Merool on the Murray, Moama, New South Wales

Monday August 29th saw us make the short trip to Echuca/Moama. Echuca being the Victorian town across from Moama in New South Wales. We passed through Cohuna on the way which appeared to be a very nice little town. We arrived early at the Merool on the Murray Caravan Park but it wasn't a problem as we had called ahead.

Located just across the bridge in New South Wales the caravan park is a Family Park but had offered us a $20/night special previously. Very good value for what turned out to be a top caravan park. Surrounded by the Murray River on both sides it is quite a large development. The actual caravan section is small with most of the park setup for permanent homes/vacation homes. That being said the caravan part was nicely laid out with good size sites. The amenity block is somewhat dated but very clean. I'll give them 4 Stars.

Once we checked in the girls did a couple of loads of laundry before we ventured into Echuca for a quick look around. Another large town located on the Murray River. The historic section of town near the river is full of beautiful old buildings. Unfortunately, a number of them appear to be empty and for sale/lease. They also have a section by the river set up as the historic precinct with a number of old buildings, tourist attractions, and museums. Quite interesting but appears that they haven't left any really good free viewpoints of the river itself. We did walk down a ways to where the numerous tourist Paddle boats launch. Got a few pictures of the Emmy Lou docking. We may take a short tour later in the week if the weather stays fine. Today was fine but the forecast isn't too good.

We did a bit of shopping along the main street although surprisingly no purchases were made. We headed back to the caravan park for a relaxing afternoon enjoying a bit of sun.

Tuesday was grey and rainy much of the day. We ventured into town to get some groceries and other supplies with the Ransleys. Returned to the caravan park to do a bit of Blog catch-up. Had a lot to do as was almost 3 weeks behind. Yikes! What a memory tester.  Later in the day Rans & I went down to the Moama RSL, which was just down the road from our caravan park, for a few cold ones and a couple of bets. I won't say too much about our success, but the beer was good at least! Sandra and Carol joined us later for a few drinks and a lovely dinner.

There was quite a bit of rain through the night but we awoke to dry but cloudy weather. Sadly we said our goodbyes this morning to Carol & Stephen, as they are now on their way home. We knew this day was coming as they had planned to be home at least a week prior to us. That being said, it was still a bit emotional seeing them off. So great to travel with family/friends that enjoy experiencing the adventure much like ourselves! Safe travels home.

The morning was spent doing some more laundry and computer work. Still a bit overcast but it seemed to clear around lunch time. We decided to venture out to explore historic Echuca again. We walked along the precinct again and explored a few shops that weren't open on Monday. Given the somewhat good weather we decided to do the Steamboat cruise. Luckily we got a two for one special for a one hour cruise aboard the PS Alexander Arbuthnot. The boat was 90+ years old and the last commercially commissioned Paddle Steamer on the Murray. Enjoyed a peaceful, informative hour on the Murray River.

Once the cruise ended we did a quick diesel top up and last minute grocery shopping before returning to the caravan park. Finished off a bit of laundry and packed up a few more things around the caravan before leaving tomorrow. Echuca has been another interesting experience and we have enjoyed another nice caravan park at Merool on the Murray.

Well Head Free Camp, Kerang, Victoria

Sunday August 28th saw us leave Gol Gol and Mildura behind as we continued our trek East along the Murray River. We traveled through Euston to Swan Hills where we stopped to have a stretch and see the huge Cod. From there we traveled through some lovely lake country arriving at Kerang, Victoria in early afternoon.

We found a free camp there called Well Head. It is run by a lovely couple, Rex and Beth, at the back of their property. They are having quite a struggle with their local council/neighbors to keep it open currently. The camp consists of a large open field with a portaloo. The Portaloo was clean and maintained at the owners cost. They also have a large fire pit area with wood supplied. They are not currently not taking donations but hopefully they will be allowed to in the future, when council comes on board. The owners came down for a visit later in the afternoon and brought half a dozen fresh eggs with them. They are planning to travel full time in the future and hope to find other generous hosts as they prefer to free camp. We spent an enjoyable time discussing each others travel adventures. Best of luck to both of them. We enjoyed a cool quiet night in the tranquil setting below.

