It’s not often it is wetter in town than in the Silver Peaks, but somehow that is what happened today! Despite the pouring rain, nine of us showed up at Woodhaugh, huddling under an umbrella in a futile attempt to stay dry. I’m sure each of us was contemplating our decisions at this point and wondering why we had traded in warm fires and cosy houses for a day out tramping. After a brief discussion it was decided that albeit the less than ideal conditions, we would attempt the original plan of Possum Hut, mostly because “that’s how we do it in the OTMC”.
We bundled ourselves into cars and hit the road north with the window wipers on full speed. So, you can imagine our surprise when we reached the top of the motorway and all of a sudden had no need for window wipers! While the weather wasn’t clear, there was no water coming out of the sky so we took that as a positive sign. The carpark on Mountain Road was shrouded in thick mist, the ground was wet but there was not even the slightest drizzle!
We set off down the Gold Miners Direct Track in good spirits, our jackets were only required to shield us from the dripping trees. The zig-zag track downhill to the South branch of the Waikouaiti River was in relatively good condition, with a few signs of the wild pigs that roam the area. The sodden ground was a bit slippery in places but these sections were easily navigated with the help of good tread, sturdy poles and well-placed trees. On tracks like this, it is always a good idea to have someone in front of you so you can watch where they step and if they slip you will know where not to put your feet.
Before we knew it, we were emerging from the dense bush to a small clearing at the bottom of the hill. With our raincoats still dry, we decided this was a good spot for a quick bite to eat. The mist made for quite an eerie atmosphere as it danced around the surrounding ridges, giving us glimpses at the towering hills above us.
From here, we took a left along an undulating path towards Possum Hut. We soon had our first major obstacle to negotiate - a tributary of the South Branch of the Waikouaiti River. This is usually a docile stream where you can jump across with dry feet, however after the recent heavy rain, was now a raging torrent that required consideration and caution to cross safely. One by one we carefully picked our way across, taking care to ensure we had solid footing with each step so as not to be swept away.
Having made it safely across, we turned our sights to Possum Hut, which for most of us, was our first time visiting this historical hut. About five or so minutes before the hut, we came across a plaque on the side of the track which was placed in 1952 by local farmers, Joe Clark and Phil Powell.
We didn’t have high expectations for Possum Hut, which was just as well as when we approached it soon became apparent just how derelict the hut has become. While no one knows exactly when the hut was built, it is believed to have been in the 1930’s with the possibility of gold in the nearby rivers causing excitement. However, this never eventuated too much and the hut soon fell into disrepair. Nowadays, the iron clad hut is covered in rust and slightly falling to one side. It is no longer watertight, and unless it was an emergency I doubt it would be anyone's first choice for overnight accommodation.
After exploring the historic hut, it was time to tackle the steep climb out of the valley. From here the track abruptly climbs straight up Possum Ridge to link back up with Green Ridge. It was a real slip and slide going up, most of us took a fall on at least one occasion as the ground just slipped away beneath our feet. Our hands were soon rubbed raw from grabbing onto tree branches and roots to help drag us up the slippery slope. Stopping for a breather was out of the question as we needed our momentum to keep us going forward, so we forced our burning legs to carry us upwards.
Thankfully the steep section was short and sweet and the track was soon levelling off, providing us with a much needed break to strip layers. The mist was thicker up on the tops, but we were still dry. After a gentle amble along the ridge, we soon joined up with the Green Ridge Track, where we made our way down to Green Hut Site for an early lunch.
We all enjoyed chatting and eating while making use of the newly installed seats, which the OTMC opened at King’s Birthday Weekend. We were soon on our way as we made our way down the
very familiar track from
Green Hut Site to Mountain Road as we have traveled along it many times during the 100 Trips.
written by Jade Pettinger
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