Trailriding in Australia (3) – January 2017
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, Australia.
(Title from the song High Country by Lee Kernaghan and more photos in the photo gallery: A High Country Ride)
Northern Kosciuszko is a popular horse riding area and offers a stunning combination of beautiful scenery and historic huts.
I stared in disbelief at the tiny ramshackle tin hut. Only in Australia, could something so ratty be considered historic. It went by the rather lovely name of Love Nest in the Sallees, the origins of the title being a closely guarded family secret.
“We had a goat when i was a child and it lived in a hut just like that”, my husband commentated. “Maybe that’s the family secret!” Indeed, apart from the old wooden double bed frame sitting on a dirt floor inside, it was as good an explanation as any.
I gently mock, but the huts of Kosciuszko have a devoted following and it would be impossible to visit the park without getting caught up in their history. Many have been lost to time and devastating bush fires, but those that survive are cared for by the admirable Kosciuszko Huts Association (www.khuts.org) and boast their own caretakers.
We were to come across many such examples on our 10 day trail ride round the northern part of Kosciuszko National Park. We started our adventure at Rocky Plains campsite, 1,380m high and just off the main Snowy Mountains Highway with easy access for the truck. We were to stay at such high elevations for the entire time which made it quite an easy trip for the horses.
These heights also have their own unique landscape: the low temperatures create frost pockets in which trees cannot grow, so a large part of the area consists of wild grassy plains, with forested hills to the sides. There are plentiful creeks threading through them and herds of brumbies, or wild horses, everywhere.
Vehicles are largely excluded too, and riding in late January after the holiday rush, meant we had this beautiful country virtually to ourselves. Although there are seven horse campsites in this part of the Park, having two pack horses allowed us to venture further afield and enjoy some lovely wild camping spots.
Places of Refuge
Our first day out could not have been more stunning: following a narrow bridle trail north from the campsite, we soon reached Tanangara Mountain at 1,752m. Blue mountains faded in tiers in the distance and there was a faint sheen of water from Eucumbene Dam. The silvered limbs of ancient snow gums shone in the sun amongst a profusion of wild flowers.
We headed on north over Boggy Plain but rain clouds started building up ominiously and we sought shelter for the night in Witzes Hut. This had been built in 1952 using the mountain ash ‘slabs’ or planks from an 1880’s homestead; newpaper had been used to line the walls in those distant days and could still be seen in places on the wood today.
It was a well preserved tidy hut and we were to be grateful for its shelter and large fireplace as there was torrential rain and wind in the night. I felt sorry for our poor horses huddled in the storm as we were warm and cosy inside.
The following day dawned bright and the good weather held for a week. The roll call of huts continued: Schofields, a shiny new tin one replacing a fire loss, though the fallen fence posts of the old sheep yards spoke of long ago endeavours. Circuits was a large 4 room house with a 50’s era fridge still in situe, with a resident possum. There were a lot of hawthorn trees growing around it: the early settlers often planted Engish trees at their homesteads, perhaps to remind themselves of a land they would never see again.
Grazing Days
Many of the huts in this part of the park date back of to the snow leases which were issued for summer grazing. At one stage there were as many as 48,000 sheep on this land and each lease would have had its hut and yards. Kosciuszko was declared a national park in 1944 and all grazing ceased in 1969. Today there are only about 70 huts left in the entire park but they are popular destinations with hikers, cyclists and trail riders. As in trainspotting, there are hut spotters determined to visit and record each hut.
Our favourite was Townsend’s Hut with a scenic hillside location, and a verandah overlooking a twisty stretch of the Murrumbidgee River. Inside, there is a picture of the original lease holder and a folder on the history of the hut, supplied by his descendants who visit regularly.
We camped below on the pretty banks of the Murrumbidgee, a wide shallow river here and well known for its trout fishing. In the evening, wombats ventured forth like mini bulldozers and we had to chase an inquisitive brumby away from our horses.
We meandered on old vehicle trails over the wide grassy plains. On a detour to Currango Homestead, a well preserved ‘station’ or farm from 1895, we explored dusty barns with an eclectic collection of memorbilia. It is possible to stay in the homestead or there is simple accomodation in the old workers block and Daffodil Cottage which is billed as an old fashioned experience: outdoor ‘dunnies’ (toilets) and no hot water. More information on this as well as general park information can be found at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au.
The nearby plain is occasionally buried under Tantangara Reservoir, but usually dry and we were able to follow rocky granite tors along its floor. A profusion of creeks slowed us down a bit as the young horses hesitated to cross their boggy banks. Simon’s horse launched over one, but floundered and catapulted him off to a luckily soft landing.
We coincided with two national trails at Oldfields Hut, a stop on both the Bicentennial National Trail (a trail primarily for horses, stretching 5,330 km from near Melbourne to north of Cairns) and the Australian Alps Walking Track. We camped here too and enjoyed sunrise over Bimberi, the highest mountain in the Australian Captital Territory on the other side of the creek below us.
The Walking Track followed the same route as us to Ghost Gully, calling in at Old Currango on the way. This characterful old house still retained its original decor, down to the 1940’s Woman’s Weekly papered walls and had a superb outlook over the open plains. From Ghost Gully we took a higher route to the Walking Track and came back out on the Murrumbidgee River. Flowers bloomed after the recent rain and we rode through a carpet of daisies.
Mining Memories
We encountered our first bitumen at Kiandra which was a gold rush town of 1859. However this was largely over by 1861 and today all that remains are a couple of huts and the old courthouse, sitting incongrously in the middle of nowhere on the Snowy Mountains highway. We crossed the highway here and continued south to 4 Mile Hut, an original mining hut from 1937. It is now maintained by a skiing club who ski in in the winter from the nearby Mt Selwyn resort.
This was a charming example of the typical Aussie hut. It was built in 1937 by Bob Hughes who used planks originally destined for tunnel supports in a nearby mine. These were a little short so the gap was filled in meticulously by flattened tin drums, mostly Shell kerosene ones which still display the shell logo in rusty splendor. The nails have their original leather washers and we were transported back through time to Bob’s side as he hammered his little hut together.
The nearby stream is lined with old mullock heaps, but today the peaceful valley only rings with birdsong. From there, it was an easy ride back to our original camp at Rocky Plains, with great views over the aptly named Mount Tabletop before we dropped down to the Eucumbene river. The horses plunged their noses gratefully in the clear waters then we wound our way home to the waiting truck through scattered rocky outcrops.
It had been a fantastic trip and easily accessible as a horse riding destination. For those without horses, there are a couple of outfitters who run riding trips into the park: check out www.cochranhorsetreks.com.au or www.reynellarides.com.au . Riding is also restricted to the summer months, whereas this beautiful country can be accessed all year round on foot – indeed winter with snow on the ground can be the perfect time to enjoy a cosy hut. You never know: you too may find your very own love nest.