Gol Gol, New South Wales

Thursday August 25th saw us cross not one but two state lines as we ended up in New South Wales for the first time since the first days of our trip in March. As we headed East from Renmark we crossed the border into Victoria. From there we had a fairly uneventful trip through Cullulleraine to Mildura. The countryside changed significantly between Renmark and Mildurra. We left the lush green farmlands for more grazing, outback type vegetation. The Ransleys had their caravan in for a rego inspection in Mildura so we went on ahead to our campground which was just across the Murray River past Buronga. The bridge across the Murray River at Mildura is where we crossed back into NSW.

We booked in at Riverside Gardens which is a Top Tourist Park. Very nice park that backs onto the Murray River. We got a couple of nice large sites with grass to setup on. The amenity blocks were lovely and clean with some ensuite units for showers. I'll give them 4.5 Stars as they were always spotless. The caravan park owner/manager was very friendly as well. Would highly recommend this park for staying in the Mildura area as was somewhat more reasonable as well.

We had three days planned in Mildura as was time to catch up on our shopping and cleaning. The Ransleys joined us at the park around lunch time with all their appointments done. Sandra and I went for a drive/shop after lunch. Numerous loads of laundry were done during the day as well.

Friday morning saw a few more loads of laundry being done by both Carol and Sandra before we set off for some exploring.We drove West from Buronga along the North side of the Murray River. Our first stop was at the Botanical Gardens but sorry to say we didn't even get out of the car. Didn't look like much of anything and the highlight were Rose Gardens that weren't out in bloom. Drove through the car park and kept heading West towards Wentworth.

At Wentworth we stopped at a viewing platform where the Murray and Darling Rivers meet. Currently there is a lot of water flowing through both these rivers which was good to see. Water was again very muddy due to the strong current and high water levels.

The girls did a bit of shopping at a couple of antique/gift/clothing stores. Rans and I played the bored husbands but did manage to buy ourselves a meat pie. Lovely little town! We also took a short drive out to the Perry Sand Hills. Large sand dunes that just appear out of nothing. We climbed to the top to have a look around.

From Wentworth we retraced our steps back to Curlwaa where we crossed to the South side of the Murray River. We traveled along the river passing through Merbein before stopping at the Old Mildura Homestead. The river side area between here and the bridge is quite lovely with lots of public use areas. We returned to the campground for a late lunch. The girls were able to get their laundry dry and off the line.

Saturday morning saw us on another road trip with the Ransleys heading North East to Mungo National Park. We hadn't heard of this one before but decided to explore while we were in the area. The drive out took us about 1.5 hours and most of the road was unsealed. However, the unsealed road was very wide and quite smooth. Only a few wet areas which we were able to drive around quite easily. There is a nice campground just as you enter the National Park. Well ahead of most National Parks we have seen with picnic tables, fireplace, and firepits at each individual camping area. A number of spots had covered table areas. Flush toilets were also available. We took a drive around and used the facilities before heading out for our tour of the Park.

Our first stop was the Visitor Centre which is quite modern and has a multimedia museum enclosed. Also has free toilets and showers for campers.  There are historic woolsheds and overnight accommodation at the shearers quarters as well. We had a quick look around before we  paid our entry fee for the day and set off to explore the Park.

To gain access to the main park you drive across the dry Lake Mungo. Quite a large area at about 6 Km across and some 30 Km long. We saw lots of emus and kangaroos as we crossed the dry lake bed.

Our first stop was a boardwalk where you could view the "Walls of China". The area has unusual rock formations called Lunettes. It is also of great significance because some of the oldest traces of Aboriginal life are found in the park. For this reason you are not allowed to walk through much of this area without being with a registered tour guide. We had chosen to do a self drive tour so didn't have access to these areas. We were all a bit disappointed with the boardwalk offering at this location. While we understand that they don't want people wandering through we all felt the boardwalk area could be greatly improved. Could be much closer to the actual structures while still maintaining their safety and security. That being said the landscape was interesting.

Our next stop on the self drive tour was more interesting as we did get a lot closer to the sandstone structures. A nice viewing platform at Red Top lookout.

