Michael Gorey

Today I completed the longest walk of my current fitness campaign, climbing to the summit of Mount Porepunkah from bottom to top and down again.

Juliet drove me to the second cattle grid along the Roberts Creek Road, close to where I started a previous search for the Leviathan Battery historic gold site.

It was 9am and pleasantly cool when I set off along the narrow valley. The road is well engineered and ascends at a gentle gradient during the early stages.

This time I had no trouble finding the battery site. Just before I reached the second water tank the old cylinder engine was clearly visible in the gully. I didn’t walk down to see it closely, because the banks are very steep, but it’s an impressive piece of antique machinery.

You can’t see it from the water tanks or the other side of the creek, so I must have just walked past it last time.

I filled up the water bottle there and continued ahead. It remained a gentle climb until I reached a signposted intersection that shows a track leading to Tawonga Gap in the east.

The road became rougher and steeper from that point, and I wouldn’t fancy taking a two-wheel drive up there, which I have done once before.

The next milestone is the Havilah Road intersection and there are some nice views down the opposite valley towards what I assume is Running Creek. I caught glimpses of Mount Feathertop in the distant east, still snow covered on top.

A short steep ascent followed to where a track branches off to the summit; the main road continuing to One Mile Creek in a westerly direction. I had been here before in August when there was nearly a foot of snow on the ground.

I walked to the telecommunications tower on top of Mount Porepunkah, elevation about 1200 metres, and arrived there just before 11.30am.

I had lunch and took some photographs before starting the downward journey. I rang Juliet on the mobile (excellent signal) and told her I might walk all the way home if I wasn’t too tired, otherwise I’d call her from the bottom to meet me along the One Mile Creek Road. I felt good, but my feet were sore.

Just as I began basking in the achievement of “bagging a peak” and starting down I encountered a cyclist pedalling madly to the top.

I thought he must have been some super-human athlete in training for the Olympics or something, but he looked about 70 years old. He was followed by a couple of other old blokes on bikes, both looking at least 60. Unbelievable.

It was a slow descent along the One Mile Creek Road. The temperature was fairly cold on top of the mountain, but warmed quickly on the way down.

This route is less steep on the upper reaches, but has some challenging slopes at the bottom. I think I’d prefer to approach the mountain from Roberts Creek.

I reached the bottom at 1.45pm and decided to walk all the way home, where I arrived an hour later.

There are only four houses at the top end of One Mile Creek Road, so it’s quite amazing that I encountered five vehicles, including a truck, on the short and dusty section to the Great Alpine Road. I walked from there to Porepunkah along the rail trail.

I enjoyed the walk, but wouldn’t like to tackle it in summer with heat and flies. There was no water beyond Roberts Creek.

I guess an extra two hours would be required to walk the complete circuit from Porepunkah to Roberts Creek and back via One Mile Creek. I’m happy to hitch a ride and skip the early part.

These articles might be of interest:

• Eurobin Gap
• Porepunkah plantation walk
• Clear Creek and Paddys Hill