Round Mountain Track Head lured us off the road and
here we discovered that we were at 1,600 metres. We took a walk along the
walking track into Jagungal Wilderness for about 1 km, unsuccessfully seeking
Round Mountain Hut and turned back after walking a little way down the Farm
Ridge Track. There were a huge variety of wildflowers and the views across to
Mt Jagungal were awesome. And now we solved the riddle of cars parked in an
unnamed parking area the other side of Tooma Dam – there was a network of
walking/ maintenance tracks through Jagungal Wilderness, past various huts and
up to the top of Mt Jagungal and they all joined up in loops with some
commencing from the other car park.
Further along the road we found Bradley and
O’Brien’s Hut – right by the side of the road. And here the dying embers of a
fire still glowed in the fire place, advertising that someone had camped here
last night.
Continuing onwards, we wound through spectacular
mountain country to eventually overlook the waters of Tumut Ponds way below us,
until we wound lower to the dam wall where we stopped (and encountered a young
couple towing a Jayco amongst some other sightseers). We then wound upwards again, still enjoying
the views of the Ponds surrounded by high mountains – and now orange snow poles
appeared.
Eventually we reached Cabramurra – the highest town
in Australia and the centre of the Snowy Mountains Scheme and a town of neatly
designed identical dwellings with steeply angled rooves. We drove up to
Cabramurra lookout for views over the town (1,488 metres), across the mountains
and up Tumut Valley. This was probably the site of the first town as the site
of the old school was marked with a granite boulder displaying photos and
Lupins grew wild amongst the grasses.
After we visited the neat and immaculate club and
shop complex I concluded that the buildings were probably housing for Snowy
Mountains Authority staff rather than ski lodges (but this was not clear).
We took the gravel Kings Cross Road past ski runs
and the water filled Dry Dam, and across the tops of ranges before detouring
onto the Tumut Pond 4WD Trail to eat lunch at a lookout “on top of the world”.
Then we stayed in this trail and followed it along a ridge across alpine
meadows and then down gradually (and sometimes more steeply) around the side of
one mountain, around a hair-pin bend to hug the side of a neighbouring mountain,
and then edge a creek that flowed into Tumut Ponds.
At the end of the track there was a boat ramp (with
a turnaround requiring backing up a muddy roadside incline) and nearby, some
campers had set up under shady trees. We wandered a tiny way along the edge of
the creek before leaving, and then noticed a large cascade in the creek shortly
before we began to climb back up the mountains.
The prolific display of wildflowers had a lesson to
teach as they performed to their best, nodding gracefully in the breeze,
sustaining insects and harmonising with each other although their life would
only be brief.
Back on Kings Cross Road we now followed it to Mt
Selwyn with its deserted ski runs and complex and then joined the
Cabramurra-Kiandra road near Three Mile Dam and then took it back to the Tooma
Road, still enjoying our romp in the high country as we continued to hug high
and steep forested mountainsides which dropped into deep ravines, as we spiralled
downwards.
We stopped at a lookout towards Tumut 2 Surge Tank
Outlet and were informed that we were now directly above this underground power
station – and the magnitude of the Snowy Mountains Scheme impressed me.
Continuing on, our meanders also followed the
meanders of the Tumut River and we crossed it again as the road switched to the
other side of the gorge, and yet again further along as it changed direction to
flow along a different narrow valley. A third crossing kept us in the same
valley and, at a fourth, a nearby cement walled channel appeared to widen it
considerably and encourage campers to sit by its banks at O’Hare’s Picnic Area.
Then we realised that here the river began to flow into Talbingo Reservoir and
had thus backed up into this area.
We climbed again and left the Reservoir way below us
as we continued up this valley. Then Elliott Way took us away from its waters
and into State forests on a road with lots of corners but less wriggles – and
in lower ranges. Eventually we turned onto the Tumbarumba-Khancoban
road and this took us onto the slopes to look back over farmland to the High
Country ranges.
Remember: Your past has given you the strength and wisdom you have today, so celebrate it. don't let it haunt you. Anon
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