MANSFIELD - TATONG -
STRINGYBARK CREEK - KING VALLEY
(includes an alternative route via Tolmie,
and an alternative start from Benalla.)
(www.northeastvictoria.online)
TRAVELLING TIME: Allow 5-6 hours from Mansfield; 3-4 hours from Benalla.
DISTANCE COVERED: 150km from Mansfield; 125km from Benalla.
OVERVIEW MAPS: RACV Kelly Country.
DETAILED MAPS: Rooftop Maps, Bright - Mansfield Adventure Map. The tour is also covered by the VicMap 1:50 000 scale maps Buller and Samaria.
SHOPS and SERVICES: Mansfield and Benalla have a full range of shopping and services, as well as some great eateries; Tatong has a general store, and a hotel; Tolmie (optional detour) is home to a popular country pub. Once in the King Valley there is a general store, a hotel, cafes and a fuel outlet at Whitfield.
ACCOMMODATION: Mansfield and Benalla have a range of accommodation options, including motels and a caravan park. There are two commercial caravan parks at Whitfield, one in town and the other (Gentle Annie) alongside the King River.
At Lima, the Midland Highway Park has powered sites, camping sites and cabin accommodation; more details at www.midlandholidaypark.com.au.
Further north, if you take the Lima East Road, this leads to James Camping Area, a large camping area alongside the scenic Lima East Creek. James has picnic facilities, a toilet block and lots of flat ground, so that even the biggest of crews will have no problem finding somewhere to set up their tents.
The Tatong Tavern (see below) also offers accommodation.
And (finally) if you have your camping gear with you there are several opportunities for camping en route.
ROADWAY DETAILS: Mostly sealed road, with two runs of well graded gravel; no problems in dry conditions. There are some narrow roadways along the way, and for this reason caravans and motorhomes are not recommended on this route.
WHEN TO GO: Avoid wet weather, and any super-hot days.
OTHER INFO: This is a great drive with plenty to see and do. Distances quoted may vary by several kilometres from one vehicle to another.
THE TOUR
Mansfield (population 8000) is the notional starting point for this tour, and is conveniently located on the Maroondah Highway.
The Mansfield area was first settled by pastoralists, such as the Hunter and Watson Families in the late 1830s, and the township of Mansfield was first surveyed in 1851. Typical of many communities of the day, the main street (High Street) was made extra wide, so that bullock teams could make that all important u-turn.
The township, and surrounding communities, expanded rapidly during the gold rush days. Mansfield became a major stopping off point for gold miners in the Upper Goulburn and Jamieson River Valleys, and the wealth in the area soon attracted the notice of bushrangers.
The Blue Range, and rocky outlooks of Mount Samaria (see separate tour) provided refuge for some of Victoria's most notorious bushrangers; Ned Kelly and his gang in particular were attracted to the densely forested foothills around Tolmie, and Mansfield's history is closely linked to the activities of the Kelly Gang.
A memorial to the three police officers slain at Stringybark Creek is in the middle of the first roundabout, as you enter town from the Yea - Alexandra direction); and the Kelly Tree, standing near a camping area at Stringybark Creek also marks this chapter of history. See the Bushranger section on the Homepage for more details of this rough and tumble era.
Present day Mansfield hangs its Akubra as much on tourism as anything else, and it is a great place to visit. The town has a full range of shopping and services, as well as some great eateries, and a range of accommodation options.
The Visitor Information Centre is on the left (at the former railway station) as you drive in on the Maroondah Highway, and useful websites include, www.mansfieldonline.com.au and www.mansfield-mtbuller.com.au (see useful links below).
Starting off from Mansfield (with the tripmeter at zero), this enjoyable tour begins by taking the Midland Highway (Highett Street) from near the Delatite Hotel, and following this north for 15km to a t-junction (with the B300, the Midland Highway) where a careful right turn leads north, towards Benalla.
Items of interest along the way include . . .
Mary Pattersons Rest Area
This small rest area is on the right-hand side a few kilometres after joining the Midland Highway. A story board at the site refers to the events of 1860, when Mary Patterson became ill and was transferred to Beechworth Hospital, where she subsequently died.
