Brian Waddington Hut/phelix Creek (from End Of 4wd Road)
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Jul 24, 2018
I've been putting off this trip for years as the road conditions always seem so ambiguous. Even with the extra road walk, this is a superb destination for a multi-day trip. The hut is spacious and clean with not much evidence of mice. The surrounding peaks are spectacular, as are the flower meadows. However, the mosquitoes are insane right now and will eat you alive without bug protection.
The trail is in good condition with only a couple of fallen trees as minor obstacles (especially with an overnight pack). The cutblock and sllde-path sections are bushy so make lots of noise to alert any wildlife to your presence. Watch out for hidden rocks and tree roots.
This year the rockslide was drivable with reasonable clearance - our '99 CR-V made it with no problems. However, the slope of the slide is a little unnerving: you feel like you're tipped over at a crazy angle despite not being in any real danger. Have a passenger spot for you to make sure you stay on track.
Beyond the rockslide, the road is mostly in good condition, just a few rough sections, but it is getting extremely bushy so expect lots of pin-striping. You have to decide whether it's worth the scratches to save a few hours of road walking. Also the road is mostly only 1 car wide, and there are very few places to pass or turn around, so you have to hope you don't meet another vehicle... We drove up to a large landing at about 3.5 km, about 1 km short of the second bridge (we could easily have made it to the second bridge: we just parked where we saw another couple of vehicles).
According to the VOC website, this second bridge has a 0 tonnes rating (ie, don't drive across it!), but the signs up there said 2 tonnes. However, those signs look new and the reason is that the area has just been flagged for a new round of logging (the tape is dated July 18/19th 2018). I don't know when they're due to start but given the upcoming closure period (Aug 15 to Oct 15) it might not affect too many people.
Camping options near the hut are surprisingly limited. We found a spot in a nearby meadow that seemed robust enough to withstand a couple of nights, but most of the meadows are too wet/fragile to do that so staying in the hut is probably the preferred option. The outhouse is, well, let's just say unpleasant and leave it at that. It is perfectly functional though.
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Brian Waddington Hut/phelix Creek (from End Of 4wd Road)
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Jul 1, 2017
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Brian Waddington Hut/phelix Creek (from End Of 4wd Road)
Aug 1, 2013
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Brian Waddington Hut/phelix Creek (from End Of 4wd Road)