High Country Cruising

Dargo, High Country Victoria, Australia
By Craig Sheather

Driving into the High Country in Victoria is like entering another world. With its breath-taking landscape of rugged mountain ranges, elevated plateaus, deep river valleys, and lush forests of tall timbers, it really does feel like you’ve set foot on another planet. Given that I have travelled to many parts of the world, I was shocked that I had never explored the fascinating region which is only a stone’s throw away from my home in Albury.

Aborigines embarked on annual visits to the mountains thousands of years ago to feast on Bogong moths, which migrate to the Alpine areas each year in the summer months. In a convoy of eight 4×4s, I was now ready to make the same pilgrimage to indulge in the spectacular scenery and to tackle some of the best four-wheel driving in Australia.

After turning onto the Dargo High Plains road we stopped at the edge of the Alpine National Park to visit the headstone of my friend Brett’s grandfather whose ashes were spread across the snow plain a few kilometers from Treasure’s Homestead. His grandfather spent his whole life in the high country driving cattle and working the land. When he died his wish was to have his ashes spread over the land that he loved so much. The headstone is situated surrounded by snow gums and is nestled amongst the mountain clouds. It is a fitting resting place for a true bush cattleman.

Driving along the mountain peaks it’s obvious how the High Country got its name – height of the mountains and it is certainly far from the bright lights of the city.

Trying to negotiate many of the tight hairpin bends and steep roads made me more nervous than a mother roo in a roomful of pickpockets. I was certain we would slip over the side and tumble down into the valley below. When we finally reached the gorge below I thought we would need a snorkel to cross the many river crossings.

We finally reached the old gold mining township of Talbotville, which is positioned on a large bend of the Crooked River. The historic area is regarded as one of the best camping sites in the High Country. Towns such as Grant, Talbotville, Winchester and Bull-town were carved out of the harsh wilderness and linked up by numerous trails when gold was discovered in 1860. There are numerous abandoned mines, old mining relics, ruins and cemeteries. Some are easy to find among the peppermint trees, others are concealed within the deep gullies of the Crooked River or have been swallowed by blackberries or thick undergrowth. The once flourishing community is nothing more than a ghost town.

In 1917 the district was thrown into a state of mayhem, murder and mystery when two men by the name of Barclay and Bamford rode towards Talbotville to cast their vote at a referendum and were never seen alive again. Barclay was found shot dead, and Bamford’s body was found under a log pile nearly a year later close to Howitt Hut, 20 kilometers away. The whodunit is yet to be solved.

Today, many believe the gold is still there and I even saw one devoted prospector searching for that elusive pot of gold. But I was not interested in unearthing a pot of gold, I was more keen to locate the Dargo pub where I could settle down to a refreshing pot of frosty lager.

After a night of siting around the camp fire, enjoying a few beers and a few laughs I took off at sunrise the next day with the intention of catching a feed of fish for breakfast. The crystal clear waters of the high country contain spooky little trout that offer keen fishos a real challenge and great fun. Like most of my fishing expeditions, the challenge was too great and I came back empty handed.

After packing up camp we hit the road towards Dargo. Well that’s where we thought we were headed. Our chief map-reader and navigator miscalculated a turn-off and after an hour we finally realised we were going in the wrong direction.

After such a long dusty drive we sure had had a dry throat so we were thrilled to finally reach the Dargo Pub. At last I could finally wet my whistle with a nice cold beer. The pub is haven for 4WD enthusiasts, motorcyclists, hikers, anglers and travellers and that evening I shared a drink with all types of adventurers and bush characters.