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 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”
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”
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”
Adelaide to Murray Bridge – On the road again. Day 297
After a three month break, half of which was spent visiting family and friends in Northern Ireland and holidaying in Japan (a firm favourite), we are back on the road again rambling around Australia in our caravan. This time some winter-time travel, inland in South Australia and Victoria focusing on the Murray River with some time in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Essentially a return trip from Adelaide to Canberra in the slow lane, covering around 5000 kms in an anticipated time period of just less than three months.
Continue reading “Adelaide to Murray Bridge – On the road again. Day 297”
Driving from Hamhung to Pujon County, North Korea – Part A
The main activity for our second day in the Hamhung area was a trip to an amazing stone river at Mount Okryon in Pujon County together with a look at some very special trees which played an important part in the fight to end Japanese colonial rule in Korea. In this review (in two parts) I will cover our bus trip from Hamhung to Pujon County, three hours each way, through some of the most scenic parts of North Korea, affording us glimpses of this scenery and views of everyday life in this rarely visited part of the North Korea. Continue reading “Driving from Hamhung to Pujon County, North Korea – Part A”
The Rambling Wombat 