McKillops Bridge is one of just five trafficable bridges that cross the 352km long Snowy River. The others being at the Gutthaga Power Station, the dam wall in Jindabyne, Dalgety and in Orbost.
The first proposal to build a bridge at McKillops Crossing came from the Victorian Country Roads Board in 1928 when the body proposed a low level structure. This was quickly dismissed as a very bad idea and in 1931 a contract was let to a Melbourne firm, Gardener Constructions, to build a high level bridge built to a level of 17.7mts above the riverbed which was 3 meters above the highest recorded flood. .
The bridge was built, and an opening ceremony was planned for 19 January 1934. On 8 January 1934 a storm produced heavy rainfall over the river above the bridge. The new bridge was washed away later in the day. Undeterred a second bridge was commenced very quickly with a greater clearance over the riverbed. This time the bridge was made 5.7meter above the great flood of 1934.
The second bridge was completed by December 1935 and the official opening took place at midday on 20 December 1935 and was attended by 250 people. Since then, it has stood the test of time and is a vital crossing point for the few locals who call this wonderful place home.
Logging requirements.
- Picture of you or something to identify you taken on top of the bridge looking down stream. Will be interesting to see all the pictures taken over time with different water levels. Please post with your log.
- Picture of you or something to identify you taken from close to the listed coordinates looking at the bridge. Please post with your log.
- If you are keen wander downstream on the western side below the bridge about 300mts and you will find what is left of the first bridge.
Access notes.
Access from the western side is via McKillops Road (C611). It is a gravel road suitable for 2WD vehicles, but can be slippery after heavy rain. The section from Little River Falls to the bridge has some very narrow sections with a very sharp drop off (and stunning views) on one side! If you are not a confident driver I would suggest this is not a good place for you to be.
Access from the eastern side is via the Deddick Valley and the small town of Tubbet. This is also a dirt road, but is much easier.
Even though you are not that far in a straight line from civilisation here, it is quite remote. There is no phone reception and the nearest town with fuel/food/shelter is some distance in terms of time to travel there.
However, you get there, I can assure you it is worth it and I hope you enjoy this area as much as I do.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.