b'CLUB SPOTLIGHT FOUR WHEEL DRIVE VICTORIACenter spreadFWDV REGIONAL W hen the long-awaitedbeyond not wanting to lose anytheir cattle run from Mount Buller REPRESENTATIVES MEETINGBY: SHARYN MCGREGORFour Wheel Drivefellow Regional Reps going up theto Mount Cobbler and would travel Victoria regionalwrong road. through here from about 1900 and reps meeting finallyThe first major turn off Circuitwould camp here at the hut. By arrived on the last weekend ofRoad was left down the King Basinthe 1950s the old hut had become May 2024, it was good to see soRoad toward the King River and asdilapidated and a new larger hut many familiar faces arriving at thethe Parks vehicle cruised aroundwas built in 1957 exactly where Parks Victoria and DEECA office inthe bend and down the track thethis one stands today. Both huts Mansfield. corner was called out and markedremained here for a number of 10:00 am saw a full car parkand the rest of the convoy wasyears and when the area became as our retiring Four Wheel Drivereminded to mark the corners forpart of a National Park the Hut Victoria CEO Wayne Hevey pulledthe vehicle behind them. As thewas then looked after by the CFA up and gathered us all togetherlast vehicles turned the corner our4x4 club and Park Victoria staff. to introduce our Parks Victoriatail end Charlie called it throughUnfortunately in 2008, the hut Rangers/tour guides for the day.and we thanked them as we nowwas burnt down mysteriously After a brief pre trip chat, it wasknew how far apart the convoyand being such an important hut into our vehicles and on the road.had spread. After zigzagging ourfor tourism and visitors it was It wasnt long before we wereway down the mountain anddecided to rebuild the current Hut all parked up in a horseshoefording about 7 river crossingswith support from Four Wheel formation at the base of Mountand a few bog holes, we all arrivedDrive Victoria which was officially Stirling airing down in preparationat King Hut together for morningopened in January 2012. for the tracks ahead. Our convoytea. Everyone was chatting andLeaving King Hut we were was cocooned by two very capablemingling around the King Hut,advised by the Rangers that the Parks Victoria vehicles, one intaking in the scenery and enjoyingtrack ahead was in a bad way the front leading the way andtheir morning tea, when it wasand urgently needed repairs. Its one at the rear. With our Parksdecided to grab this opportunitybeen a couple of years since I have Victoria guide leading the wayfor a group photo in front of thetravelled this track and I was not and calling directional calls tohut, which we all did. expecting the deterioration that lay the vehicles behind over the UHFThe original King Hut was abefore us, a very deep bog hole that tail end charlie communicatingcattlemans hut, built only metrescould easily swallow a vehicle had with prompt replies, we drovefrom here as a drop slab Hut byappeared in the centre of the track past Telephone Box Junction andJim Hearn. The Lovick family hadand the chicken tracks around it 16 TRACKWATCH|June 2024'