Participant Name Member Number Vehicle Details

25th January

This is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable trips we have been on . We arrived at the Avenel Roadhouse meeting point to find Brain and Susan already waiting . Team Leaders Laurie and Chris joined us for morning tea then we set off up the Hume . Lunch was had at the Yackandandah Bakery where Bob and Sheena joined the group . Laurie provided informative commentary on the way from lunch to our campground pointing out places of interest as we passed by .

We were to meet up with the others at the campground later that night . The Colac Colac Caravan Park where we stayed provided us with lots of shade and lush grass to set our camps up on . The campground is largely deciduous trees that would be a lovely colour in autumn . The shade was to be very appreciated with days in the mid-thirties . The nights would cool nicely to 13-15 degrees making sleeping easy .

26th January

The next day we left the park at 18 degrees and headed to a lookout over Dartmouth Dam and Mt Bogong albeit the view now partly obscured by large trees . Here we aired down before hitting the tracks . We transversed some pleasant tracks through picturesque forests looking out for old gold machinery relics before stopping for morning tea in shade at the site of the old Glen Dart gold town .

Travelling up the Benambra Spur Track , Brian & Lael gave us all a lesson in how to use a drag chain to remove a fallen log ( after four of the seven vehicles had already driven over the log ). From there it was a steady climb up to Mt Benambra 1480m and the fire tower . The tower itself , built in 1984 , is 33m high and the lookout cabin is 10m off the ground . The 360 degree views from the fire tower were spectacular and the officer on duty was happy to identify surrounding points of interest for us and talk about his job . The tower gave a great view of the Dartmouth Dam and Mt Buller was pointed out to us in the distance . This was also our lunch spot .

Taking some more scenic tracks back through the forest we passed the “ Dribbling Waters Spring ”. This had been a job creation project following WWII . As we headed back into camp it was noted that the temperature had risen to 34 degrees and the shade of the campground trees along with the cool drinks were appreciated at fivesees / dinner sitting around chatting afterwards . There was a stage of the National Paragliding Championships held nearby over the weekend and we were rewarded by seeing several paragliders land in the adjacent paddock close by .

Graham & Marie Woods 1363

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34 34 No No . 2 . 2 - March

- March 2017

2017