HIGHPLAINS DRIFTING

Sheepyard Flat. on the banks of the Howqua River some 1300m below the summit of Mt Buller, makes a great destination in warmer months. There’s something for everyone, whether it’s fishing the Howqua’s crystal clear waters for an elusive trout, bushwalking its many tracks, horse-riding, or just taking some time out to soak up the natural beauty that abounds here.

With its stunning scenery, the area was made somewhat famous by the Man from Snowy River films in the 1980s. While I was never going to be a Tom Burlinson (except perhaps in my own mind), in a younger life I spent time horse-riding the Howqua and Mt Howitt area. While those days of youthful exuberance are now nothing more than a distant memory, the High Country still holds a special attraction for me and having traded my horse for a 4WD, I thought it worth dragging the van into the Howqua for a trip down memory lane.

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Access to the Howqua is via Mansfield, a little over two and a half hours north of Melbourne. From here it’s a short drive towards Mt Buller to pick up the Howqua Track just outside Merrijig. This gravel 2WD road is fine for a van, although care is needed given the numerous blind corners, often corrugated from