Upper Yarra Walking Track

[GBW]

Day 1: Big Pats Creek to New Federal Mill (21km) (4 people)

Last week (Sunday) I set off from Warburton headed for Walhalla on the Upper Yarra Track. I'd read some negatives about the amount of road walking involved but was keen to see it for myself and the close proximity to home meant I didn't need to travel far to start. My usual walking partner had work commitments so it was solo for me this time, something I wasn't that used to. I allowed 7 days to cover the 130k so we agreed to meet in Walhalla lunchtime the following Sunday. Many of the tracks had closed 1st May so I expected it to be pretty quiet. The weather forecast predicted snow falls on Baw Baw the following weekend so I thought that would add another dimension to the walk. Originally it was to be a bike ride but restrictions on vehicles after closures unfortunately included bikes.

It was also my first outing with some new lighter gear; Granite Gear pack, Zpacks Duplex, EE Quilt, NeoAir, 15g diy fuel stove (made from a couple of beer cans) and diy CF poles which was strong enough to use as a walking pole (I used one and carried the other). I was happy to have dropped 4 kg off my base weight.

To avoid the 6k road walk from Warby I started at Big Pats on the 'Walk into History' towards Ada Tree, a section I'd done before in cold wet muddy conditions, stopping at Starlings Gap for lunch. On reaching Federal Crossroads I dropped my pack and strolled down to Ada Mill No.2 site (a nice camp) to take some photos teh continued on. About 1k later I realised my diy CF tent pole wasn't in my hand and I'd left it leaning against a tree back at the crossroads. I dropped the pack and raced back to get it, all the way telling myself I wouldn't do that again. After collecting water from Little Ada River (filtered) I eventually reached New Federal Mill around 5pm. It certainly gets dark early this time of year. Had my usual dinner of dehy rice, veg and tuna and settled into bed.

Start of the 'Walk into History' track

Big Pats Creek

Tree ferns

Typical track conditions

Starling Gap

Fallen tree

Boiler

Little Ada River log bridge

Eucalypt

New Federal Mill camp

Last edited by GBW on Thu 30 May, 2019 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[GBW]

Day 2: New Federal Mill to Boundary Road (21km) (2 people)

Today's walking would take me past Ada Tree onto New Turkey Spur Track, Lashos Link Track, McCarthy Spur Track then north on Boundary Road along the eastern edge of the catchment towards Road 20. Info on water sources was sketchy so the forecast for rain was welcome. There was supposedly a dam on Boundary Rd I was hoping to reach. After completing the Ada Tree river walk and reaching the carpark it was time for some of the road walking. With no cars, beautiful forest each side, wind and birds the gravel road walking wasn't as bad as I thought. Rain started pelting down as I reached Lashos. The shower only lasted 30 minutes but it was enough to fill the road runoffs with water. I arrived at the dam around 4pm and camped on a rather unattractive clearing by the road. The dam was full but brown and murky. I filtered the water.

Little Ada River Walk

Ada Tree

New Turkey Spur Rd

Lashos Link Track

Lashos Link Track

McCarthy Spur Rd

Boundary Rd

Boundary Rd

Boundary Rd

Boundary Rd

Last edited by GBW on Thu 30 May, 2019 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[GBW]

Day 3: Boundary Road to Mt Horsfall (20km) (3 cars)

Up and at it early I was heading north on Boundary Road towards Road 20 (Whitelaw Track) by 5.30am with a full moon and headlamp (not that were any obstacles). Again tall forests each side of the road and the rising sun made it quite relaxing. I reached Road 20 by 8am then headed east along the southern edge of the catchment within the Yarra Ranges NP. Road 20 was surprisingly unroad like as it meandered between the trees along a 30m firebreak. Most of the water from the rain had disappeared and with plans to camp on Horsfall a detour down North Loch Rd 2k was needed for water, which I collected from a gully then took a track north through a logged area back to Road 20. Shortly after Road 20 becomes Forty Mile Break. I arrived at Horsfall at 3.30pm settled in and enjoyed the views to the north to Lake Mountain and south toward Mt Toorongo. Mt Horsfall is 1134m and has a large clearing on the summit. Just as the sun was setting three 4wd came past lights on heading west down Road 20. I gave them a wave and thought to myself aren’t these roads closed? I had phone reception so called the missus. I also have a Spot which I set off each night.

