Tim the Yowie Man: Exploring new Thredbo Valley Track

The flurry of its wings against the back of my throat prompts me to gag, but it's too late, for it has already flown half-way down my oesophagus.

With almost 15 kilometres of track still ahead of me, I could have done with some sustenance, but a kamikaze fly isn't exactly what I had in mind.

You're probably thinking I would avoided my unwanted spontaneous snack if I'd been riding with my mouth closed. However, keeping one's gob shut isn't easy while pedalling alongside the Thredbo River which bounds joyfully downstream through the Kosciuszko National Park from Friday Flat to Lake Crackenback, for if you haven't got it open trying to gulp more air, it's agape at the jaw-dropping vistas at every turn.

Like many other Canberrans, I've driven along the Alpine Way for decades, but never really taken much notice of the river which, although on some bends is only 100 metres from the road, is mostly hidden from view. In fact, until now it's only really been adventurous trout fishermen who have traipsed through the bush, fly rod in hand, or waded through frigid water to reach their secret fishing spots along this part of the river. However, with the opening of the multi-purpose Thredbo Valley Track (TVT) this spectacular stretch of river with its dramatic gorges, melodic cascades and reflective pools is no longer a closely guarded secret – all you need to discover it is a bike or a pair of walking boots.

The TVT is largely a mix of compacted earth and gravel but also features an elevated metal track over areas too rugged or environmentally sensitive to ride on, and most impressively, five grandiose bridges (complete with mesh deck to handle big snow dumps) that allow you to venture into a diverse range of ecosystems. There's mountain ash forest, snow gum woodland, riverine woodland, mountain bog, wet heath and sub-alpine grassland and that's just in the first hour of the ride.

For the cyclist, apart from hazards encountered on any off-road track like loose gravel and partly concealed tree roots, the main danger here is the wildlife. My heart beat rises as I spot a red-bellied black snake slither off the track and towards the water near Ngarigo Campground (lucky I'm not pitching a tent there tonight!) and approaching the old ranger station I'm warned by a walker trekking upstream of "a crazy emu round the next hairpin".

Susie Diver, a Thredbo local who regularly rides the track, has been by surprised by an emu here a number of times and last week managed to snap a photo of the male and his chicks "scurrying along the track in front of her". Unfortunately I don't encounter any of the flightless birds, but another fly (thankfully, just a blowfly this time) decides to join the march fly in my digestive tract.

However, arguably the biggest menace on the TVT is actually other riders, especially if they are hurtling around a blind corner from the opposite direction. I found most to be courteous and a bushwalker (there's just as many walkers as cyclists using the track) who stopped for a chat near the Thredbo Diggings even commented how "pleasantly surprised" she was with the politeness of most riders. The trick is to treat the ride as an adventure, not a race.

Some show-offs reckon they can "do the track" in just over an hour (one-way) but I take four, not because I'm overly slow (although that is no doubt a contributing factor), but because I stop on each of the five bridges to enjoy the views, both up and downstream. From one bridge I can make out the rock features on the Ramshead Range high above the valley, from another I'm startled as a trout leaps out of the water (really!) and on another I watch, mesmerised as the reflections of white fluffy clouds pass over. I also had a refreshing dip in what felt like my own personal swimming hole. It was here that I discovered the ubiquitous march flies would annoy you if you are fully submerged…!

Several years ago, after pedalling along the first stage of the TVT which then only extended three kilometres out of Thredbo, I reported (Cracker Track, November 23, 2012), "given the ease of access, gentle grade, quality of the track and spectacular surrounds, it's bound to become a favourite with cyclists and hikers alike."

Having cycled the finished product, the challenge now is how park rangers will manage the fast increasing number of weekend warriors flocking to this knock-out track. One way to minimise the chance of head-on collisions would be to make the track one-way between certain times (for example; on weekends, prior to 1pm downstream riders only, and after 1pm upstream only). Some of the compacted earth sections of the track may also be susceptible to erosion with heavy use.

For me, one of the best aspects of the TVT is that there are cafes at either end. Before setting off I tucked into a big breakfast in Thredbo, and I finish off with a scrumptious wood-fired pizza at Lake Crackenback's Alpine Larder for lunch. Yum. It sure beats two half-digested flies.

