When we travel we try not to book caravan parks and the like in advance, giving us the opportunity to vary plans en route. That said, park bookings make sense when you have time-specific commitments in certain places, as we had in Canberra so we have a booking there four nights from now. Prior to going into the city we wanted to spend a couple of days at Wee Jasper Reserve, a popular camping area for Canberrans along the Murrumbidgee River, so we just booked that as well. As such, we now had a couple of days up our sleeve.
Continue reading “A night in Woomargama – Day 323”
A rather gloomy afternoon in Wangaratta – Day 322
As I mentioned in my previous entry it rained on and off for quite a bit of last night so this morning it came as no surprise that when we looked out we saw that the small creek by which we were parked up had overflown and the grass around most of our caravan was flooded (around an inch of water). This didn’t particularly worry us as, while it was going to remain dull and miserable for the remainder of the day, no further significant rain was forecast. Additionally, we had carefully inspected the site on arrival and were comfortable that the ground was sufficiently solid to support a bit of ground water and still allow us to get out without bogging.
Continue reading “A rather gloomy afternoon in Wangaratta – Day 322”
R & R at a Winery – Milawa – Days 320 – 321
On leaving Echuca our plan was to go to Yarrawonga and enjoy a couple of days at a free camp on the banks of the Murray River where it ceases to be navigable, some 1,986 kilometres from its mouth at Goolwa, in South Australia. From there we hoped to spend a night or two at Ludlows Reserve by Lake Hume, not far from the larger regional towns of Albury and Wodonga which straddle the New South Wales / Victoria border. Unfortunately, as has been the case a number of times on this trip flooding has caused problems for us again. Camps along the Murray River near Yarrawonga were closed due to flooding earlier in the year and, due to recent and forecast rain in the area, we were concerned that the camping area at Ludlows Reserve might be too wet and we would get bogged – something we really didn’t want to, or need to, risk. We needed another plan.
Continue reading “R & R at a Winery – Milawa – Days 320 – 321”
A wander around the (old) Port of Echuca – Day 319
With the Winter Blues Festival behind us, we decided to have a wander around the town of Echuca and in particular visit the old port area, now a tourist precinct with numerous vestiges reminding the visitor of the town’s rich history as a major port on the Murray River.
Continue reading “A wander around the (old) Port of Echuca – Day 319”
A side trip to Melbourne – Day 318
Over dinner last night we changed our plans for today so instead of looking around the Old Port Area of Echuca (which we will now do tomorrow), we decided to go to Melbourne for the day, by train. We had no particular reason to go to Melbourne other than for the train trip itself and at the fares on offer, why not?
Continue reading “A side trip to Melbourne – Day 318”
Moama, New South Wales – Day 317
After enjoying the Winter Blues Festival for a few hours yesterday afternoon we spent the next couple of days wandering around the border towns of Echuca (Victoria) and Moama (New South Wales). This morning, we started off with Moama and its monthly market. Given that the Winter Blues Festival was still in full swing it came as no surprise that the market was particularly busy when we visited.
Continue reading “Moama, New South Wales – Day 317”
Echuca and a surprise festival – Day 316
After breakfast and filling up a couple of our water tanks we were on the road again, albeit for less than an hour to Echuca, or Echuca – Moama if you include its sister town of Moama, across the river in New South Wales. In days past Echuca was Australia’s most significant inland river port. Located on the Murray River, it is over 1,700 kilometres or 1,000 miles from the mouth of the river. Today the former hustle and bustle of a busy trading port has been replaced by the comings and goings of tourists, particularly short term visitors from Melbourne, only a couple of hundred kilometres to the south. In addition to being a popular tourist destination the town remains an important service centre for the surrounding agricultural region.
Continue reading “Echuca and a surprise festival – Day 316”
Barham – Koondrook on the Murray – Day 315
Today’s plan was to explore the northern part of Gunbower Island, immediately to the south of the small town of Koondrook, via a couple of walks and then have a look around the border towns of Koondrook and Barham. As mentioned in my previous entry, we were advised that our intended walks were off limits as the Gunbower Creek had flooded in early 2023 and the walking tracks were still, in late July, under water. Notwithstanding this, we made our way to the point where I had planned on starting the walks in anticipation that a some part of the tracks might be open.
Continue reading “Barham – Koondrook on the Murray – Day 315”
Gunbower Island – Not the drive we had planned – Day 314
Yesterday I called into the tourist information office in C0huna only to find out that my planned drive for today – the Gunbower Island Forest Drive – was closed as the track was flooded in various places. Following some discussion with the very helpful lady in the tourist office we opted for a shorter drive less deep into the forest area, to the north of the regular drive and along roads which were, by this stage, officially open. In normal drier times there would be no water anywhere near the roads we took today at this time of year. As it was, we would still be driving along the edge of the wetlands which had come out to meet us as opposed to us having to drive further into the 26,400 hectare flood plain to encounter the wetlands!
Continue reading “Gunbower Island – Not the drive we had planned – Day 314”
A look around Cohuna, by Gunbower Creek – Day 313
Today, after a very cold night in Kerang, we packed up and moved a very modest 33 kilometres to the small town of Cohuna, located on Gunbower Creek which is an anabranch of the Murray River. An anabranch (a term used more in Australia than elsewhere) is a section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel of the watercourse and rejoins it again further downstream. By definition an island, in this case Gunbower Island, is created between the section of river (Gunbower Creek) and the main river (the Murray). Our plan was to explore Gunbower Island over the next couple of days, in addition to having a look around Cohuna, Koondrook (where the Gunbower Creek rejoins the Murray) and Barham, just across the Murray River from Koondrook, in New South Wales.
Continue reading “A look around Cohuna, by Gunbower Creek – Day 313”
The Rambling Wombat 