The Patterson Family had earlier emigrated from Scotland, only to be attacked by pirates off the coast of Brazil. They were rescued by a French ship, taken to a small island in the southern Atlantic, later picked up by a British ship and taken (finally) to Melbourne.
Lake Nillahcootie
Lake Nillahcootie stores water from the Broken River catchment (part of the Goulburn River System) and is located about 27km north of Mansfield.
The Lake is a popular venue for boating and for waterside picnics, particularly in warm weather. The access road to the shoreline (a right turn) is clearly signposted on the Midland Highway, and this leads to a picnic area, with easy boat launching nearby if required.
The small settlement of Lima is about seven kilometres further north from Nillahcootie, and is home to the Midland Highway Park with its powered sites, camping sites and cabin accommodation; more details at www.midlandholidaypark.com.au (see useful links below).
Swanpool
Swanpool is a small community located about 40km north of Mansfield (20km south of Benalla) and has a general store/fuel outlet that is open seven days. Just before entering the township, one of many memorial cairns that celebrate the Hume and Hovell Expedition of 1824 is on the right-hand side of the roadway.
Swanpool is also home to one of Victoria's last rural cinemas, a fascinating 1950s style cinema at that; see www.swanpoolcinema.com.au for screenings (see useful links below).
Tatong
Swanpool also provides access to Tatong, and the Tatong Tavern, with its nationally renowned dining. Access from the Midland Highway is by turning east (right) at Swanpool, and following the signposts through to the township of Tatong.
This nice 15km drive leads over the Broken River, and through pleasing pastoral land to a t-junction where you need to turn left. This is followed by an off-set t-junction where you need to turn right for the final run to the environs of Tatong.
Tatong was served by a rail line from 1914 to 1947, and this scenic route ran from Benalla to Tatong via Karn, Lima and Mallum Stations. The railway station at Tatong was about one kilometre west of the township, and is marked by a replica station sign, clearly visible as you arrive in the town's environs. As this was the terminus of the rail line, the engineering works at this point included a turn-table so that the steam locomotive could be spun around for the return journey.
Just after the former railway station the route crosses Hollands Creek, with a nice rest area on the right (just after the bridge) that is sometimes used as an informal camping area.
Once in the village of Tatong, the Tavern is easy to locate, being a distinctive tudor style building, with plenty of shade nearby. The Tavern serves an excellent meal, and is a popular venue (bookings recommended).
There has been a tavern on this site since 1880; the original burnt down in the 1923 bushfires, and the present building dates from that year, with the ‘tudor look’ being added in about 1980.
More details of the Tavern, the restaurant, and the accommodation options can be found at www.tatongtavern.com (see useful links below).
See also the Tatong Heritage Group website (link below) for lots of interesting info on the area, including a heritage trail drive.
Hume and Hovell Memorial
Continuing on from Tatong, the main road running through Tatong is the C517, which runs from Tolmie to Benalla, and it is this road which the route now follows to the south (that is, towards Tolmie). Rural scenery is the order of the day for the first 14km, and then it is into the forested hill country.
On the way landmarks include several very pleasant roadside rest areas alongside Hollands Creek (at McCauleys Crossings, Dodds Bridge and Fords Bridge). On the right, between the latter two rest areas, there is another memorial cairn to the Hume and Hovell Expedition of 1824, one of many such memorials throughout the North-east.
Stringybark Creek
The bitumen is left behind as the C517 enters the forest but the surface is usually very good, albeit loose and sinuous. The Toombullup Historic Area soon comes into view, as does the signposted right turn to the Kelly Tree Picnic Area and the nearby Stringybark Creek Camping Area. Both of these places are popular during holiday periods, but out of those times are very tranquil.
As mentioned in the section on Bushrangers, in 1878, after a few incidents and misunderstandings, the police decided to hunt for the Kellys, who by now had been joined by Joe Byrne and Steve Hart. The gang heard news of this and decided to fight fire with fire. The Kellys crept up to the police camp at Stringybark Creek in October 1878 and ordered the officers there to surrender their arms and, in the ensuing shoot-out, three police officers were shot dead.
After this incident, the Kellys rode into Euroa on 11th December and robbed the National Bank. This daring robbery was followed by the hold-up of an entire town, Jerilderie in New South Wales. The Kellys held the town for three days before returning to their hideout at Greta in the King River Valley.
