Bullocks Track, Kosciuszko National Park - May 2017

Looking back up the Thredbo Valley.

On our recent trip up to Thredbo I decided to head down the Alpine Way a few kilometres towards Jindabyne and walk  Bullocks Track. This little walk starts off at the top of the Thredbo Diggings Camping Area, before heading off along a shared use track towards Bullock Hut. Making the reasonably short drive down from Thredbo I amused myself watching to see if the ambient temperature display would creep up over 0˚ (yeah, it doesn't take a lot to amuse me!) and while the temperature stubbornly refused to move too far north at least the cobalt blue sky would be good for my photos.

Pulling on my boots and resetting the GPS I headed off along the shared path, this track is a section of a long (ish) distance mountain bike track that runs from Thredbo down to Lake Crackenback. Early this morning though there was no mountain bike traffic on my path, no instead my main hazard this morning was trying not to go arse over on the ice on the track. Leaving Thredbo Diggings the path crosses a section of duck boarding over Bull Creek before climbing gently. Being a shared use track the gradients are very gentle though and the wide track allowed me to check out the beautiful scenery without tripping over my own feet. After stalking a small mob of kangaroos enjoying the weak sun on a small snow plain, my route started a long gentle and slightly convoluted descent down to the Thedbo River.

The shared path down to Bullocks Flat featured a few sections of duck boarding.

The sun was out but it was still bloody cold this morning.

This track would definitely be fun on my mountain bike I think.

At the same time as I reached the grassy banks of the river I also came across a slightly incongruous sight for a bush walk - a massive electrified railway line and bridge spanning the river - yep I'd stumbled onto the Ski Tube. The Ski Tube is a train that transports skiers from here, through the Rams Head Range and up to Perisher in winter. Crossing under the deserted railway line I walked  the final few metres to Bullock Hut, this hut dates back to 1934. Bullocks Hut was the summer residence of a Sydney doctor, a Mr Howard Bullock, and the old hut (there are actually three huts on Bullock Flat) has survived the harsh alpine environment well. 

Looking back up along the Rams Head Range from near Bullocks Flat.

The Ski Tube, you don't see this every day on a walk in the hills in Australia.

Bullocks Hut.

Thredbo River

Looking back towards Bullocks Hut from the Ski Tube bridge.

After poking around the huts and the open grassy flat for awhile I eventually decided that I'd better make a move back to the ute. My route back to Thredbo Diggings more or less followed the course of the Thredbo River all the way back. My return walk was on more of a typical bushwalking track, the pad rising and falling in and out of side gullies, meandering past huge rock outcrops and crossing beautiful little snow plains. Without out doubt though, the highlight of the return walk was the Thredbo River, the crystal clear water cascading down over rapids or languidly slipping by in deep pools. 

Heading back up to Thredbo Diggings the track stayed fairly close to the river.

The track back along the river was more of your typical bushwalking track.

Taking my time I explored some of the small side trips which inevitably deposited me on the bank of the river again, judging by the number of fly fisherman I encountered it's not only Feral bushwalkers that enjoy this country. Whether it be the river or the snow plains, the whole scene is framed by the towering mountains on each side of the Thredbo Valley, it was pretty hard to take a bad photo this morning. By the time the sun was finally starting to warm up the day a bit I was walking back into the Thredbo Diggings Camp, my stroll was at an end. At around two hours this had been a very nice little walk, but now it was time to head back to Thredbo for a lunch date with Sam, hardcore adventuring indeed!

The Dirt.

I walked 5.6 kilometres on this stroll with a moving average of 4 kph, and with 81 metres of climbing then I think you'd have to rate this as an easy walk. I got the notes for this walk out of John and Lyn Daly's book Take A Walk in Kosciuszko National Park and they are all you really need to complete the stroll. The first section of this walk down to Bullocks Flat is a path that is shared with my mountain bike mates so it would pay to be a little alert to their presence, although with no real steep grades and a fairly wide track they shouldn't really present much of a hazard. The walk back along the Thredbo River to Thredbo Diggings would provide plenty of opportunities to catch yourself a trout, or for a cooling dip in summer.

Relevant Posts.

Dead Horse Gap, Kosciuszko National Park, 2017.

Mount Kosciuszko & the Main Range, Kosciuszko National Park, 2006.

Thredbo Diggings Camp.

The river next to the campsite was very popular with the fly fisherman this morning.