Victoria's Forgotten Corner

Beyond Omeo, the mountains of the victorian high country see fewer travellers. Once east of the snowy river, it’s even more remote.

- Ron Moon

The track was carpeted with twigs, branches and leaves from the surrounding forest, but it was otherwise smooth and easy going for most of the way, testimony to the low use of the track. We were searching for remnants of the Victoria Star Mine but little did we know we had driven past the major site hidden as it is, amongst the verdancy of Far East Gippsland.

Our trip had started a few days previously when we left the mountain township of Omeo and headed east looking for less-frequented spots to enjoy in the Victorian High Country. Our first night had been spent camped at a remote, little-used campsite on the edge of Limestone Creek, north of the Limestone CreekBlack Mountain road that cuts through this section of High Country, west of the mighty Snowy River. Our camp beside the mountain stream was everything you look for in a bush camp: a shady glade amongst trees that weren’t so tall to be a danger, a small creek with mountain-fresh and clean water flowing past, green grass beneath our feet, and an abundance of firewood within 100 metres. Pure heaven with nobody within cooee, while dingos called during the night and the snort of a wild stallion guarding its mares woke us in the morning.

We had settled in for a few days but rain that first night continued into the morning and sent us scurrying out of this mountain fastness, the steep tracks becoming decidedly slippery after rain and no place for a four-wheel drive with a camper on the back, even one as capable as my 79 Cruiser.