8.7.18 - leaving Balranald for ?

A little rain or water off trees overnight. Good nights sleep. 

Camp kitchen to cook the mug muffin and pack up was a bit damp. 

              The Murrumbidgee and I

The Murrumbidgee

The ‘Bidgee’

Good set of roots

There were trucks over bridge all night. 

Camp all but packed up

Departed eventually at about 11ish. A quick tour of town and eventually underway heading for Mungo NP. 

The road in was wet in places with water and puddles, some of which washed the car and windscreen with dirty water. 

Pulled up at the information bay on way to Mungo. 

View of Lake Mungo from the Lookout. Once a huge lake up to 15n deep and an important place for 3 indigenous groups. 

Pano view. Looking across towards the Walls of China. A sand aand clay Lunette on the other side of the Lake. 

Driving up to the information centre and Mungo Woolshed

Us and the megafauna giant wombat. 

The timelines for the 45 000 years of indigenous connection to the land. Each figure = 10 generations. 

Giant wombat

An amazing slab of rock - etched and polished. 

Old Mungo woodshed. 

The Walls of China. A Lunette of sand and clay on the edge of the Lake now eroded by European animals and the winds of time. 

Pano of Walls of China. 

We’ve had rain and the patterns in the silt were really intriguing. 

From the walls of China we headed back towards Info centre. Unfortunately the loop track was closed due to wet conditions. 

We turned West towards Pooncarie. Saw quite a few Roos and goats and sheep. Also quite large areas where the trees had been knocked over - we wondered if it is food for stock during drought. Looks terrible. 

About 4ish Mary and I started wondering about plans for camp. Milani suggested it was time for cheese and bickies so we started looking. We hoped for something along the Darling River but nothing doing. It was all fenced and behind gates. Mary spotted some possibilities on the Hema Navigator up the road to Broken Hill. We found a great camp on Fisherman’s Creek about 5kms from Pooncarie. 

Our first real bush camp of the trip. Thankfully no sign of rain, we’d had sunshine all day. 

Milani and Mary collected wood and got a fire going. 

The boys on the toilet hole, seat and tent. 

Kate has her swag sorted. 

Almost roaring. 

Moon is up 

Camp is sorted

A bridge nearby. Traffic died off during the night b

Fisherman’s Creek just below our camp 

And again. 

Bickies and cheese and dip followed by a Delicious dinner of Ravioli carbonara with broccoli, a little port and chocolate. Marshmallows for some. 

Some issues with headtorches eventually sorted. Dinner dishes and bed. Ready for another day. 

7.7.19 - on the road.

A long nights sleep after Chinese meal and no urgency to be underway. 

The campground is a bit fuller this morning. 

The cooking machine 

View from the house

Morgan-Willshire 

L-R Dundek’s, Davey 1, Davey 2. 

Morgan-Willshire camp. 

A sprinkle of rain got things packed up a bit quicker. 

A production line through showers, then Dad whipped up a breakfast fit for a king - bacon eggs toast tomatoes for all. 

Bacon n egg n tomato breakfast 

We left in stages. Steve and Sarah to town for last minute stuff. Then Dundek’s for last shop. Then us to head for town  for coffee. 

At Johnny & Lyle’s

With Stef. 

On the road over bridge to NSW, then along the road to Balranald via Bunnaloo, then late lunch at Moulmein, Willow Cafe. Lots of rain along the way. Farmers 😆 happy, campers not so much. 

We took a dirt road shortcut straight into a storm. Then pulled into caravan park at Balranald, no cabins so we set up the vehicles with shelter and waited for a lull in the rain for tents. 

Foxwing set up. 

Ultimate and swag set up. 

Awning out. 

Poop patrol I think. 

Yep. 

We caught buckets of water. 

Staying out of the rain. 

Me, Stef, Milani, Mary, Meg. 

It was a team effort to get both mine and Sarah’s tents up BEFORE dark IN the rain without getting tent wet and fly’s on quick. 

It was pretty wet underfoot. Lady at the office said there hadn’t been rain this was it. So can’t begrudge the farmers. 
Out to Ex Servicemen’s club for dinner. 

Frogs are a thing in Balranald so a selfie or more required. 

Then home to bed. Another day of adventure and good company. Sarah’s tent a bit damp so she bunked in my tent for the night. 

5&6.7.19. Departure minus 1. Echuca.

Day off yesterday. Holidays have begun. 

Half day to do final pack, bank, neighbours, Railtrail trees down and then off to Echuca to Dads 

Hooroo Aero. 

Yes it did fit. 

Fridge basket! That all fitted too. 

Other side

Ska and I at the silo art in Rochester. 

Possum. Artist D’Vate. Very talented  

Kingfisher 

Mary, Phil and Kate arrived about 30 mins later. 

Greenvale Campground is open again. 

We eventually got to eat tea - delicious steak, chicken and veg. 

Cuppa and nibblies. 

This morning I encouraged the crew to join me at Echuca Moama Parkrun. 

Kate crossing the finish line. 

Post run/walk discussions 

Mary crossing the line. Nearly missed her. 

Just to prove we were here. 

Out to Rich River Golf club for breaky after a little tourist drive along the Campaspe River. Dad joined us a bit later and met up with his Saturday coffee crew. 

We went to do final shop and home to fit it in. 

A relaxed afternoon before a quick trip back into town for fuel and the last of the shopping. Then home again. 

Sunset 

Willshire camp next to Tige the cockatoo. 

NB: Kate has migrated to a swag. 

Dundek camp. 

Ska parked for the night. I’m in my old room, no tent till tomorrow night. 

We sat around awaiting the arrival of the Davey’s, got a message they’d meet us in town, then headed into town for Chinese at Double Dragon. 

The gang is all here and Mary and Dad. 

SAN Choy Bow

Mongolian Lamb

Special fried rice. 

Delicious food as always. A good night out. 

And some fireworks to herald our arrival back into Victoria 

Photo care of Milani aka Captain America.