Early morning on Boundary Rd

Road 8 into the catchment

Track marker

Road 20

Road 20

Shortcut from North Loch Rd to Road 20

Forty Mile Break

Forty Mile Break near Mt Horsfall

Sunset on Mt Horsfall

Camp

Last edited by GBW on Thu 30 May, 2019 9:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[GBW]

Day 4: Mt Horsfall to Newlands Rd (22km) (1 person + 2 trucks)

Todays route would take me along Forty Mile Break to Toorongo Rd, Block 10 Rd and Newlands Rd near the base of Baw Baws NW end where the Thomson River runs. I headed off early along FMB aiming to reach Toorongo Picnic Ground by lunch. One of the 4wd passed me as I was packing up heading east. There were a couple of ‘Fire Suppression Streams’ marked on the map a few km further on 500m south of the road which were likely water sources. Walking along FMB I could hear a chainsaw in the distance. It was the chap that passed me on Horsfall who worked for PV. We had a quick chat and told him my plans. What a great office he has! The stream at the water point was flowing well and the water was crystal clear. I didn’t treat it. FMB turns SE at Road 12. At this point you’re only 800m from the Yarra Falls to the north but I wasn’t taking the risk and going in there. After reaching Toorongo Rd I made my way to the picnic ground. The place was in a state of total disrepair; not even a table and chairs. A couple of logging trucks passed by as I ate lunch, you can hear them coming for miles. The 6k along Toorongo Rd was a bit of a drag so I was glad to reach Block 10 Rd, climbed the gate and head east towards the Thomson River to Newlands Rd (marked as Neuylands on the Rooftop). I’d read there was a nice dam 1k north of Newlands Rd so that’s where I was headed for the night. The tracks around here don’t appear to have had much traffic for a while. I found myself a spot on the track up from the dam and settled in for the night. I was kind of wishing I had a fishing line, trout for dinner would be nice.

Forty Mile Break

Track to 'Fire Suppression Stream' off FMB

Forty Mile Break near Toorongo Rd

Toorongo Picnic area (a bit of a mess)

Block 10 Rd

Newlands Rd

Newlands Rd

Newlands Rd

Track to dam north of Newlands Rd

Camp near the dam

Last edited by GBW on Fri 31 May, 2019 12:44 pm, edited 4 times in total.

[GBW]

Day 5: Newlands Rd to Whitelaw Hut (15km) (0 people)

Today would involve the climb up to Baw Baw from Newlands to meet the AAWT NW of Mt Whitelaw. I’d looked down this track from the AAWT a couple of years ago and thought OMG and any info I could find suggested it was totally overgrown and hard to follow. Sounds like fun! I made my way back to Newlands Rd from the dam and continued SE toward Frangipani Saddle for lunch, crossing the Thomson River 4 times. The track leading up to the AAWT has a sign leading into the scrub about 400m before Frangipani Saddle which would be a great place to camp. Well fed on salami/cheese flatbread I headed back to the turnoff, took a few deep breaths, checked the time and headed east up into the scrub. It’s only 3km to the AAWT from here but I expected it to take just as many hours. You could see the remnants of a road and the gap in the trees above but there were plenty of fallen trees and bushes to push through. A couple of times I lost the way, in particular where the route dog-legged but I was able to pinpoint my position on the map and get back on track. Eventually I reached the last Thomson river crossing only 700m from the AAWT. The river is only 30cm wide at this point and was flowing well. I bit more of a bush bash and I could see the blue sign at the track junction with the AAWT. I’d made it. What a relief to be out of that hell hole and back in familiar territory. It had taken me 3 hours to cover the 3k. It was only 5km to Whitelaw so I could take my time arriving by 4pm. I’d expected other walkers to arrive at Whitelaw but nobody did...good. The wind increased and it got pretty cold so I quickly cooked dinner in the chimney and retired to the tent.

Dam north of Newlands Rd

One of four Thomson River crossings on Newlands Rd

Another dam

Approaching Frangipani Saddle on Newlands Rd - route to Whitelaw on the left

Frangipani Saddle

Sign post pointing the way

Overgrown track up to the AAWT

Crossing the Thomson

I recognise that sign - at the AAWT

Camp at Whitelaw Hut

Last edited by GBW on Thu 30 May, 2019 11:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[GBW]

Day 6: Whitelaw Hut to Talbots Hut (15km) (0 people)

Today was an easy day…all I had to do was get to Talbots. I slept in and left Whitelaws 9am along the AAWT to Phillack Saddle for lunch. Again I had phone reception. It was still pretty windy and the forecast was for gale force and damaging winds in West Gippsland tonight …woohoo…but where’s the snow? I arrived at Talbots about 3pm, nestled myself between the rocks and battened down the hatches. At about 6pm it started to pour and the wind was howling through the trees but I was as snug as a bug in a rug. My only concern was a tree falling on me as I slept crushing me in an agonising death but obviously that didn’t happen because you’re reading this. The Duplex performed great (as did my CF poles and other new gear) and I didn’t have any dramas with condensation.

