S 37° 7' 40.46"
E 146° 29' 53.99"
Unbeknownst to many, Australia has a mountain range tall enough to receive significant snowfall each winter. In fact, it accumulates enough snow to support multiple ski resorts complete with chairlifts, lodges and all the trimmings. Stretching South down the East Coast from Sydney, the Great Dividing Range passes near the nation’s capital of Canberra, creates Australia’s tallest mountain and slowly peters out further south in central Victoria.
The Victorian region, known locally simply as “The High Country” is a place I have dreamed of exploring for longer than I can remember.
Starting on the road to one of the biggest Ski Resorts, Mt. Buller, I turn off the pavement onto gravel, aiming roughly in the direction of Mt. Sterling - a local favourite ski mountain that has no lift access. Surrounded by pine trees and with distant towering mountains I immediately feel as if I’m in an alternate-universe version of BC, Canada. The dense eucalyptus trees and bright red dust indicate something isn’t quite the same.
Over the next two days I summit Mt. Sterling in the Jeep, explore the area immediately surrounding Craig’s Hut - a kind of wilderness log cabin made infamous in an Australian TV Series and movies, The Man From Snowy River. The Jeep eats up the mountain tracks, with confidence inspiring grip and control on mixed gravel, mud and clay.
I move deeper into the mountains, traversing first the remote Ridge Track where I don’t encounter another vehicle for 24 hours while bumping along at tree line. In the late afternoon I simply find a clearing to make camp, and after sunset the stars are nothing short of breathtaking.
In the coming days I make a beeline for the tiny mountain town of Dargo, infamous for it’s pub that is a must-visit for all 4x4 enthusiasts. Resupplying with food, water and fuel I set out t explore a couple of the region’s most famous tracks.
Up First is Billy Goat’s Bluff Track, a steep descent on a Ridgeline straight to valley bottom. The track is rocky a seriously narrow with cliff drops on both sides, only a couple of feet from the tires.
In the afternoon I move North back towards ski country, and tackle the Blue Rag track, another steep and rocky ridge drive directly into the alpine. Driving down at sunset is a highlight, and the expansive views make it difficult to keep my eyes on the track ahead.
With the recent addition of a fully-featured kitchen, my Jeep Gladiator house-on-weels is all-but complete, and it feels great to be able to get more remote for longer and longer stints. All the systems are working as designed, and the complete package is everything I hoped it would be.
The expedition has now covered 6,000 trouble free miles, and I’m once again excited for the next adventures on the horizon - with COVID restrictions easing, it’s time to explore a whole new state of Australia - and in fact a whole new island!
-Dan Grec