Granite Falls area - September 1992

A small party of Club members led by May Leatch became lost on a scheduled walk below Granite Falls. Police and the Club were informed by a friend that the group was overdue, and when their cars were located that night a search was organised for the following day. Police left it to the Club to mount the initial search but allocated one Police Officer to be present. Two Council Rangers also attended to provide radio communication.

Three walking parties started off on different routes just after daybreak and a fourth drove along perimeter roads in case the overdue group managed to climb out of the valley itself or made its way down Wandandian Creek to Hawthorn Road or Spotted Gum Fire Trail. Weather was fine and mild and no great fears were held for their safety.

A party led by Stuart Leslie found the group on Wandandian Creek before noon. They had underestimated the time required to retrace their steps up to Granite Falls and the parked vehicles and decided that it was unwise to cut across country up one of the ridges to Twelve Mile Road as a quicker way back. They also said that they had passed a comfortable night in the bottom of the valley despite the circumstances.