Baw Baw Turnoff

Phillack Saddle, very windy

Baw Baw

Mt St Phillack

Snow poles near St Gwinear

View from AAWT

Rest near a rock

More views

AAWT

Camp at Talbots Hut

Last edited by GBW on Thu 30 May, 2019 11:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[GBW]

Day 7: Talbots Hut to O’Sheas Mill(15km) (6 people)

Another easy day with only 1200m descent to the Tyers River. That’s easier than going up…right? Left Talbots around 9am, mucked around at Mushroom Rocks looking for THE Mushroom Rock but I couldn’t remember where it was. Arrived at Erica carpark by 11.30am, a real toilet…what a luxury. Sat at the table, had some lunch when a van pulls up with 5 people, one of who’s face I recognise. Fellow BW member JohnStrider who runs a group called the Hiking Society. They were headed to Mushroom Rocks and Talbots for the night. From here to Walhalla was a section of the AAWT I hadn’t done. Down Mt Erica Rd to the turnoff onto Firebreak Track to the Tyers River. There’s a nice waterfall near the campground which also has a toilet and table/chairs and fireplace. Shortly after dinner it started to rain heavily so it was into the tent and radio on for ‘Dreamtime at the G’…go the Tigers. . What a life. It rained steadily most of the night but again the Duplex was excellent.

Mushroom Rocks

Mt Erica Carpark

AAWT turnoff from Mt Erica Rd

Firebreak Track

Huge eucalypt

Firebreak Track

Firebreak Track

Firebreak Track

Waterfall at O'Sheas

O'Sheas campground

Last edited by GBW on Thu 30 May, 2019 11:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[GBW]

Day 8: O’Sheas Mill to Walhalla (14km) (10 people)

I’d agreed to meet my missus (Bridgette my walking companion) in Walhalla at the rotunda between 11-12 so got moving pretty early, crossing Thomson Valley Rd and down the Fingerboard Spur towards Poverty Point Bridge. It’s a nice walk along the valley high above the Thomson River. For some reason I thought the track was down on the river but that wasn’t the case. The rock table and chairs along the way was interesting and crossing Poverty Point Bridge offers some nice views up and down the valley. Only a few km to go now I could hear cars below me on Walhalla Rd then the town comes into view. Past Long Tunnel Mine and down the stairs to the rotunda and there’s the missus…I’m right on time. Let’s grab a hot pie and sauce.

Wasn’t a bad walk and best done when the roads have closed. I just wish it had of snowed two days earlier.

Gate on the AAWT near O'Sheas

Fingerboard Spur Track on Thomson Valley Rd

Fingerboard Spur Track

High above the Thomson River

Table for two please

Poverty Point Bridge

View back to Baw Baw

Walhalla

Long Tunnel mine

Rotunda and end of journey

Last edited by GBW on Thu 30 May, 2019 11:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[CraigVIC]

Great photos, thanks for posting this. Had a chuckle looking at that photo of Starling Gap. Looks like a lovely picnic spot in the pic. When I was there a couple of months back it was a mud pit with the most miserable bunch of car campers I've ever seen huddled under that info shelter out of the rain.

Your walk was a lot further than anything I had planned though and good inspiration. Cheers.

[bigkev]

Thanks for the great report and photos GBW. I looked at it too when I passed the turn off on the AAWT.

One day....

[crollsurf]

Great report and photos, thanks. Does look like a lot of road walking but beautiful scenery. I'd jump at the chance to walk it.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[GBW]

Thanks guys, it was a different walk to what I'm used to but very relaxing. The worst road sections are Boundary and Toorongo Rd, the rest is a bit like a firetrail until you reach the base of Baw Baw in Newlands where it becomes a bushbash. Someone needs to go down that track with a brushcutter and save it from the forest. The AAWT from the UYT to Whitelaw Hut also needs a trim in places.

The original track up via Yarra Falls must have been spectacular in its day. I found this article interesting proposing a link from Melbourne to Canberra via the AAWT. Hope it happens.

https://themountainjournal.wordpress.co ... ing-track/

[neilmny]

Great report and pictures GBW, thanks posting.

