Tuesday 21^st August

After some prolonged farewells we departed Deniliquin for our destination tonight, Bethungra Dam, a free camping spot found in our book.  On the way we stopped at Berrigan to enjoy morning tea, and our neighbours from last night were doing the same – can’t escape can we?

We saw many acres of rice being grown – this was the first time we had seen it and again had to confess to not knowing how it grows nor how it is harvested.  The neighbour in Berrigan told us it is much like wheat, in that the stalk produces the grain. 

 

In conjunction with the rice were many paddocks of canola, I would guess very close to being harvested.  The yellow flower was like a wide carpet spread across the landscape and provided a beautiful contrast to the lush green of the rice.

We had to drive 6km along unsealed road to access Bethungra Dam, but the means justified the ends.  

We had the spot to ourselves, there was a wonderful view over the dam, the birdlife serenaded us and we had our final fire for the trip.  I cooked a sweet damper which gave supper an added dimension.

This now concludes our South Australian trip in the caravan.  We are now home for a few weeks until I take off on a cruise with two school friends from primary school. In fact we began our schooling on the same day so we go back a few decades.  This trip is celebrating a significant birthday year for us all and the excitement and anticipation is palpable.

Upon my return Bob and I head to Canada taking in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island before spending three weeks in Washington DC.

The blog will resume from 1^st November while we are in the northern hemisphere.

Monday 20^th August

After looking over our maps we have decided to head toward Canberra over the next few days. Our trip today took us through Moulamein, a little town situated at the junction of the Edward River and Billabong Creek, and they boast to be “the oldest town in the Riverina”.  

The Edward River is an anabranch of the Murray.  Not having heard this hydrological description I found it to be a “section of a river that diverts from the main channel to then rejoin this main stem downstream”. We saw this old wharf which in its day would have seen many agricultural products as well as live sheep and wool from the surrounding land being loaded onto paddle steamers for their journey to larger ports. A railway gave way to the river transport in 1926, and now trucks are the main means of transport.

Once we arrived in Deniliquin we quickly took advantage of the nice sunny afternoon, so found a caravan park and took the bikes for a 20km spin around town.  There was a good bike path for a few kilometres which hugged the Edward River until we left it for the very wide streets. On our bike trail map one of the destinations was the boat shed, so by the time we found it our bottoms were well and truly wet from the bike seats.  The bikes perch with their seats unclad on the towbar, and as we had experienced some rain over the previous 24 hours the seats copped it.  Nevertheless the wet seats didn’t detract from the sense of pleasure being out alongside the water gave us.

Deniliquin has an annual “ute muster”, and there are a number of utes in town, one being this very colourful one, the other perched in a precarious looking way atop a large pole. This year Kelly Clarkson, the American singer is their headline act, so the town is getting organized for the event during September.

By the time we arrived back to our van site, happy hour was well and truly underway. We joined a couple from Atherton and a couple from Victoria.  I always find people have interesting stories to tell – they just need an audience/opportunity, a few wines and precious time to do it.  One of the couples grew tobacco for many years, and the gentleman who is of Italian origin plied Bob with some home brewed spirits which gave him an almighty good night’s sleep.  The other couple were roller blade coaches (in their leisure time) and had migrated from New Zealand many years ago. They were in their late 60’s and had only just retired, so were very keen to hear any tips and hints which others could offer.

Sunday 19^th August

Swan Hill is not being very kind to us as far as the weather goes.  I don’t usually have to mention this aspect of travelling as our days and most nights so far have been quite acceptable.

On Friday night at the movies, the gentleman sitting next to me recommended the Catalina Flying Boat museum to me as a “must do”.  He was an original Swan Hill resident, so I took credence in what he suggested.

This museum is on the shores of Lake Boga about 15km from town. I was fascinated upon hearing the story of its inception and role during the Second World War.

The Australian Government had known the existence of Lake Boga as a potential site for flying boat activity, and it was not until the Japanese attacks on Broome in 1942 with the loss of 16 flying boats that this safe haven for their repair was brought into being. Lake Boga was an ideal stretch of water for the flying boats and amphibious aircraft as it was almost circular and free of obstructions. 

During the depot’s wartime life, personnel undertook large volumes of work, including the service, repair, restoration, rebuilding or overhauling of 416 aircraft.  In addition to RAAF aircraft, many allied flying boats used the Lake Boga Depot for repairs, including those of the USA and the Netherlands.  At peak operation 39 Officers, 802 Airmen and 102 WAAF’s staffed the depot, which closed in 1947.

