MILDURA Vic to BROKEN HILL NSW

I did not want to drive all the way from Mildura to Broken Hill in one day to arrive late in the day needing to find a place to stay. Around mid afternoon travelling north along the Silver City Hwy I found the solution. Tiny     Bunnerungee Bridge. There is no traffic so I stopped on the Bridge looking over to see surprisingly a small Creek and a shady cleared area beside it with a Drop Toilet nearby. A Caravan and a large Winnebago are on the banks of the Creek. OK, this will do, so down to set up Camp between the two others. Very nice here and cool on what has been a 35c day.



 



 

 

  The Winnebago's asked me over and for a yarn. Andy a retired lifetime Interstate Truckie and Anita his wife. Both weather beaten and in there 70s they once lived on the road for 12 years straight but now travel only for a few months at a time. Lovely people, Andy recanting stories of their travels with Anita nodding as if to acknowledge their authenticity and occasionally adding her bit. The one about finding a Bloke who had committed suicide in his car and another where they pulled a Woman and a Man from a crashed car, the man later dying, were a bit gruesome. they were generally interested in hearing my story too and made me feel as if I had known them for ages. Andy told me of another stop between here and Broken Hill, Popiltah Lake. It was now well after dark, Andy gave me a card with their number and invited me to stay at there place if I was near where they lived in Qld. I went back to the Hiace after promising to meet up at Popiltah Lake tomorrow.

  We did catch up at the lake next morning. Amazingly Andy told me that he had been here many times while Trucking and had not seen water here for at least 20 years. The area is a protected regeneration zone so it wasn't possible to get any closer. It was busy with at least another 6 Caravans parked. Me, along with all the others resumed our respective journeys to where ever.

MILDURA Vic

  A lazy 120 km drive from Lake Benanee to a busy Mildura, it is School Holidays in Victoria and even parking is difficult today. A large Town with a population of around 30,000 (regionally 60,000) and popular with Tourists at this time of year. The standout appeal is that it is set on the banks of the Murray River. The Mildura region provides 69% of Australia's Table Grapes, 20% of it's Citrus requirement especially Oranges, 20% of the Grape crush, 65% af Almonds and 41% of Pistachios.
 I found it difficult to find any heritage Buildings worth a photo as is often the case in city sized Towns like this. The only historical facts that I could find with regard to the origin of Mildura:
"In 1886 George Chaffey came to Australia and selected a derelict sheep station known as Mildura as the site for his first irrigation settlement signing an agreement with the Victorian government to spend at least £300,000 on permanent improvements at Mildura in the next twenty years.
After much political wrangling, the settlement of Mildura was established in 1887. The Post Office opened on 23 January 1888."
  I stayed at the Beronga Riverside Caravan Park just across a bridge spanning the Murray in what is technically NSW and with luck scored a site beside the River. A pleasant stay with a chance to see Paddle Wheelers in the evening and luxurious Houseboats using the river during the day.
 My next adventure will be 264 km almost due north from Mildura to Broken Hill and nearby Silveton.

 

LAKE BENANEE NSW

Lake Benanee Free Camp is a convenient and popular overnight stop for those travelling either along the Sturt Hwy or like Me following  the Murray River on Murray Valley Hwy. Their junction is at Euston 16 km away. On my trip it is about half way between last night's Camp at Nyah (120 km) and Mildura (100 km) so is ideal.
  The Lake is quite big, I estimate about 3 km long and 4 or 5 km wide and is part of the Euston Lakes Wetlands and Floodplain System which also includes Dry Lake (Yellowbelly) and Lake Carigay. An Endorheimic Lake formed by the Tyrell fault near Robinvale (Vic) that is, one with no significant outflow, the water level reduced only by evaporation. And boy does it evaporate! The combined annual evaporation loss of the System is around 25 Gigalitres or about half of the annual water requirements of all NSW and Vic Towns that are supplied by the Murray and Edward Rivers.
 Benanee is an Aboriginal name for "Plenty of food and water", evidence of Native habitation dates back 40,000 years and there are burial grounds scattered around the Lake, the dead being buried head to foot in the sand two deep. Since the 1850s, the area has been devoted to Wool production and now the water is used to irrigate Citrus Fruit Orchards, Vineyard and Vegetables.
  The Campsite is reasonably large, almost entirely dirt, without any significant shade but does overlook the water. And it is hot, early April and its 39c in the Hiace at 2pm. There are two levels, the upper level where we are all located and a lower one right beside the shore with plenty of trees. Why not down there you ask? Well because its deep sand and a real trap for the unwary. It does show that it pays to check a Campsite thoroughly before just driving in. Luckily, I had checked on "The Grey Nomads Forum" prior to arriving and was warned about this situation by other Members. One recounted how he had gone down there with a 4x4 and a Caravan in tow and became bogged to the axles, needing low range to get out. Needless to say no other Campers had gone down there for that very reason.
I spoke too early a car has just driven to the water and you guessed it, bogged.

 

NYAH RECREATIONAL RESERVE Vic

 Its too far to reach Mildura tonight so I need to find an overnight camp, preferably free. Referring to my trusty "Camps Australia Wide" where the Nyah Recreational Reserve, not far NE of Swan Hill had a "Tick" meaning that it offered something special.
 And so it was. A long strip, right on the Murray with plenty of spots to choose from and ample River Gums for shade and popular but room for all. This will do despite the lack of facilities (a Toilet Block 300 metres away) in fact, I may stay here a couple of nights since its a few days to "Pension Day" and I aim to Free camp until then. The other campers are friendly and I became involved in "Traveller's Chats" as I strolled along the River bank having a look around. A few camp fires, on a cool, clear evening does the trick to make this a worthwhile stopover.
  Morning brought a sudden drop in the temperature form what has been the norm however I managed to get by in my shorts and tee shirt until the usual mid 20s was reached in a couple of hours. I expect that it won't be long though when I will be at Broken Hill, on the edge of the desert and back into the mid 30s. I do hate cold weather and intend to chase at least mid 20s during all my trips year round.
 Another overnight stop is required before I reach Mildura, I didn't realise it was so far from Echuca. I have chosen a free camp at Lake Benanee just across the border in NSW near the Town of Euston.

KERANG Vic

  On the way from Koondrook was a stop at Kerang for fuel. The architecture was a bit different from what I had seen before, especially the unique corner Hotel.

The Unique Hotel at Kerang