Victorian track and road closures discussion

[Lophophaps]

I cannot find advice about where the road is closed. Is it possible to drive to the Big Hill turnoff? This is close to Mount Beauty with no deep or steep cuttings. The problem is that the Big Hill Road and higher towards Fainters may fall over.

[GBW]

https://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/incidents/4976667

[Lophophaps]

GBW, thanks. See https://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/incidents/4976667
"Bogong High Plains Road CLOSED between Cranky Charlie and Falls Creek due to landslide at Bogong Village."
Cranky Charlie Fire Track is about 4 kilometres from the picnic shelter at the first climb out of Mount Beauty. Cranky Charlie is marked on my map as the flat loop at the Big Hill Track, perhaps 500 metres past Cranky Charlie Track.

The VicRoads advice is unclear. Do they mean Cranky Charlie Track or Cranky Charlie at the Big Hill Track? Also, the map shows the closure at or near the picnic shelter. It's confusing.

[Xplora]

GBW, thanks. See https://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/incidents/4976667
"Bogong High Plains Road CLOSED between Cranky Charlie and Falls Creek due to landslide at Bogong Village."
Cranky Charlie Fire Track is about 4 kilometres from the picnic shelter at the first climb out of Mount Beauty. Cranky Charlie is marked on my map as the flat loop at the Big Hill Track, perhaps 500 metres past Cranky Charlie Track.

The VicRoads advice is unclear. Do they mean Cranky Charlie Track or Cranky Charlie at the Big Hill Track? Also, the map shows the closure at or near the picnic shelter. It's confusing.

I wouldn't get too concerned. Cranky Charlie bend would be the nominal closure point because it is easier to turn people around there. If you wanted to go down Big Hill track I doubt you would be stopped. Plenty of MTB off there which will not be stopped. I don't know why it had to be taken all the way back from to Cranky Charlie when Bogong Village is available for people to get to safely unless there are concerns of more slips.

Things are obviously getting worse. It will be interesting to see if Trapyard Gap gate will close again for the weekend with the expected weather. This long weekend would not be a good time to visit the area anyway. Cold, wet, snowy and windy.

[GBW]

Story about the landslide here... https://www.theage.com.au/national/vict ... BUA-bPxtns

[Xplora]

It wasn't too long ago the resort management wouldn't give a hoot about summer income. Not good for those who are trying to stay open in summer. Paramedics are stationed at Falls Creek permanently during winter so I wonder if things will change in time to include summer. Serious injuries are usually choppered out as there is no hospital close enough that can deal with trauma. Neither Mt. Beauty or Omeo have X-ray or an Emergency department.

[scroggin]

This is where the road is closed from.

The red sign I believe says "Big Hill Rd"

[Lophophaps]

It looks like Big Hill, which means that Big Hill FT can be used to get to the High Plains from the Mount Beauty side. There's sheltered, flat and somewhat rocky camping at the car park, and what should be reliable water a short way down the track past the gate. Fainters will be reached by noon-3 pm, depends on the start time and speed.

[Xplora]

See here for the latest on BHP closure

V2 Bogong Landslip - November 2022_.pdf

(1.25 MiB) Downloaded 253 times

[Biggles]

See here for the latest on BHP closure

V2 Bogong Landslip - November 2022_.pdf

Very interesting. And a thorough bugger to summer plans...
But the looks of the worst-case scenario, the impact on Bogong Village would be very considerable, with no absolute guarantee it wouldn't affect homes there.
How many people are actually full-time residents of Bogong Village (all year)? I suspect a few are associated with the power station nearby.

[Xplora]

See here for the latest on BHP closure

V2 Bogong Landslip - November 2022_.pdf

Very interesting. And a thorough bugger to summer plans...
But the looks of the worst-case scenario, the impact on Bogong Village would be very considerable, with no absolute guarantee it wouldn't affect homes there.
How many people are actually full-time residents of Bogong Village (all year)? I suspect a few are associated with the power station nearby.

