Trip Report by Andrew Cook, March 2018
A Big Day on the Harrietville Circuit
We tackled the classic Mount Feathertop, Bon Accord and Bungalow Spurs circuit, a tough but rewarding 34.4km loop that links some of the most iconic trails around Mount Feathertop. It was a great adventure, but in hindsight, probably more than we needed to bite off in a single push.
An Early Start… Sort Of
Our plan was to split up: the kids would hike in from Diamantina Hut via the Razorback, while we approached from Harrietville via the Bungalow Spur. We drove up to Diamantina, arriving at 1:30 am, and camped near the car. The kids set off from there around 9:00 am.
After dropping them off, we drove down to Harrietville and hit the Bungalow Spur track just after 10:00 am. It was warm and dead still, one of those sweat-drenched climbs where the stillness makes the heat feel heavier. We made it to Federation Hut around 1:00 pm and met the kids at the junction for lunch.
Weather Turns and Plans Change
Just as we started the push to the Feathertop summit, rain arrived and the mist closed in quickly. The kids decided to set up camp at the hut. With no tent and plenty of daylight left, we opted to continue along the Razorback toward the head of the Bon Accord Spur.
By 6:00 pm, we were in thick fog with visibility down to about 50 metres and everything soaked. We began descending Bon Accord, planning to camp at the old hut site I remembered from 1989. Back then, it was roomy enough for a group with horses.
A Rough Night on Bon Accord
Turns out, the old site has changed. What I remembered as a spacious clearing could barely fit two tents. With light still hanging on and nowhere decent to stop, we pushed on. We eventually found a slightly wider section of the overgrown track around 9:00 pm and bivvied there for the night. Not ideal, especially sharing it with two active sugar ant nests.
Out and Home
Next morning, we continued the descent and eventually met back up with the kids at the car. Then came the six-hour drive home, tired, muddy, and buzzing from the effort.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Stunning views, solitude, and classic high country terrain. Would I do it in quite the same way again? Probably not. Next time, I’d split it over two nights and enjoy it at a slower pace. Still, an awesome hike and a memorable adventure.
