time. Located near the Winton Race track (and not far from Benalla, famous for it’s murals as well as other things) Winton each year dedicates a weekend for historic motor races and rally, the amenities block has been painted with a number of murals depicting various modes of transport from earlier years, so well done.
We decided to break up the drive back to Melbourne by taking a detour at Avenel, heading to Hughes Creek for a quick dip and a chance to chill/relax for a bit.
Heading into the hills.
And then about to descend into the valley.
It had been very dry but there was still a bit of water flowing through a few holes along the Creek.
I’m not sure I have mentioned this before but Hughes Creek is very much connected with the Ned Kelly story (Australias most infamous bushranger). When Ned was eleven he saved a seven year old boy from drowning in the creek near Avenel, the parents of the boy were so grateful they presented Ned with a green silk sash.
It became a treasured possession of his, so much so that years late when he was finally captured at Glenrowan in a a famous shootout, he was wearing that sash under his armour.
Jen didn’t enjoy herself there as much as I, for when we made our way back to the car she dislodged this leech from her foot!!
Less than 3 months earlier we had brought our grandkids here for a paddle, how things had changed in that time.
Here are a few before and after shots, showing the difference.
We crossed over Hughes creek before stopping a short distance further on to photograph this memorial cairn.
It was located beside the old Hughes Creek Primary School where Ellis Bankin taught for a brief time.
Now I have been visiting this area for well over 50 years, my father lived in Seymour as a kid and used to ride his push bike all around the district. When we were quite young Dad used to take us to this part of the creek for picnics and so for as long as I can remember, I’ve known about this cairn.
For some reason I had never sought out the story behind Ellis M. Bankin, I had always presumed it was a she not a he. I also thought the reason for the vagueness about the date “he” died, was that they hadn’t found “his” body.
Well they had but quite some time after he had disappeared. He was worthy to be mentioned alongside many other fascinating characters who have lived and explored our outback regions, sadly he died at the ripe old age of 33!!!
Ellis travelled across remote regions of out back Australia often being the first on a motor bike to do so. He did this at a time when tracks/roads were little more than cattle pads, when fuel, food and assistance if he needed it was basically non existent. He did most of these extended trips in the heat of summer as being a school teacher that was often the only time of year he could do it, and what he did was nothing short of absolutely amazing, incredible stuff.
In recent times there has been quite a lot of discussion re male/female roles etc, trying to create a more gender neutral world!!!!!
So what’s the go with gender specific hay bales now?? Ha!
We stopped briefly at Seymour to check out their new fishing platform beside the Goulburn River, construction had just started when we were last there.
And that’s it, 8 days shorter than what we had planned. We didn’t see or go to many places that we had wanted to, in addition to that we were nowhere near as relaxed/refreshed as we would normally have been, but considering what many others were contending with, we were lucky to have experienced what we did and are certainly not complaining.
Col.
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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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Topic: Recent Xmas Holiday (Fires etc)