Its a weird setup at Bogong Village. Land is leased to private people and AGL doesn't have any work cottages that I know of. You can still access the park via Omeo Hwy and if you live in Melbourne it will only cost you an hour or less to drive via Wodonga and Mitta Mitta. The bugger to summer plans is probably more for the resort which had a very busy program.

[Biggles]

There remains a huge number of Parks and Reserves closed due to floods and storm events, more coming from today's outrageously rough weather (sleet, almost snow here in Castlemaine, followed by hail, a torrential downpour, then sun. Rinse and repeat!

https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/get-into-n ... n_Victoria

[Biggles]

See here for the latest on BHP closure

V2 Bogong Landslip - November 2022_.pdf

Very interesting. And a thorough bugger to summer plans...
But the looks of the worst-case scenario, the impact on Bogong Village would be very considerable, with no absolute guarantee it wouldn't affect homes there.
How many people are actually full-time residents of Bogong Village (all year)? I suspect a few are associated with the power station nearby.

Its a weird setup at Bogong Village. Land is leased to private people and AGL doesn't have any work cottages that I know of. You can still access the park via Omeo Hwy and if you live in Melbourne it will only cost you an hour or less to drive via Wodonga and Mitta Mitta. The bugger to summer plans is probably more for the resort which had a very busy program.

I will consider the Omeo Highway detour, as I really want to see Wallaces Hut after a long time of no-see (15 years). Also plans to walk to Feathertop, but that's a separate matter and touch-wood, all good to go along the Alpine Road. Looks to me from reading that Falls has suffered a massive blow with the closure of the road. Not something they would need or want on the back of COVID trouble, but nature is nature. Couldn't the 4WD landslip bypass track on the map be tidied up to make it all-vehicle accessible somehow?

[Xplora]

A good time to visit Wallaces hut. The restoration work is complete and you might actually be able to get a photo of it without a person getting in the way. There is no way the temporary road could be used for the amount of traffic Falls Creek gets. I believe it is only one lane. Not a good thing for businesses that have struggled for a couple of years but Falls are only just starting to realise it has to do things in summer to survive. For many years the resort management just couldn't care about anything other than snow season. The summer was all about building things for the next winter. 20 years ago a lodge owner tried to get a mountain bike hire business going but got no support. Even the current trail network took some push.

Lots of flood damage to roads from Albury to Mitta Mitta and a bit more heavy vehicle traffic on the highway and BHP road from Shannonvale to watch out for. Snow on the Highway yesterday around Mt Wills. Weird times.

[GregR]

Went up the Howitt Rd last Friday morning to walk out to Mac Springs and onwards before the storms hit. In my opinion the road from Arbuckle junction to Howitt Carpark is 4WD high clearance only at the moment. I got as far as just past Howitt Hut in my AWD Territory before refusing to go any further thru the numerous bog & rutted mud holes, turned around and I walked in from the Howitt Hut.

Considering the weather since it can only be worse.

The last time I drove up there I was still gainfully employed and managed to get a low slung, low profile tyres, sport suspension VW Passat (Company Car) all the way to the trail head during late December. The Road last week was pretty ordinary to say the least.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

With The Mt. Beauty to Falls Creek road shut until March at the latest assessments of the landslide near Bogong Village, the FHAC will not be pumping out the visitors this green season at all. However the resort managemnet have requested bushwalkers who do make it to FC/ BHP to register with the resort . This is because emergency help is now over two hours away in Omeo now.

[CraigVIC]

Don't think that has anything to do with bushwalkers PCV, just residents.

[Xplora]

With The Mt. Beauty to Falls Creek road shut until March at the latest assessments of the landslide near Bogong Village, the FHAC will not be pumping out the visitors this green season at all. However the resort managemnet have requested bushwalkers who do make it to FC/ BHP to register with the resort . This is because emergency help is now over two hours away in Omeo now.

