Our starting point was Stratford on the Princess Highway some 230km east of Melbourne. We continued east along the Princess Highway turning north to travel through Fernbank to get to the Bairnsdale - Dargo Road.  We proceeded north until just past the Mitchell River National Park where we turned right into the Mitchell River Project Access Road and travelled on to Angusvale after not being able to find the Old Mitchell Road and Mitchell - Angusvale Track.

After locking the hubs we crossed the Mitchell River, not deep but flowing fast, then proceeded along Hortons Track, one short climb on the way to Calvi Track which follows the ridge to Calvi Hill with some beautiful views on both sides of the track.  From Calvi Hill it was left onto the Bullumwaal - Tabberabbera Road then turn right into Gidley Track. Gidley Track follows the ridgeline for about 9km then we turned right into Friday Spur Track.  After descending to and crossing the Wentworth River we came to the Storer Track intersection and the first of the huts, Wallers Hut.

There was a second small unnamed hut just near Wallers Hut on a short track that lead to the river from the Friday Spur Track - Storer Track junction.

After fording the Wentworth River another couple of times we continued along Friday Spur Track which had a number of sharp ascents and descents but nothing dramatic. After about another 9km we turned left onto Mount Steve Track which has a bit of a sharp climb to start with. Mount Steve Track eventually descends to the Wentworth River, which we crossed at Kilgowers, then again about a further kilometre on just as we turned on to Wayne Track. Wayne Track follows the river through some delightful country that is dotted with numerous camping areas.  At the confusing junction with Jones Road there was supposed to be Jones Hut, however after much searching of numerous tracks and potential tracks we gave up and pitched camp beside the Wentworth River.  An excellent bush campsite that has been well used as evidenced by the bush fireplace and the makeshift handrails to help you get down the riverbank.

Next morning after breaking camp we conducted another search for Jones Hut but finally gave it a way. We have since learnt that this hut burnt down many years ago and was not replaced.  Anyhow all this searching managed to confuse us slightly and we headed off west up Jones Road in search of the next hut.  Much to our surprise the hut we found was Seldom Seen Hut on the corner of Bullumwaal – Mount Baldhead Road.  We had been expecting to find either Mc Donald or Joes Hut, before Seldom Seen Hut.  Talk about geographically challenged, even with the GPS, however we soon sorted it out and we could now cross Seldom Seen Hut off our list.

Now we had to backtrack down Jones Road to near our overnight camp spot.  No matter, as the views from Jones Road were breathtaking so seeing them from the opposite direction was not hard to take.  Eventually we found the track we should have taken.  No wonder we missed it, as it was  somewhat over grown at the entrance.  Pheasant Creek Track is obviously not used very much, and as it rises about 400 metres in just under 2 kilometres, just after you get onto the track and ford Pheasant Creek, you can understand why.  About a further 6km along the track there is an unnamed track on the left that leads up to Mc Donald Road (4WD) and crosses over to become King Street.  There it was, Mc Donalds Hut, right on the corner, and so another hut can now be crossed off the list.

Joes Hut was supposed to be within a couple of kilometres so we continued on down King Street, crossing a bridge over the Wentworth River.  We continued on through a reasonably overgrown track way past the co-ordinates that we had for the hut before we backtracked to near Mc Donalds Hut via Mc Donalds Road and Shortcut Track.   At this point we gave up on Joes Hut which is just as well because we later learnt that Joes and Mc Donalds Hut are one of the same.   We headed east down Mc Donalds Road until we came to the Bullumwaal – Mount Baldhead Road, turned right and travelled right past Seldom Seen Hut on Jones Road corner until we came to Marthavale Road some 8km down the road.  It was a very hard left into Marthavale Road and after a further 5km there was Marthavale Hut at a road junction.  This hut is in a great location, just about picture book stuff though it’s a pity the graffiti writers had got to the hut.  Well another hut can be crossed off the list, one more to go.  { Marthavale Hut's later reconstruction:-  here}

One of the roads at the junction is a seasonally closed road called Quarry Creek Road.  It is approximately 9 to 10 kilometres long, and leads directly to Mount Baldhead – Bruthen Road the location of our last hut.  After a short gentle descent you are into the road, and I mean into the road.  There is no turning back, as it is so overgrown and damp (read very wet) you just have to stay on the road. The road is so narrow and overgrown that at times you hear scraping from both left and right panels, plus the roof and underneath whilst at times you are trying to negotiate (read climb over) small and large fallen tress.  Water, still flowing, has carved out gutters across the road such that once one vehicle has crossed the gutter, the road surface is  softened up nicely to nearly trap the next vehicle.  At no stage should you get out of your vehicle as we found that the leaches are just waiting for a feed.  Unfortunately this goes on for kilometre after kilometre which seems to take forever to negotiate.  Thank God no vehicles were coming in the other direction.  Eventually you start to climb out of the valley and the road appears to be drying out, then at last you see the seasonal closure gate and you breathe a sigh of relief.  Approximately 500metres later you are at the Mount Baldhead – Bruthen Road intersection where it is at last safe to get out of the vehicle, relax, have a cup of coffee, and just check that the road sign does say Quarry Creek ROAD.  It is a pity that this road has been allowed to degrade to the extent that nature will quite soon take this road back.  Besides what would be a good short cut between Marthavale and the Mount Baldhead – Bruthen Road, the flora along the track was truly magnificent.

Our composure gathered we proceeded the 6 or so kilometres down Mount Baldhead – Bruthen Road to the last of the huts, Turntable Huts. To our surprise this was a collection of huts near a main hut that at one stage had an elaborate bush hot water laundry/shower system. Obviously it must have been built for forestry workers or the like.

The suggestion that we give the Haunted Stream, one of Victoria’s notable tracks with about 50 water crossings, a try as it is only 3km from the Turntable Huts was quickly dismissed.  Now it was just a 60km drive down the Mount Baldhead – Bruthen Road, a beautiful logging type road, around Mount Sugarloaf and on to Bruthen and the blacktop.  From there it is only 25km to Bairnsdale and the Princess Highway with Stratford our starting point yesterday a further 60km away.

Never having ventured into this area east of Dargo before, I can now certainly recommend it both for the 4WDing,  the magnificent camping spots in truly picture book river settings, and the magnificent mountain views.

VicMap 1:50,000 series:
Cobbannah – Tabberabbera  8322-N, Crooked River – Steve  8323-S, Brookville – Essay  8423-S