An underground bunker is now set up to replicate the activities that occurred during the depot’s lifetime, including a mess with a generator and a radio room.

Saturday 18^th August

Sometimes at car boot sales or garage sales we are able to secure “gems” for either Bob’s collection or the caravan.  The Anglican church promoted their monthly sale around town so we went armed with bags in which to bring home our goodies.  No luck – however we did enjoy the sausage sizzle operating from the entrance. As this expedition did not take very long we had time to spare before the afternoon activity, so we asked at the information office for something to fill in a few hours.  The lady suggested a bus trip around town and for an hour we saw most of the suburbs and surrounds complete with commentary from a local 82 year old.  She had been born and bred in Swan Hill, did family day care for children until she was 75 and was like the local historian.  What a bonus for us and certainly appreciated.  I do think that the pleasure was shared and I am sure by telling visitors on the bus about Swan Hill her mind remains active and alert.  She had a very sweet nature and engaged so willingly with us.

We booked a trip for the afternoon which included a guided tour of the Murray Downs homestead, a trip on the paddle steamer Pyap and Devonshire tea.  The trip was very popular with the locals as the homestead used to be open to the public however the owners since 1996 have kept it closed. 

This was the only day it had been opened since then and it was especially for Pioneer Week. The homestead was magnificent and housed much of the original furniture from when it was built.  At one stage it was owned by Sir Sidney Kidman, the cattle king and pastoralist who owned about 3% of all the land in Australia. The current owner’s wife is an expert in cross stitching and her craft is displayed throughout the house, particularly these stockings from a recent “Christmas in July”.

The finale for the day was the half hour trip back to Swan Hill on the paddle steamer.  

The afternoon was not too cold, so we sat outside for part of the trip and listened to our caravanning neighbours play their music to the gathered crowd, while watching the banks of the Murray River pass us by. 

Thursday 16^th August

As the day looked quite overcast and felt cold the Swan Hill rural drive seemed an ideal way to look at the surrounding area without subjecting ourselves to the chilly weather.  The drive was about 40km long and took us past the town watertanks, a new development, the reasonably new TAFE college and then into the country, predominately in the Woorinen district.  Here we saw many grapes and fruit trees in various stages of growth.  The mature fruit trees were beginning to blossom while alongside new plantings had occurred. Swan Hill contains the largest concentration of fresh summer stone fruit in Australia, the crops being worth $60 million. 

 Large packing sheds centralize the packaging for the fruit and we also drove past one of these. 

Until recent times channels of water were used for irrigation and were originally dug by hand during the 1920’s by settlers. Nowadays they have been replaced by pipelines to prevent evaporation and leakages, although one or two still remain and we were able to see and drive over one of them.

Later in the afternoon we toughed it out and went for a 5km stroll alongside the banks of the Murray River.  We believed it wasn’t going to rain, however the heavens opened up and we were able to run to some shelter before becoming too saturated.

One of the activities for Pioneer week advertised widely was a movie night presented by the local newspaper in conjunction with the local movie buff (a bit like David and Margaret for those who watch the ABC progam). We only knew that it was going to feature something on Swan Hill as well as an Australian movie. The first movie was about the Queen’s visit to Swan Hill in 1970, with the commentary a cross between a race meeting and a schoolmaster counting children, as he mentioned the exact number of students who were brought into the showground to see the Royal couple. The second movie was in colour and featured a parade of some kind through the main street of Swan Hill.  We could hear people in the audience recognizing either themselves or others.  

The movie for the night was “Picnic at Hanging Rock”.  If you happened to read this blog entry from 3^rd August you may have seen that we visited Martindale Hall in Mintaro South Australia. This lovely building was used in the abovementioned film, however at the time we didn’t know we would be in Swan Hill watching the film in the near future – quite a co-incidence.  I found the memory of the home very fresh in my mind, so the movie took on an added dimension for me. Being made in 1975 some of the Australian actors have aged well, others not so well. 

The school theatre where the movie night was held was very comfortable and warm, with the added feature of supper with some delicious country cooked cakes.

Wednesday 15^th August

Last night I was eating a Lindt ball when I felt something quite crunchy in my mouth – oops a crown had fallen out!!  Our first call will be a dentist tomorrow.

We drove to our next destination – Swan Hill.  We had visited here about 36 years ago during the summer and our memories are very scant. All I can recall is that it was very hot and we ate a meal containing yabbies at a docked paddle steamer called “The Gem”. We found out today this paddle steamer is no longer a restaurant but it hasn’t moved – I think it is just enjoying retirement.

