by E.G. » Mon 04 Apr, 2011 8:47 am
Hi Dave-1,
The track is pretty patchy north of Wurragarra Creek. It was remarked as the park boundary on the east side of Wurragarra in the 1930s, and from there no sign is evident until the section you found on King's Plain.
The track to Basil's rebuilt hut is much more recent and miles away from the Mole Creek Track. It is closer to the original cattlemen's/prospectors' track that predated the Mole Creek Track. It also doesn't fly because the feel of the track to Basil's is wrong. Its grades are too steep, no sign of the 6 foot wide benching and runs through a series of bogs. Innes did survey that line and the PWD didn't make it. Compare it to the Arm River Track or the Overland between Pelion Plains and Pine Forest Moor and you'll understand the difference. The signature is gentle grades, well made bench and smooth turns. Think of it more as a narrow road than a track.
Modern roads have taken over the route of the track north of Borradaile Plains. This part predates Innes and the PWD as it was a cattle track to Arm River in the 1860s.
Any remarking should only be done after there is a heritage assessment of the track and decent plans for its maintenance and preservation. The early maintenance of the Arm River Track has all but destroyed the original construction of most of it along there. However, the current maintenance methods are much more sensitive but its heritage values are still greatly under-appreciated. What does remain in a testament to the construction work of the Mole Creek/Chudleigh workers and their overseer, Richard Broomhall.
The track did originally go to Rosebery and Mount Black still holds some sections, while others were bulldozed for exploration roads.
Cheers,
E.G.