The drive carried on to a number of rest stops and a bush camping area. The road was one way from the Red Top lookout but good quality.

Our next stop was the area called Vigars Well. This was a very interesting stop and was historically a meeting place for people and animals alike because of the natural soak located there. There was a nice picnic area and toilets as well. However, the highlight for us were the massive sand dunes. We enjoyed a long walk up and over the sand dunes to where they back onto the Wall of China. Quite amazing that it seems to come out of nowhere and end just as quickly. We saw lots of animal/bird tracks during our walk so can attest to the well being a central meeting area. The weather was pleasant and we enjoyed a good walk in the sand.

From here we completed the loop around the lake and made our way back to the Visitor Centre. Had a quick stop here again before returning to the main campground where we enjoyed our picnic lunch. The only downside to the campground is we had to share lunch with numerous flies! Funny because we hadn't noticed them in the rest of the National Park or even the campground before.

We completed the return trip to the campground with no problems. Mungo National Park is quite an interesting area with lovely rest and camping areas. As with some other locations along our journey it was quite a surprise as you don't hear much about it. We may return one day to enjoy the campground which is one of the best National Park ones we have seen. A caution though that the road into the park is closed if they receive significant rain. It is actually closed as I write this post so you need to do some planning and keep an eye on the weather if you visit. We would probably recommend the tour as well for future travelers to get a better look within the Walls of China.

The girls did some organization for our upcoming trips during the afternoon while Rans and I enjoyed a quick beer at the local pub. We enjoyed our stay in the caravan park and in Mildura which is quite a large regional centre.

Plushs Bend, Renmark, South Australia

Wednesday August 24th saw us head off for our second stop along the Murray River. We took the ferry across the Murray at Morgan and retraced our trip from the day before back to Waikerie. A bit of a winding trip with the caravan but we didn't have any problems. We carried on East from Waikerie passing through Barmera and Monash before reaching Renmark.

Here we had decided to stay at a free camp on the Murray River called Plushs Bend. The road in was fine but you could see that they had received quite a bit of rain recently. We found an open area across from the river where we could both setup quite easily. The campground itself is quite good with river frontage and flush toilets set up. Toilets were basic and could have been cleaner so I'll give 3 Stars. The downside to the camp is there appears to be a number of long term residents make the area appear somewhat seedy. I'm not sure we would have stayed if we were traveling alone. Too bad is a lovely area that just needs a bit of supervision to make it more accessible and welcoming to visitors.

Once again we got ourselves setup before the Ransleys took us on a quick tour of the area. First stop was the Visitor Centre where we got to tour a Paddle Steamer. Also found this fellow? with a handbag lurking around.

Next stop was the Red Cliffs at Murtho Forest Lookout. Beautiful view of the cliffs and the Murray River. A couple of Houseboats were docked along the shores as well.

From here we traveled back to Paringa and stopped at the Museum to watch the bridge open at 2:30 for a large houseboat. This is the only operational lifting bridge still working in South Australia. Also had a quick tourist stop at the largest black stump (Sandra maintains it is a root system and not a stump).

We headed back to the campground for the evening. It was a cool night and lots of fog/mist coming off the river in the morning. Was beautiful but cold!

Morgan, South Australia

Tuesday August 23rd saw us bidding adieu to the Yorke Peninsula. Next stop is the Murray River town of Morgan in South Australia. We backtracked North to Port Wakefield once again enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. We then traveled East through Balaklava,Saddleworth, Kapunda, and Eudunda before arriving in Morgan. We had considered stopping in Bower but free camp wasn't as described and there was really nothing to see there.

We checked in to the Top Tourist Park at Morgan which is right on the Murray River. It wasn't busy this time of year so we were both given huge drive through sites so we didn't need to unhitch. The amenity block was good although a bit of construction going on in the front of it. I'll give them 3.5 Stars. The Ransleys decided to unhitch so that we could go for a drive around the area. We traveled along the North side of the river to Waikerie where we crossed on the ferry. Had a quick look around the Visitor Centre and Lookout while we were there.