[Watertank]

GBW, Thanks for such a great report- I appreciate the effort you have put into making it so comprehensive - lots of inspiration for future walking.

[nezumi]

I'm wondering about the possibility of doing part of this route by bike over 3-4 days, possibly incorporating some of the Lilydale - Warburton and Moe - Yallourn rail trails.

How viable would this be while avoiding the "bikes forbidden" areas (I am willing to carry the bike for up to 1km at a time, especially if it gets me into camp.

[Uncle Rumple]

Hi GBW - I too really enjoyed your notes and photos but am wondering if it could be done a bit quicker in the summer months with longer days etc

How accurate are the distances you list? In your very first para for the Day 1 notes you write "I allowed 7 days to cover the 130k" but if I add all your daily distances I get 143km, with your Days 6, 7 and 8 (on the AAWT) being 15, 15 and 14km for a total of 44km.

Chapman, who I admit is always optimistic with his distances, shows the same path from Whitelaw Hut to Walhalla as 37.3km.

Is it possible your Days 1-5 might be a bit shorter than the 99km I get if I add your daily distances?

Thks again for a great post.

[GBW]

The GPS always seems to be over so daily distances may be slightly off but I did add a couple of km walking down the Mountain Monarchs track near Mt Erica carpark. Also at off Newlands Rd there's a lake I looked at (maybe an extra 5-6k) and at Frangipani Saddle walked south for a look following a possible route to Tanjil Bren for a future walk. You could easily do it faster. I was hampered by a sore knee the entire walk which slowed my progress greatly so you could do it a lot faster and it's easy apart from the route up from Newlands to the AAWT. I also did an extra couple of k getting water off Road 20 near Mt Horsfall. I did it on the bike over Christmas last year to Bairnsdale following roughly the same route but went around the top of Baw Baw and down Thomson Valley rd. It took me 2 days to get to Stronachs from Bundoora via Warburton.

[Baeng72]

Any cartographers out there, feel free to fling poo if you have it, but here goes:
If you look on a map, the distance is horizontal.
If the terrain the map covers has a change in altitude, a vertical component, which this walk does, then you will naturally be walking a greater distance than the map distance.
Think of a triangle. The bottom edge is the map distance, the vertical edge is change in altitude. The hypotenuse is what you're walking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypotenuse
If this isn't wrong, it explains greater distances than what might be in a guide book or map.

[GBW]

I think it's more due to the GPS inaccuracy. As you can see from the following even though I was stationary for 20 minutes the GPS still recorded a distance traveled of 199 meters which over a day could add up to an extra couple of km.

[Baeng72]

Fair point. You picture reminded me of my Garmin device, saying I was travelling 0.1 km/h when I was stationary.

[Uncle Rumple]

Thks everyone for your comments. After plodding 600+ km on the AAWT IN 100km blocks over 6 years my theory is that Chapman’s distances are low because he had his GPS ‘pinging’ at say every 5 minutes to reduce battery drain

Longer times between pings gives a path made up of small straight lines which will always be shorter that a curved path created with pings every (say) 30 seconds.

Well that’s my theory anyway!

[Baeng72]

I recorded a track ascending Bungalow Spur up to Fed. Hut, at 9.74 km, and the same route down at 8.7km. On the route up, I doing sections of bush-bashing according to the track.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Impressive !

[Uncle Rumple]

Hi GBW

Based on your great trip report and photos, four of us did this walk a few weeks ago. We did it in 6 ½ days, for a total of 148km as recorded by my old Garmin Oregon, as follows:

Day 1 – Big Pat’s to New Federal Mill – 21.6km

Day 2 – NFM to McMahon’s Creek – 25.9km
We were getting anxious when we couldn’t find your dam along Boundary Rd so took a left turn through a locked gate 1km down to McMahon’s Ck and found beautiful water and a great campsite at 039171 (I hope I’ve got this nomenclature right!)

Day 3 – McMahon’s Ck to Mt Horsfall Helipad – 21.6km (again)
Needless to say after a steep 1km heart starter back up to Boundary Rd we found your dam a little further along the road – but I think the diversion to McMahon’s was worth it

We figured there would be water at Davies No2 Mill site (for the mill boiler) so didn’t bother with the side trip down Nth Loch Rd and sure enough there was – go through the locked gate, follow the RH side of the clearing down to another great creek at 133192

Day 4 – Mt Horsfall to Newlands Rd – 24.7km
We awoke with our head above the clouds in the valleys below and had a really beautiful walk east off Mt H. A highlight was the lyrebird which flew across the path just in front of me.