Discover the TVT before the rest of Australia does.

Thredbo Valley Track (TVT): 18-kilometre multi-use (walkers and cyclists) track from Thredbo (starts near Friday Flat) to Lake Crackenback Resort (1650 Alpine Way, Crackenback). The track is a mix of beginner and intermediate standard. If you haven't ridden a mountain bike before (or for a while), stick to the beginner stretches. Allow seven to nine hours to walk one-way and two to four hours to ride one-way.

Tim's tip: The ride downstream (from Thredbo to Lake Crackenback Resort) is much easier than tackling the track in the reverse (uphill) direction. Both Thredbo and Lake Crackenback Resort offer shuttles for one-way riders (as well as bike hire). See thredbo.com.au or lakecrackenback.com.au. Thredbo Resort also offer guided tours along the TVT.

Best bikes: While a mountain bike is highly recommended, I easily rode the track in a basic hybrid with hybrid tyres, and I'm a cycling novice. Just take your time.

Suitable for: While the riding is a bit too difficult for younger families it is ideal for young teens and older.

Watch out for: At several spots are "Slow Down" warning signs. These should read, "Slow Down… and WE REALLY MEAN IT" for unless you dramatically decrease your speed to a crawl, you will likely come a cropper at these tight downhill turns.

Don't forget: If you don't want to ride the entire TVT, there are a number of start/finish places along the track where you can leave a car or arrange to be picked-up.

Stop press: Later this year a new track that will link the Eagles Nest which sits 600 vertical metres above Thredbo to the start of the TVT at Friday Flat will be constructed. There are also plans afoot to extend the TVT from Lake Crackenback Resort all the way to Lake Jindabyne. What an epic ride that would be, from the roof of Australia and along one of our most fabled high country rivers to a landmark of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. I can't wait.

Swimming emus

Mimi Christie believes she has uncovered the origins of the emu population at Potato Point (Emus on the beach, January 3). "I understand they were introduced from Western Australia by a local businessman who owned a property on Horse Island [in the Tuross River, just above Potato Point]," explains Mimi, who adds, "a couple of his emus swam to the mainland and started breeding". At last count there were 18 of the flightless birds hanging around Potato Point, and while many see them as a lovable fixture, according to Mimi "they are also considered a problem by some, as they apparently eat some of the chicks of other nesting birds."

More information about emus on the south coast can be found here: eurobodalla.com.au/emu

Clue: Prior to 1976, men were on the outer here.

Degree of difficulty: Easy

Last week: Congratulations to Helen Dyer of Carwoola who correctly identified last week's photo (inset) as the koala enclosure in the "Eucalypt Forest" at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Helen recently visited Tidbinbilla with three generations of her family, but muses that her four-year-old daughter "was more interested in looking for 'trolls' under the nearby bridge than looking at the sleeping koalas." Don't worry Helen, I have a four-year-old daughter who is also obsessed with Dora the Explorer.

Helen just beat a number of readers to the prize, including Lyn Mills of Kambah who reports she easily recognised the scene "after walking many times through the enclosure, with grandchildren and children in my care, searching for koalas".

The clue of "Lucky" referred the reserve's only (known) koala survivor from the 2003 bushfire which decimated much of Tidbinbilla bought back a flood of memories for Richard England of Rivett, who helped care for the koala while he was working at the National Zoo & Aquarium shortly after the fire. "She arrived severely burnt over her back, top of her head and nose, missing an ear with her eyes red and sore, heavy with ash and dirt affecting her vision," recalls Richard, who adds, "the zoo keepers called her 'Ashley' but once The Canberra Times got the story and named her 'Lucky' as a symbol of Canberra's recovery after the fires, the name stuck." Richard especially "remembers giving her water via a dessert spoon then feeding her over 40 gum leaves individually by hand, having to hold on to each leaf tightly to give the impression of still being attached to a branch, for if I just put a leaf in her mouth she would drop it."

Lucky recovered sufficiently to be returned to Tidbinbilla and although she is now in koala heaven, 12 years on from the fires, the reserve has well and truly bounced back and late summer is a great time to explore its natural treasures. In fact prompted by the photo, Matt Nagaiya of Chisholm reports he "is already planning his next visit there".

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am Saturday, February 7, with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.