Exploring the Rubicon State Forest Day 1 of 2
Date and time: 7 December 2019, 9.00am
Description: For the final trip of the year we will be exploring tracks, historic sites and huts in the Rubicon State Forest, north of Marysville. The trip can be taken as either a weekend trip or as separate day trips on the Saturday or Sunday, as we will camp at the Keppel Creek campground on the Saturday night which is easily accessed for arrivals or departures, being 6km from Buxton along a sealed road. Please make a separate registration for both days if you will be taking the trip as a weekend event.
On Saturday, we will commence the trip leaving the Kendalls campround on the Rubicon Road (6 km off the Taggerty-Thornton Road) at 9.00am Saturday morning and return to Taggerty by around 3.00 pm on the Sunday. We will visit the Rubicon Valley Historic Area, pass through the Cathedral Range State Park, viewing spectacular rock formations, before arriving at the Keppel Creek campground.
On Sunday morning we will depart from the Keppel Creek campground at 9.00am visiting Keppel Hut and Whisky Creek Hut before heading east and then north following the tributaries of Snobs Creek to the west of Mount Torbreck, before heading west to end the trip at Taggerty.
The Rubicon Historic Area has a number of trestle bridges, old tramways and sawmill sites and remnants of the old Royston Power Station and Winch House.
Tents or swags only.
The relevant map is the Rooftop’s Big River-Rubicon-Woods Point Forest Activities Map.
Weather: Weather can be variable within mountain ranges and forests so bring appropriate clothing and footwear.
Equipment: Vehicles to have 4WD low range capability, good ground clearance, good AT tyres and be UHF radio equipped. Usual recovery gear is to be carried.
Trip standard : Medium
Fuel: A full tank ex Mansfield or Alexandra
Convoy limit: 10 vehicles
Trip leaders: Graeme and Carolyn Allen. Contact Graeme on 0477488434 or at graeme.allen86@gmail.com if you have any queries.
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POST TRIP REPORT
DAY 1. 9 vehicles. Left Kendalls campground 0900. Royston River Rd, Rubicon River Rd, Tom Burns Tk to Rubicon River ford. Tk blocked by many fallen trees. Not cleared since seasonal opening. Cleared 10 plus trees before returning to Royston River Rd, Quartz Creek Rd, Rubicon Dam Tk, back to Quartz Creek Rd, Blue Range Rd, Tweed Spur Rd to Cooks Mill. All high range roads/tracks. Cerberus Rd to Keppel Ck campground at 4.30pm. Small campground, no toilets. 74km
DAY 2 . 7 vehicles. Left campground 0900. Mt Margaret Rd, Lady Talbot Drive, Keppell Hut Tk to Keppell Hut. Very good hut with toilets. All high range so far. Many tks still closed being Boundary Tk and Upper Taggerty Tk. Macfadyen Tk rough and very rocky, low range to bridge then high range for rest of Macfadywn Tk, Quartz Creek Rd to Whisky Hut for lunch. Very overgrown track to hut. Could not find rebuilt hut. Only ruined tin hut, Nice lunch spot on Roysten River. Roysten River Rd to Bullfight Rd being a combination of high and low range, some short steep, rocky and rutted sections. Snobs Ck Rd to Herbs Rd, Morris Lookout, continue Herbs Rd to Roysten River Rd. All high range from Snobs Ck Rd, finished at Tin Hut camping area at 4.00pm. 76 km.
