Trip Report by Friends of the Mitta – March 2018
Hiking the Old Mount Ned Overlook Track
Tucked away near Anglers Rest in Victoria’s high country, the Old Mount Ned Overlook Track is a short but rewarding hike that leads to sweeping alpine views. This roughly 90-minute return walk winds through rugged bushland, open hillsides, and rocky ridgelines, eventually delivering panoramic vistas over Mt Wills, Benambra, and the Bundara River Valley. Though it’s not an official Parks track, it’s a local favourite — quiet, adventurous, and rich with character.
Old Mount Ned Overlook Track starts from Anglers Rest Campground and makes for a great half-day outing, especially for hikers keen to explore a lesser-known route with a sense of discovery.
Route Description
From Anglers Rest Camp, walk towards the Duck, but don’t cross the wooden bridge over the Cobungra. There’s a track that heads upstream along the river-left bank just off the bridge abutment (your right-hand side as you’re walking).
Head up that horse track. It meanders uphill, then hits an old cart/car track and angles right. Follow it rightwards, watching for pink tape in the trees uphill, to your left. The horse track angles up and left off the old dirt road, take it. Just as the green poly water tanks (private property) become visible ahead, you’ll see some pink tape to your left/more steeply uphill. Follow those, heading due south by the compass, staying just left of a pile of broken rocks.
It’s hard to follow for a while, due to open country. GPS coordinates will be out soon. In the meantime, keep going up the steep-ish hill, staying more or less left. There will always be pink tape, and always be some cut brush to help find your way. If you’re crawling through brush, you’re off track. Very soon the track angles back right along the ridge, at which point the track is pretty obvious for the rest of the hike up the ridge to the summit of Mt Ned.
Track Notes and Getting There
Take a first aid kit, water, sunscreen, etc. It takes from about an hour to about an hour and a half to the summit. If you don’t want to go all the way, there are a couple of rock outcrops along the way on your right that also provide great views. Watch for snakes. After the first steep ascent, it meanders between gentle angles and steep. Once at the top someone has left a rope with knots that you can climb into a crack, then across to the summit rocks. Another way is to go around that boulder, angle right, and crawl through a small hole in the rocks. You’ll figure it out. Fantastic views of Mt. Wills, Benambra, the Bundara River Valley, and the ridgeline that the Falls Creek road follows to the Bogong High Plains. Something cool to do with students or friends when in Anglers Rest. Cheers!
Follow Google Maps from Melbourne to Anglers Rest Campground, Anglers Rest, Victoria, next to the Blue Duck Inn Hotel.
