CFA 4WD Club Projects
Victorian High Country Huts - Maintenance Project
Geographical Centre of the Simpson Desert
Victorian High Country Huts Maintenance
At the clubs February 2006 general meeting, it was agreed to take on the huts project for the Barry Mountains area for a 5year period. At that time Andy Kass took on the role of Huts Maintenance Officer (HMO) as the clubs representitive to the VHCHA. In 2010 Whylie McGuinness became the clubs HMO and soon the CFA4WD Club was approached by VHCHA to take up Area 8 - (Howqua Hills Area) in addition to Area 7, which the club has undertaken.
This project is in conjunction with the Victorian High Country Huts Association.
Refer to our Victorian High Country Huts project page for more information and details of each hut.
Craig's Hut was built as a prop in the movie "The Man From Snowy River" in the early 1990's. It is situated on a grass paddock known as Clear Hills, just north of Mt.Stirling.
Because of the success and popularity of the movie and the hut prop, Criag's Hut was rebuilt into a formal hut in 1993 by Mansfield Alpine 4WD Club and CFA 4WD Club's and officially opened on the 4th April 1993 by the Honourable Mark Birrell.
Although Craig's Hut is often thought to be one of the true cattleman's huts of the Victorian High country, it was only a movie prop, and originally consisted of just 3 sides and the roof.
The genuine cattleman's hut near Clear Hills was originally located near a small stream a couple of hundred metres towards Mt.Stirling where it was protected from the weather. Logic would suggest that a liveable hut would not be built on the side of a clear paddock, exposed to all the elements. These alpine elements, wind, snow, rain, cattle and natural deterioration bring about the need for regular maintenance of the hut. CFA 4WD Club members have been involved in repairing and restoring the hut since it was re built.
Criag's Hut is now a summer tourist attraction and a winter refuge hut for skiers, accessible by two wheel drive (with a short walk) or four wheel drive up to the carpark.
CFA and MA4WD Clubs have run seven annual ‘Black Tie Dinners’ at Craig’s Hut to raise money for ongoing maintenance of the hut and its surrounds.
The Mansfield and CFA 4WD clubs have been the recognised custodians of the hut since it was rebuilt in 1993, and jointly have held regular meetings with the DSE to ensure the character of the hut remains true to its time.
Craig's Hut was destroyed by fire during the December "2006 NE Alps Fires"
which started from lightening strikes on Friday 1st December 2006.
Snow falling on Christmas day extinguishing many of the fires.
Click here for the Mansfield Alpine 4WD Club Press release 21st December 2006
In 2008 Craiges Hut was rebuilt by a joint initiative of Volunteers, Parks Vic, Huts Association under the direction of Craig Ogier and is now again an icon location in the Victorian High Country.
In 1994 the Club erected the Information Shelter outside the Licola General Store. This Association project had been mooted for some years, but obtaining regulatory approval, and volunteer design and construction labour, had proven difficult. The Club took over the construction responsibility, pre-fabricating the structure in Melbourne and erecting it over one weekend. Parks Victoria has a display board providing information, maps, etc of the adjacent High Country. The Association, and the local community, also uses the notice boards to advise travellers of information.
Each year CFA 4WD Club members assist Parks Victoria with the clean up and rubbish removal of a popular coastal beach. 5 Mile beach is located about 30minutes from Tarwin Lower.
Rubbish washes onto the shores, blown in from ships and storm water drains. Parks Victoria provide a trailer and bags, while CFA 4WD Members spend the morning driving on and picking up rubbish along the beach.
Since driving on Victorian coastal beaches is prohibited, Parks Victoria provide an exemption for a limited number of vehicles of CFA 4WD Members, for one weekend to clean up the 10Km section of beach.
Geographical Centre of the Simpson Desert
In 1993, Club members, led by David Owen (Aussie Tracks), located the Geographic Centre of the Simpson Desert using Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques. A marker (an empty jerrycan imprinted with the club name, date, and the latitude and longitude) was mounted on two tent poles. A flap was cut into the jerrycan and a logbook stored inside.
In 1995, Club members erected a tower (alongside the original marker,
which is still in good condition today) topped by a shiny metal globe.
At a Club visit (October 2000) the logbook showed that
only 11 groups had visited the site. A (private) visit by Club members in 2001
reported that, unfortunately, the logbook appears to have fallen from the
jerrycan and has presumably been destroyed by strong winds. A small container
with business cards from visitors was still in good condition however.