Thankfully we had two four wheel drive vehicles to transport us to
Semple Road. The road is in very poor condition with very bad potholes
and ruts. I doubt a car would have made it. In fact on the way out we
came across a car that had slid off the road and become stuck in the
mud. Our original plan was to tramp the following route; Semple Road /
Possum Hut / Green Hill / Pulpit Rock / Hightop and back to Semple Road.
However the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray and we ended
up bush-bashing our way down a creek to eventually arrive at the start
of the route that takes you to Rosella Ridge. At this point and after
much discussion we decided than rather than carry on to Rosella Ridge we
would make for Possum Hut as a number in our party hadn't yet visited
it. Unfortunately the bush became too dense to follow the creek back
towards the hut and we had to turn back and relocate the tracked route
to Semple Road. After climbing the hill back towards Semple Road we
found a small sign post indicating the track to Possum Hut so off we set
to our original destination. After slipping and sliding down the hill
the but was located without any further problem.
It appears that there has been some poisoning in the area as we found
two dead piglets beside the track and a possum carcass in the hut
itself. The hut is pretty rugged and I certainly wouldn't be tempted to
spend the night there. There are no bunks in the but. Of historical
interest was the plaque located just before the but to Clarke and Powell
(no relation) who l understand spent a lot of time hunting in the area
in the early 50's A great day and made even more exciting by the
unexpected route finding involved and seeing a little piece of the
Silverpeaks that I had not ventured into before. Thanks to Simon
Crowther. Joseph Donnelly, Alan Thomson, Roy Ward, Ann Burton and
Rebecca Francis for sharing the adventure.
Greg Powell
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