Just prior to the Kelly Tree turn-off, Madhouse Road goes off to the left, and leads after about 500m to the grave of Frances Cryer. There are not many obvious grave sites out in the bush, but this is one of them; a memorial plaque at the site explains how Frances came to be buried here, rather than in Tolmie or Mansfield, as would have been the norm in the late 1880s.
After leaving the Kelly Tree, continue along the C517 to a t-junction with the C521 (the Mansfield - Tolmie - Whitfield Road). The township of Tolmie is to the right at this junction, whereas Whitfield is to the left. As mentioned in the tour header, Tolmie also has a neat country pub.
Powers Lookout
Continuing on, the road meanders through the forest, with patches of cleared land, and apart from the great scenery, there is also a short walk with historical links to the bushranger era, at Powers Lookout. The Lookout is located about five kilometres off the main road (to the right) and makes an interesting side-trip.
Powers Lookout was supposedly used as a lookout by bushrangers in their efforts to evade pursuit by police and troops, and has superb views over the King River Valley. Picnic and barbeque facilities are provided at the car park, and from here a short stroll leads to the edge of a large rocky outcrop. This is Lookout #2 which has an excellent vista that includes a patchwork of farms set along the King River. In spring the yellow wattle blooms stand out against the background of greens and greys.
A further short walk (a narrow, steep track, with metal ladders) leads off from the car park to the actual Lookout (that is, Lookout #1). The view here is from a different angle, and is well worth the short walk.
Continuing on from the Lookout, there are many more great views to enjoy, before starting a steepish descent down towards the Myrrhee optional detour turn-off (to the left), and then some more tight bends before emerging from the forest at the small community of Whitfield.
Whitfield
As mentioned in the section header, Whitfield has a general store, a great hotel (the Mountain View) and a fuel outlet. The town is popular at weekends, and in peak holiday periods, with plenty to see and do in the area.
The town has two caravan parks, one in town and another alongside the King River. The Mountain View Hotel has some motel units, and serves a great meal, and there is also a nice trattoria at the nearby Dal Zotto Winery (on the Wangaratta side of town).
See the King Valley Tour for more details of wineries, and things to see and do in the area, as well as on-going tour information.
Alternate Route via Tolmie
If you want to get to the King Valley in a lot less time than that involved by taking the tour described here, and avoid getting on the gravel, then there is a much quicker route, as described here.
As with the main description, set out from Mansfield (with the tripmeter at zero), taking the Tolmie Road (C521, a continuation of High Street) towards the north. Not far out of town, avoid Blue Range Creek Road (the left fork of a y-junction, soon after crossing Bridge Creek) and continue for about 25km to the small village of Tolmie.
Tolmie, and the adjoining township of Wombat, have an interesting history, and this can be re-lived by reading the Tolmie Times History page (link below).
A Heritage Trail leaflet is also available from Visitor Information Centres in the North-east.
Continuing towards the King Valley, it is about four kilometres to the turn-off to the Kelly Tree, and a further 17km to the Powers Lookout turn-off. See the main text for the continuation of the route beyond here.]
Myrrhee optional detour
On the descent down to Whitfield (and the King Valley) a short detour (of about seven kilometres, to the left, on a partially sealed road) can be made to the small village of Myrrhee, a noted hop growing area of Australia.
On the descent to Myrrhee there are great views of the Upper Fifteen Mile Creek, and you need to veer right at about four kilometres after leaving the bitumen. Once in Myrrhee there is a t-junction, with the village being to the left, and Boggy Creek Winery being to the left.
If you continue beyond Boggy Creek the roadway leads to the Wangaratta - Whitfield Road, emerging at the former King Valley Railway Station of Angleside. This is a nice drive, following a gradual descent to the valley floor, and is very scenic (and sealed) all the way.
Alternative start from Benalla
This route can easily be commenced in the pleasing city of Benalla, all you need do is take the Midland Highway, south from the western end of town, or the Tatong Road from the eastern side.
The former offers a straight-forward, and scenic route through to Swanpool (24km), where you need to turn left, just before the General Store.
If you take the Tatong Road, then this will lead you, via an equally scenic and tree-lined route, directly to Tatong Village (28km).
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