:
Wonnangatta Station
Cross rivers, experience steep climbs, discover a lush valley filled with wildlife as well as the beauty and history of Wonnangatta Station.
4WD Pack
Hema HX-1 Navigator
Essential information
| Grading | Difficult. Low range and high clearance; heavy 4WD conditions, especially along the Zeka Spur Track |
|---|---|
| Time | Two days with overnight stay |
| Distance | 226km Dargo return, 175km to Licola, 178km to Myrtleford Longest distance without fuel: 226km; two-day endurance in heavy 4WD conditions required |
| Longest drive without fuel |
125km, Dargo to Licola; 1-day endurance in heavy conditions required |
| Fuel & supplies | Dargo, Licola, Myrtleford |
| Best time of year | Summer |
| Warnings | Careful attention should be given to weather conditions when considering this trek. Zeka Spur and Wonnangatta Road are subject to closure between June and late October. Check closures before you set out. If you've got a camper trailer, use the Abbeyard/Lake Buffalo option to get in and out of Wonnangatta. |
| Fire bans | Sections of Alpine National Park will be closed on Code Red (Catastrophic) days |
| Facilities | Dargo, Licola, Myrtleford |
| Important contacts | Dargo DELWP Office Ph (03) 5140 1243 Dargo General Store Ph (03) 5140 1219 Myrtleford Visitor Information Centre Ph 03 5752 1044 |
| Activities | 4WD, Bushwalking, Swimming, Horse Riding |
The Track
View on Hema Cloud | View Fullscreen Map
Using Dargo as a setting off point, head south down Dargo Road to the Short Cut Road or London Stores Corner and go west onto the Crooked River Road. This road will take you along the Wonnangatta River through Black Snake Creek and Kingswell Bridge. Continue on to Eaglevale down the Wonnangatta Road, then onto the Eaglevale Track. Turn north onto the Cynthia Range Track and follow this past Mount Von Guerard to the very steep Herne Spur and the Wonnangatta River. You'll end up crossing the Wonnangatta a couple of times, ultimately crossing the Conglomerate Creek.
The most popular route out of Wonnangatta would be the Zeka Spur Track to the Howitt Plains. From Howitt Plains simply follow Howitt Road 33km south to Arbuckle Junction. After Arbuckle Junction take the Moroka Road, Pinnacles Road and Billy Goat Bluff Track to loop back to Wonnangatta Road. It is a further 33km back to Dargo. Alternatively, from Arbuckle Junction you can take Tamboritha Road for 44km southwest to Licola.
If you have an off-road camper trailer, you should get in and out from the north via Abbeyard and Lake Buffalo. The track will still be rough, but it is better suited for camper trailers. From Myrtleford, use the Buffalo River Road, Abbeyard Road, West Buffalo Track, Harry Shepherd Track and Van Dammes Track to the Wonnangatta Track for the run into the Wonnangatta Station.
Camping
Black Snake Creek, Horseyard Flat, Howitt Hut camping area, Kingswell Bridge bush camping area, Dungeys Hut, Wonnangatta Caravan Park (Ph [03] 5140 1265), Wonnangatta Station Hut camping area.
Things to do
In a lush valley filled with wildlife, Wonnangatta Station offers beauty and history alike. Check out the wire-fenced cemetery or the ruined cattlemen's hut. You'll also find the site of a blacksmith's shop and the burnt ruins of the main homestead with its stone chimney. The main homestead was burnt down accidentally in 1957 but most of the site remains, surrounded by picturesque European trees.
Murder Mystery
It was in 1917 that James Barclay and John Bamford were found murdered out on the Howitt High Plains. Although a Melbourne detective was sent out to investigate, the murderer was never found and it has remained an unsolved mystery to this day.
0 comments