Traawool Traditional Cache
Derringer: Time to archive this one
K&M
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An indigenous word meaning 'wild water'
History
Indigenous:
The Kulin alliance is one of the indigenous nations of Australia who lived in central Victoria, around Port Phillip where Melbourne now stands, and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. It included the Wurundjeri and Bunurong clans
The major language was "Taungurong" spoken north of the Great Dividing Range in the Goulburn River Valley around Mansfield, Benalla and Heathcote. Referred to by Europeans as the Goulburn River tribe. Taungurong is now the common term used to describe all the people of this language group
The first Europeans in the vicinity were the party of explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell in 1824. They were followed by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1835. In his wake came overlander Joseph Hawdon who took up the Tallarook Run in 1837 and it was on a portion of this enormous sheep station that Trawool would later emerge.
The Trawool Hotel was established at a river crossing site, presumably in the 1870s. A punt was used to ferry passengers across the river until a bridge was built.
When a railway branch line from Tallarook to Yea was created in 1883 the Trawool station was built. The Trawool School was established in 1885, the post office in 1886
In the 1890s, two weirs were constructed on Falls Creek, high above the Trawool Valley, to supply water to Seymour.
The wall of the top storage (known as Falls Creek Reservoir) is built of locally quarried granite which blends in particularly Well with its surroundings. Granite was quarried in the Falls Creek valley in the 1890s and of interest are the large granite blocks which may be seen amongst the trees and ferns.
The second weir is located just downstream of the cache site near Trawool Falls
Granite from the Trawool valley was used to build Flinders St Station.
The property name at the base of the valley belies its history - "Granite"
At the outset of the 20th century people began to frequent the area owing to its scenic qualities, the attractive Trawool Falls and the increasingly popular Trawool Hotel. Special extra-length trains were run to convey holidaymakers who camped on the riverbanks and purchased foodstuffs from the locals. Army manoeuvres in Trawool in 1910 were overseen by Lord Kitchener who was then visiting the country.
By 1910 the name had been changed to Trawool
Bad floods hit the area in 1916 and 1920 and both Anglican and Methodist church services commenced in the schoolhouse in the 1920s.
Australian and American troops were stationed at Trawool during World War II and the Americans insisted on the chlorination of the water supply. Electricity arrived in the district in 1945. Trawool school closed in 1959, the post office followed suit in 1972 and the last train traveled on the local railway line in 1978.
Discussion emerged in the 1970s regarding the possibility of flooding the Trawool Valley to create a hydro-electric scheme which caused concern among locals who sought a classification of the area by the National Trust which, in 1983, awarded it a Scenic Classification which recognized its importance as a scenic, geological and cultural site.
Landscape
The Trawool Valley is a particularly interesting and scenic landscape.
The partially vegetated, boulder strewn northern slopes form an interesting visual contrast with the thickly forested southern slopes.
This contrast is enhanced by the agricultural pursuits which are conducted on the valley floor, principally cattle and sheep production. Much of the land is irrigated with water pumped from the river and the lush greenness of the irrigated pasture in summer, contrasts markedly with the olives and browns of the higher slopes.
Surrounding the Trawool Valley is the Strathbogie granite massif, through which the Goulburn River has downcut, creating a deep V-shaped valley.
In comparatively more recent geological times (about one million years ago), the river stopped its down cutting and began infilling the valley with gravel, sand, silt and clay in a process which is still continuing (especially during flood times).
The northern slopes of the valley are strewn with granite tors interspersed with bare granite outcrops. Granite outcrops also appear on the southern slopes
The Cache
Is situated 1/2 way up the Falls Creek valley, just above Trawool Falls in an area known locally as "The Slide"
Access
Access to the cache is via Falls creek road - signposted on the Goulburn Valley Highway
Despite the rusty sign on the tree stating "Private Property" , Falls creek road is a public road and used to connect to East Falls road atop the plateau
Cars - You will need to park at the bottom just off the bitumen - check Waypoint "2wd"
4WD - You can drive upto a large open flat granite slab, just before the difficult section.
Modified 4wd - you can drive all the way to the top, serious 4wd terrain, rocky, steep, clay sections, rock
ledges - there is nowhere to park closer to the cache than the granite slab mentioned above
Winter access - There are Seasonal road closure gates on East and west Fall tracks on the plateau - the easiest access is from the Goulburn Valley Highway.
You may wish to walk up the road to GZ and then walk back down the creek - A lovely scenic walk that will take you to the second weir and Trawool Falls and another cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre n ebpx arkg gb n ynetr snyyra gerr - Jrfg Onax
Treasures
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