Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WEST GIPPSLAND
The Princes Hwy heads east from Melbourne to the Latrobe Valley, an area known for its
dairy farming and coal-fired power stations. Avoid the main towns of Moe, Morwell and
Traralgon and head instead for the coast, or north into the foothills of the Great Dividing
Range, where you'll find Baw Baw National Park, the Thomson Dam and the historic gold-
mining town of Walhalla.
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Walhalla
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As you travel along the Latrobe Valley, there's little to suggest that a mere 35km north of
the main road is Victoria's best-preserved and most charming historic town. Tiny Walhalla
lies hidden high in the green hills and forests of west Gippsland, a postcard-pretty collec-
tion of sepia-toned period cottages and other timber buildings (some original, most recon-
structed). The setting, too, is gorgeous, strung out along a deep, forested valley with
Stringers Creek running through the centre of the township.
Gold was discovered here on 26 December 1862, although the first find was not re-
gistered until January 1863, which is when the gold rush really began. In its gold- mining
heyday, Walhalla's population was 5000. It fell to just 10 people in 1998 (when mains elec-
tricity arrived in the town). Like all great ghost towns, the dead that are buried in the stun-
ningly sited cemetery vastly outnumber the living.
AUSTRALIAN ALPS
WALKING TRACK
One of Australia's best and most challenging walks, the Australian Alps Walking Track begins in Walhalla and
ends close to Canberra. This 655km epic traverses the valleys and ridgelines of Victoria's High Country, and en
route to Tharwa in the ACT it climbs to the summit of Mt Bogong, Mt Kosciuszko and Bimberi Peak, the highest
points in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT respectively. Making the full trek is a serious undertaking that
requires good navigational skills and high levels of fitness and self-sufficiency. If you're planning on making the
trek, which takes up to eight weeks to complete, track down a copy of
Australian Alps Walking Track
by John and
Monica Chapman.
