Charlotte Pass
On a bright sunny morning, a convoy of 13 vehicles set off from our base camp at Old Geehi Hut. 
The group was made up of nine vehicles from the Range Rover Club and four from the Land Rover Owners Club. Today was a rest day from our maintenance work on Keeble’s and Major Clews’ Huts and we were off to see some of the beautiful alpine country that we don’t usually get to. As many of the tracks on the Victorian side of the border were closed, it was decided that a visit to the high alpine areas near Guthega and Charlotte Pass would be an interesting day out.
Our trip leaders were Ted & Anne Rayment and the long column (made up of a wide variety of Solihull’s best and even one Toyota) followed the Rayment’s Range Rover across the two Swampy Plains River fords out to the Alpine Way. Our first stop was planned to be the old abandoned township of Geehi just off the main road. However, we were unable to get into the area due to a large tree blocking the track so we set off for Jindabyne.
It was a beautiful day for a drive along the Alpine Way (deep blue sky with not a cloud in sight) as we motored up the picturesque winding road to Dead Horse Gap then past Thredbo and down into Jindabyne where we had lunch. After a relaxing break, it was back onto the road alongside Lake Jindabyne. The water level in the lake was the highest any of us had ever seen and, with all the green surrounding countryside, it was a great picture.
Our next stop was at the entry gates to the national park where we reformed the convoy and set off for Island Bend. Here, we had a look at the old township which was a big centre during the construction of the Snowy Mountains scheme. There is not much left, just some terraced tracks where the houses once stood and a long open area that was once the landing strip.
We then drove down to the river where a large tunnel enters the mountain. It was here that we took advantage of the bridge and parked 13 vehicles on it for a photo opportunity. Next, it was on to Guthega where we stopped at the little village for a view of the dam. This is high alpine meadow country with no trees and a great view on such a beautiful day.
We then set off for Smiggin Holes, Perisher and up to Charlotte Pass. There was quite a bit of tourist activity, especially at Charlotte Pass where many people were taking the walking track to the top of Mt Kosciuszko. With so many people about and time getting on, we didn’t stay and turned to start the journey back to Old Geehi. After all, this was New Years Eve and we didn’t want to be late for the festivities planned for that evening.
So, it was back down the Perisher road to Lake Jindabyne and then up the Alpine Way and back to our campsite at Old Geehi Hut. The convoy split up as some people stopped for fuel and others for ice cream. We arrived ‘home’ in time to enjoy a late afternoon happy hour and get ready for the big night ahead. Thanks, again, to Ted and Anne for leading the trip and providing a very enjoyable day out.