Roadtrippin'

There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
That the colt from old Regret had got away,
And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound,
So all the cracks had gathered to the fray.
All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far
Had mustered at the homestead overnight,
For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are,

Hallowing words indeed; the first stanza from The Man From Snowy River by renowned Australian poet Banjo Patterson has become synonymous with the Australian bushland it details. Directly entwined with the verses; Craig's Hut (that is, the home of the fabled Man from Snowy River) , situated in Northeast Victoria is a landmark of some virtue, yet in the face of it's more famous rival Mt. Buller, directly opposite the mountain Craigs Hut sits on, the site is often overlooked.

Banjo's famous verses start this post due to it's significant link to my latest adventure.A close friend and I have been planning to visit Craig's Hut for sometime now, as part of a road trip. An impromptu 20 minute phone call early in the morning led to us leaving around 12:30, with the aim of reaching Craigs Hut by nightfall and watching the sunset illuminate the stunning countryside, cliffs and the sheer beauty of the mountainous area. Seemingly with hours to spare, we decided to take it slow and take in the surrounding areas as well.. Famous last words and all that.  

Making extremely good time in reaching the alpine town of Mansfield, we decided to take in the small town of Jamison (literally a two building town, one of them being a pub!) which is a gorgeous town around 40km out of Mansfield seemingly in the middle of nowhere; yet perpetually surrounded by natural beauty.

There we decided to recharge our batteries .. by charging into a river! Breathtakingly refreshing and clear as glass, fed by the snow of the region it was one of the best thing's we could have down. Afterwards we sat on the rivers enbankment for a while whilst one of us dried off after falling in(not me! haha)

Eventually we decided to head off to what could be considered the main attraction of the area, the snow haven of Mt. Buller. As a result of the heat we've already started to experience the snow has gone, leaving seemingly awkward semi-scrubland and grass that now lies in it's place. The entire resort was like a ghost town, the bustling center during snow season reduced to paved paths and an eerie silence. 

Quickly realizing that time was running out if we wanted to make the ascent to Craigs Hut on Mt. Stirling, we raced down the mountain before the sudden realization that we did not actually know how to get to Craig's Hut. What can only be described as a 4WD track, we pursued our goal regardless, in my friend's Volvo, which safe to say was struggling with the rugged terrain.

Unfortunately this is when we became stuck. Tearing along the slight road, with no directions nor any true sense of where we had to go; we followed the trail as far as possible before attempting to bring in the cavalry (I'm sure they like to be known as 'mum and dad') for some directions.

 Ringing them literally in the middle of a mountain, we were devestated to hear the news (after a lot of yelling in the background, particulary at myself for being an 'intrepid idiot') that the trail to Craig's Hut was closed off due to the recent downpour in the areas.

Forced to head back to Mansfield for the night, dejected at having failed at our original goal of watching the sunset from an now unattainable location. We set a new goal of rising early and watching the sunrise from the peaks of Mt. Buller. To allay our own disappointment, we turned back time and watched the Disney classic Aristocats on an old VCR. I still contend 'Everyone Wants to be a Cat" is one of the all-time great songs, nay, moments of movie history.

Waking up at 5am, we quickly hit the road in search of the sun that had eluded our grasp the day before. Arising early allowed us to view what can only be described as one of the true wonders of the world. Make your own judgment.

 

 

  

 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:1)

1. Play Laser Tag in a Suit
2. Play in my Church's Worship Band. 
3. Go on a spontaneous roadtrip
4. Watch the sunrise from the top of a mountain.