Craig is correct. You are only being asked to register if you enter the resort area and it is not compulsory either. This is part of the resort emergency management plan so it can inform people if there is a need to evacuate for some reason. Emergency response to BHP for life threatening or serious incidents will be about the same time as it always has been. It depends on where the helicopter is but I would say 1.5 hrs. The Omeo paramedics may not be available 24/7 so any land based crew would come from Bairnsdale or Lakes Entrance for less serious matters.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I stand corrected but even still the present FHAC route will not be busy at all this summer unless the walkers all start and finish at Mt. Hotham.

[Xplora]

I stand corrected but even still the present FHAC route will not be busy at all this summer unless the walkers all start and finish at Mt. Hotham.

That is assuming it would be busy even if the road was open.

[Zapruda]

I stand corrected but even still the present FHAC route will not be busy at all this summer unless the walkers all start and finish at Mt. Hotham.

I saw 3 separate groups that were headed to Hotham from Falls Creek on Friday. They are being driven in via Omeo. Apparently a couple of locals are shuttling people around.

[Xplora]

I stand corrected but even still the present FHAC route will not be busy at all this summer unless the walkers all start and finish at Mt. Hotham.

I saw 3 separate groups that were headed to Hotham from Falls Creek on Friday. They are being driven in via Omeo. Apparently a couple of locals are shuttling people around.

Some people just get it in their head it is so much further to go via Omeo whereas in reality it is about 30km further. The road is better going the other way and for people who don't like narrow roads with sheer drops it would be a deterrent. Happy for that sort of person to stay away as they tend to drive in the middle or the road and cut corners.

[lawyervine]

Does anyone have any info on walking access to the area after the landslide and road closure? I was specifically looking at going down the Spring Saddle track and up Spion Kopje as part of a planned walk in the near future and wasn't sure whether getting too close to Bogong Village would be frowned upon or just flat out a no go at the moment.

[Lophophaps]

As far as I'm aware the High Plains Road is blocked just above the Big Hill turnoff. Any tracks on the Spion Kopje side up to the Big Hill turnoff are accessible. I do not know if walking on the road past the road closed sign is allowed. It may be possible to do this up to the landslide. Beyond that point is risky. You can drive to the Big Hill car park, 2WD, with sheltered and flat if somewhat rocky camping. From there go eastish past the gate then south.

[Xplora]

It is possible there will be one lane open in 2 months if that fits your time frame. Access to Spione Kopje would have to be from the Omeo Hwy side and Watchbed Creek. You could get to Spring Saddle track and walk down it but I think you are pushing your luck walking near Bogong Village. Spring Saddle to Howmans to access Spione Kopje is still a slog and if you are only looking for a way to get around the slip to access Spione Kpoje then going that way is even more of a slog. I don't know how far down you can drive from Falls Creek Village. None of that has been discussed as far as I know but it might be a better option. Howmans Gap is the resort boundary so you might still be OK. From my experience, contacting the resort management for information on this is pretty much useless but you could try. Good luck. Welcome to the forum.

[Xplora]

Interestingly I just had a call from Falls Creek management discussing other things and I happened to ask if there was access past Falls creek and he said you can drive down to the old powder keg. That means you can access Howmans gap and Spione Kopje from the Omeo side.

[Lophophaps]

https://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/
Bogong High Plains Road (C531), Big Hill Road, Mount Beauty to Road 24, Falls Creek is closed. Gippsland fires and storms may have affected access to other places.

[Baeng72]

https://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/
Bogong High Plains Road (C531), Big Hill Road, Mount Beauty to Road 24, Falls Creek is closed. Gippsland fires and storms may have affected access to other places.

Is BHP Road closed, or just a lane closed?

[neilmny]

Is BHP Road closed, or just a lane closed?

Closed from Big Hill Road to Road 24.

[Baeng72]

Thanks, when I checked the traffic site I only saw the bit about the lane closure, I think I accidentally drilled down to that location, not the road as a whole or something.