Benambra to Corryong on C545
The Victorian High Country is a place that I will never, ever forget. It’s stunning beyond belief, with huge mountains, crystal clear creeks and views that etch themselves into your memory for life. The problem with those huge mountains though, is you have to navigate over, or around them, and if you’re towing anything that can be an interesting exercise.
We’ve spent about 7 weeks exploring the Victorian High Country, and were very cautious of travelling on any roads that weren’t suitable for our Isuzu Dmax and Hybrid Camper. The latest road we took was from Benambra to Corryong, along C545. We’d driven through Omeo (a stunning place), and camped at Hinnomunjie Bridge, before heading north towards the Alpine Way.
We’ve got a capable rig
Before I go any further, our setup is pretty suitable for almost anything. I wouldn’t drive it up Billy Goats Bluff towing (we did it without the trailer), but it will go where our car fits, and we’re happy to take it on rough tracks and roads.
That said, I don’t like putting others out, or going against regulations (like No caravans beyond this point), and I’ve seen some caravan owners do some awfully daft things, and want to stay away from that.
What’s the C545 like?
This road varies a lot. We did it in March of 2024, and it starts off as a really good bitumen road, before you hit 67km of gravel. The first part of this is exceptional, with minimal change in heights, a wide and well graded gravel road.
It deteriorates a little from here though, with the road becoming narrower, and rougher in patches. It was still not rough enough to let our tyres down, but there were a few times where I wondered if I should have.
We stayed in high range 4WD for most of the first half, swapping back to 2WD only for the bitumen corners (which there are a few).
However, around the half way mark the road starts to climb back and forth, and our transmission temperatures would cook, so I went into low range. This proved to be a good move, sitting on 103 degrees for most of the time, and then using the engine braking on the way back down the other side. Eventually the road opens up again, and then goes back to bitumen.
This is the quickest way from Benambra to Corryong, and is a stunning piece of road, with good views. It’s used by logging trucks, and is suitable for caravans, with drivers who are knowledgeable about towing, have a UHF and a suitable tow vehicle.
There is a sign saying Caravans not recommended beyond this point, but its not a hard and fast rule, and if you can drive a logging truck up and down the road, you can tow a caravan. Is it a good idea? That depends on you, and your vehicle!
Let the engine do the braking as much as possible, take it slow and steady and it’s a fairly pleasant journey with nice views.