We then took the South side of the river on the way home to Morgan passing through Ramco and Cadell. We crossed the ferry at Morgan and did a quick tour around town including the lookout. Sandra and Carol went shopping at an op shop while Rans and I had a beer at the local pub. Quite a nice little town with a lot of history. Picture below would have been us if we hadn't chosen to wait in the Pub!

This is the Bewells first trip to the Murray River area. The water is quite high because of all the recent rain but very muddy. Wouldn't want to go for a swim in it!

Minlaton, South Australia

Saturday August 20th saw us packing up in the rain to head towards the Yorke Peninsula. Luckily we had done most of the pack up the night before so managed to get hooked up with out getting too wet.

We headed up the coast to Port Wakefield before turning South on the Yorke Peninsula. We decided to stay at Minlaton as was central for touring the area and reasonably priced. The drive along the Vincent and Yorke highways was beautiful. Lush green fields meeting the blue ocean. We arrived in Minlaton about lunch time and checked into the local caravan park. The park is family run with large grassy sites. We could have parked a few vans on our site. The owners were very friendly and the caravan park was reasonably priced at $26/night. The amenity blocks were lovely and clean. 4.5 Stars for these ones.

Sandra and I took a quick walk around town after lunch to pickup some groceries. Lovely little town with a very wide main street. We found some interesting lawn art along a side road.

Sunday morning we all hopped in the Jeep to begin our tour of the peninsula. We headed North West towards Port Victoria on the west coast. We took a drive down to the jetty and parked at a garden/lookout. Much of the land around Port Victoria is aboriginal owned.

Our next stop was Maitland which is sort of the commercial centre of the Peninsula although is still quite a small town. No Woolies, Coles, Bunnings etc. Had a bit of a drive through town and checked out the campground at the showground.

From here we headed East to Ardrossan. We had passed by Ardrossan the previous day on our way to Minlaton but wanted a better look. Ardrossan is located along a cliff face which makes for nice photos. We took a walk out the jetty/wharf before we took a quick drive out to Tiddy Widdy Beach. Lastly we drove up to the lookout in an old mine.

We worked our way South from Ardrossan along the coast passing through James Well, Pine Point, Black Point, and Port Julia before arriving in Port Vincent. Black Point had a nice small caravan park overlooking the ocean. Reasonable at only $25/night for a water view site.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch at Port Vincent and a quick drive around the coast area. Port Vincent has a nice caravan park located on the waterfront as well. The girls enjoyed a walk on the beach looking for shells/rocks.

From Port Vincent we continued South to Stansbury. There is a lovely caravan park here located on a point with water on both sides. The Jetty is quite long with a nice memorial park located beside it. There is also a large boat launching/parking area. We chatted with a couple of locals on the Jetty before we made the return trip to Minlaton  arriving home after 3PM.

Monday morning we enjoyed a big breakfast before heading out again in the Jeep. This time we headed South West towards Hardwick Bay. Point Turton was our first stop of the day. This is quite a nice little town that wraps around the bay with a nice caravan park located near the Jetty.

From here we followed the coastline around through Point Soutar, The Pines, Galway Beach to Corny Point. We drove out to the Lighthouse and took a walk down to the rocks/beach. The girls did a bit more shell/rock collecting.

From here we explored a couple of lookouts at Berry Bay and Point Annie. A lovely coastline with beautiful blue water.

Marion Bay was our next stop along the South end of the peninsula. We had been told this was one of the prettiest locations along the coast by the locals we met at Stansbury. The weather was a bit overcast while there so was difficult to judge. We think Stansbury or Port Vincent were nicer locations ourselves. We enjoyed our lunch here before heading East along the South coast again. We decided to skip the Innes National Park as we were short on time. Something for our next trip I guess.

We passed through Foul Bay, Sturt Bay, and Port Moorowie before arriving in Edithburgh. Highlights of the trip were Kangaroo Island Lookout and the Wattle Point Wind farm.

On the return trip via Stansbury we stopped to admire some lovely canola fields. Arrived back just before the rain hit which was lucky so Carol could get her laundry off the line. We enjoyed a nice Gluten free Chinese meal at the local restaurant that evening. Lovely meal. This was our first visit to the Yorke Peninsula and we are expecting to make a return trip some day.