It seems that Easter time has many attractions other than going bushwalking – we only had two takers for this 4 day circuit from Tooma Dam via Wheelers Hut and Pretty Plain Hut. Moreover, we didn’t see any other walkers for the whole trip. Only one car parked at Tooma Dam, whereas the Round Mt car park was overflowing (30-40 cars perhaps).
We left the car at the start of the Snakey Plain fire trail, following it to Wheelers hut. A high point is reached after about 3kms, and 250m of climbing, some quite steep for a fire trail. On one such hill a wombat was spotted ahead. As we got closer it did not seem at all concerned, not moving at all while we photographed at close range from all angles. We suspected injury or illness, but it eventually ran away with no obvious problem.
After lunch we made a side trip checking out access to Dargal Mt. Time did not allow us to climb it all, and indeed the going looked very slow.
On to Wheelers Hut where we discovered some rather major earthworks had been done around the hut. It would seem wet subsoil is a problem for the footing of the hut so a large trench has been dug around the hut, filled with drainage pipe and rock rubble. The excess dirt was formed into a large swale of the top side to divert surface water. It looks rather messy now, hopefully much better by next summer.
Next morning we awoke overlooking fog in the nearby frost-hollow areas. Chilly, but the sun soon came and soothed. Off to Pretty plain today via Broadway Tops. We decided to take the shorter route from high on the Tops via the old (non-existent) Granite Knob firetrail to Pretty Plain Hut. This route does have some thick scrub in places, but overall is an OK route. The alternative would have been the longer, but easier, route following the Dargals FT to the Strumbo FT and then the route/footpad along Pretty Plain Ck to the hut.
Lovely weather continued the next day. We returned to Wheelers Hut along Bulls Head Ck and the Tooma River. Reports that this route had become very slow were unfounded – footpads have been re-established. Some care needed to follow them in places.
The last day was a lazy, easy walk back to Tooma dam, with the beautiful sunny weather we have been enjoying for over three days transitioning to some beautiful rainy weather an hour or so before Tooma Dam.
It should be noted that it would not be too much of a push to return from Pretty Plain Hut to Tooma Dam in one day, for a three-day circuit.
This is a great walk, one well worth considering for an addition to our guide book.