Toorongo Rd was an unpleasant slog with two empty log trucks and two 4WDs all going uphill but other than that we saw no more traffic than you did with closed roads in May

We walked past the turnoff to your other dam and camped near the fourth Thomson River crossing so we could get an early start on the climb up to the AAWT

Day 5 – Newlands Rd to Mt St Gwinear/Rock Shelter – 18.2km
Getting up to the AAWT was a doddle compared to what you experienced. Some kind person had been through with a chainsaw to clear the trees across the path, and there was even the occasional pink ribbon. We did it in 1 ½ hours with two short stops – a fast group could do it in an hour. The AAWT to Whitelaws Hut site was more difficult than the walk up – some chainsaw work is needed here

We had just put our tents up at the Rock Shelter when a very well organised group of ten Year 9 schoolgirls and two leaders arrived from the east on the last night of a 4 day trip. They set up their camp with great efficiency. I was impressed.

Day 6 Rock Shelter to O’Sheas Mill - 21.9km
The highlight was seeing a 90mm long yellow/brown crayfish-like critter on the path down from Mt Erica. He had his claws out in front, not splayed at 45 degrees like a yabbie. Somebody might know what it was from this scientific description

O’Sheas was a bit of a disappointment – very leachy with not much flat ground, offset by the table, toilet and river for a wash.

Day 7 – O’Sheas to Walhalla – 14.1km
Poverty Point Bridge is now closed for assessment/repairs

Overall it was a great walk. It doesn't have the mountain majesty of Mt Howitt, the Crosscut Saw and Mt Spec, but does have (mostly) great forest scenery and not too many ups and downs. It should be on everyone’s list. The logistics of getting to the start, and home from the finish are also easy.

Thks once again for your notes and photos without which we wouldn’t have considered it.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Stronarch' s Camp to St. Phillack saddle on the AAWT will be cleared by BTAC on the weekend after Easter 2021.

[neilmny]

..............

Day 6 Rock Shelter to O’Sheas Mill - 21.9km
The highlight was seeing a 90mm long yellow/brown crayfish-like critter on the path down from Mt Erica. He had his claws out in front, not splayed at 45 degrees like a yabbie. Somebody might know what it was from this scientific description

Possibly the endangered Victorian Burrowing Crayfish?
https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/article ... g-crayfish

[Uncle Rumple]

Hi Neil - yes that looks like him. Thks for following this up for me.

[meemaamoo]

Hi GBW, thanks for this resource. Based on your trip report we have just completed the route in September 2022, with a visit to the Ski Village added in and a diversion at the end due to snow. Water supply was a non-issue because of the heavy rains.

Day 1: Warburton to New Federal Mill - thunderstorms, hail, rain, mud, a river crossing and masses of leeches. New Fed Mill has a shelter (and tent platforms), so we ended up pitching our tent under it between picnic tables which was a relief as the heavy rain continued all night. We collected our water from the last river crossing before New Fed Mill.

Day 2: To Boundary Road - mist, rain, road walking, leeches. We also camped by the side of the road near the little dam on Boundary Road. It's not on the map but it's there. Bramble residue at the campsite punctured a few pieces of gear (my mat, camel pak - not through the tent floor but by carelessly putting things on the ground) before we figured it out and took more care.

Day 3: To Horsfall Summit - sunny, short day, road walking, lovely views and easy flat grassy camping. We diverted down a side road past a locked gate to collect some water from a stream before arriving at camp.

Day 4: To Thomson River Xing - more road walking, lyrebirds galore! We also went past the little dam turn off and opted to camp by the forth Thomson River crossing (as Uncle Rumple above has mentioned) Nice fresh water from the river and pretty campspot by the road.

Day 5: To Baw Baw Village - easy ascent up the upper yarra track to the AAWT. It was not overgrown, just a few blow downs. The spring snow began around Mt Whitelaw and this section was a struggle without snow shoes. No visible path, so navigating, altitude and with the melty snow it was pretty physically/mentally challenging. Saved by a hot shower and hot meal at the ski village (booked a room in advance at the Frosti Lodge).

Day 6: Due to the snow, we changed to plan B - we detoured down Sth Face Rd To Rawson - 35km of road walking through thick mists. A bit of a slog but better than facing another day of snow collapsing beneath our feet! We ended

Had a fantastic hike and loved the wild camping. Saw no other hikers for the whole trip, just a handful of 4WDs, snowboarders and some snow shoe tracks up on Baw Baw. Thanks again!