High Country Huts beyond Licola

Graded: Easy-Moderate
Walks: Easy-moderate grade walks (up to 4km). A reasonable level of fitness is required. Most walks are on minor trails, with uneven, rocky surfaces. Some include steps or hills.
2 nights accommodation
Focus: Historic Huts, alpine environment.
Destinations: Alpine National Park, Licola, Australian Alps National Landscape.
Educational discovery level: Moderate

Photo Gallery and Stories and Comments

The Australian Alps are rich in history and what a better way to explore than to have a local guide who can share with you stories about the mountains and their people. Wayne McCallum is passionate about High Country history and will be leading this tour. From the first people, the Gunaikurnai, who had a long history of travel along pathways like the Wellington River Valley, to the early European settlers who built the huts, Wayne has stories to share with you.

Walks are short (up to 4km in length), but they are generally on rocky uneven tracks, so you will need average fitness.

You will enjoy high country scenery at its best, wide open plains of snowgrass, snowgum woodlands and views out across mountains, valleys and steep bluffs. Spectacular waterfalls also await those prepared to tackle some additional moderate walks. Although summer is wildflower season, careful observers will spot a few flowers even in spring and autumn.

If time permits you will visit four huts- Howitt Hut, Moroka Hut, Guys Hut and Kellys Hut. Each one varies in its construction, some more romantic than others. Marvel at the skills used in building these historic huts as Wayne explains construction techniques and how materials were sourced. Of course every hut has its own special stories, but those associated with the Howitt Hut, might be the most mysterious of all with its connection to the Wonnangatta Murders.

This tour includes a portion of time travelling as we return to accommodation in Licola each night. Here we have basic school camp type accommodation in cosy cottages.

Immerse yourself in history for a short break holiday to the High Country and learn things only a local can tell you!

Note that this tour visits areas that were NOT affected by summer bushfires, so the scenery is as beautiful as ever.

Maximum of 4 participants

December 4, 2020
3 days ex Traralgon/Heyfield $1820

April, 2021
3 days ex Traralgon/Heyfield $1820

Contact us for more details and itinerary or to reserve a place

Other dates on demand between November and May.

Other Nature Tours

View the embedded image gallery online at:
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Stories, Poems and Comments from past participants

High Country Hut memories by Peter (Melbourne)
It was late April when I toured the wonderful remote Victorian high country for 3 days with Gippsland High Country tours. This was a small group with three guests and our guide with a number of walks. Weather was good - cool and partly cloudy but the scenery was spectacular.

Our explorations took us from low elevation river valleys to elevations of about 1600 metres, predominantly featuring sub-alpine Snow gum woodlands, wetlands, rocky escarpments and expansive snowgrass plains. Snow lies on the ground for up to 4 months of the year – no snow yet, but very soon!

Bushfires have left a number of scars on the landscape however there is wonderful regeneration happening. We visited a number of high country huts built by the early settlers for shelter. One feature of all the huts was enormous fireplaces.

Discovering stories of huts and a much earlier culture by June (Melbourne)
I appreciated walking in the area where aboriginals had once made flints for hunting purposes. It was wonderful to see fragments which they had broken off so long ago - I forgot to ask Wayne which tribes were involved and when. [Ed: The culture of the Gunaikurnai peoples goes back many tens of thousands of years]

The huts were all different, eccentric architectural achievements with the bed platform, fireplace and roof fundamental to keeping warm at night. Wayne had lots to tell about the native animals, the flora and the swamp drainage as a result of cattle grazing. He also related a chilling story of the Wonnangatta murders. After that we looked uneasily at old logs for any sign of an old boot or a stray skull.

The only hint of blood was the scarlet breast of a robin which briefly posed for us near one of the huts, then flew off before it could be photographed. Later we were surprised to meet a proud deer hunter who had killed a stag. I'm glad he shot the stag - one of the many feral deer in the area. It was a very enjoyable trip, thanks to Wayne's informative guiding.”

More comments:

“I loved visiting the high country huts I have heard so much about. Our tour guide Wayne could not have been better skilled, knowledgeable and very considerate. This is an excellent tour – I would recommend it to others.” Maurice (ACT)

“My highlights were the small group, the wild flowers, the waterfalls and the mountain grasshopper.” Jacqui (Melbourne)

“Wonderful to be in the High Country, see the huge plains between the forests and to hear from Wayne about history of the area. The different huts are all built in beautiful areas” Helen (Melbourne)

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