I found a dentist and if I could bottle her and take her with me for the rest of my life I would.  She fixed my crown, found another filling which needed repair and ensured the whole experience was pain free – thankyou Christina!!  I might add when she came to invite me into her chair, I thought she may have been the nurse – she was so young for what was my perception of a dentist.

After settling in at the caravan park for the next five nights we were invited to listen to our near neighbours playing their guitar and mandolin at happy hour.  Although the weather was somewhat chilly, the atmosphere was warm, funny and memorable. After two red wines I was singing along as well!!

Tuesday 14^th August

We set out today for our destination – Manangatang.  Not because it has a nice sound to the name, rather, because it was about 200 km from where we spent last night, and also because it had a stopover with amenities.  On the way we took some time to look through Ouyen (pronounced “oo” like in “you”). Invariably now we are able to loosely categorize country towns as having at least one of about five or six features.  A mural is one of those stand out characteristics, and Ouyen had one gracing an entire wall.  

In another episode I will list the other five elements in “What defines a country town according to Trish”. The tourist office had T-shirts on display upon which was a logo about a vanilla slice.  Upon further questioning of the gentleman at the desk, it appears that no they don’t have the record for the biggest baked one, nor the most eaten by a resident , the town is known because a Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett, called into one of the cake shops and bought one. It seems that for 14 years the town had played host to the best vanilla slice competition which arose from the visit of the premier.  The last competition was in 2011, and drew over 3000 people to the town for the event.

Just outside Ouyen there is a mine that processes mineral sands to produce zircon and titanium dioxide products. These are used in the production of white goods, paints and cosmetics.  It is run by Iluka and from literature I found it is in the closing down and rehabilitation stages which are expected to take at least three years.

When we arrived in Manangatang we were already armed with our “Walk through Manangatang” booklet, obtained at Ouyen.  After we found out camping spot for the night we were delighted to see the town not only provided a lovely new shower and toilet for the traveller, there was a power outlet as well. This was a blessing as the nights can get mighty cold and when there is no access to a fire, putting the heater on in the van is welcome relief.

While walking along the street, a local lady began chatting to us and it emerged she was responsible for the production of the brochure. She seemed quite passionate about having people stay overnight in the town and was rightly proud of what the town provided for the travelling population.  Apart from the interesting sculpture within a mallee root garden, the town seemed to us to be such a sad and dying one. I believe this sculpture is open to your own interpretation, as there was no accompanying explanation.  

The houses and gardens unfortunately are lacking in care and maintenance and the main street is one of about twenty shops, of which only two or so are still operating.

Never mind, we completed the very small town walk which featured the usual churches and school and headed back to catch up on reading and other chores.

  

It was such a sunny afternoon that I felt guilty being indoors, so I got on the bike and burned off some energy riding around as many back streets as I could find.

Monday 13^th August

From Mannum through Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend, Parilla, Lameroo, Pinaroo and then into Victoria – Ouyen and Manangatang.  Wow try saying all those in a hurry, or better still try to remember them! Each little town is unique, and while they seem to run one into the other, I am always on the lookout for that little “something” which sets them apart. 

For example at Parilla there was a toilet stop opposite the only building still operating there (the pub), and not only were they spotlessly clean toilets, there was a shower as well for the traveller. I found this weather rock which also was a point of difference from any other town.

When we travel we have a choice as to where we stay.  We are armed with a book (known amongst the travelling nomads as “The Bible”) titled Camps Australia Wide.  This book lists over three and a half thousand different sites where camping for zero or minimal dollars is possible.  To explain further, they may be a “layover” just off a highway, they could be overlooking any types of waterway, river, lake or dam, and they may be in a state or national park.  We have managed to stay in about 30 or so different ones during this trip. The upside is that we could be at this location at the best by ourselves and at the worst with up to 5-6 other travellers. 

 

I say “travellers” as again the modes of sleeping range from tents to the huge 5^th wheelers and Winnebagos.  

Pictures here to get an ideas of what the latter two are like. When in these “free camp” spots there may be a toilet, rarely there are showers, but if so it is a cold one, and electricity has to be provided in the form of a generator or solar power.  We have a generator which we use judiciously as it does have a droning/hum sound which could be really annoying if someone is trying to get to sleep.  We use it mainly to heat the electric blanket and charge up any electronic equipment and the mobile phone.  If we are alone it doesn’t matter how long the generator runs, but if there are others around we turn it off reasonably early, and go to bed early as well.

We are stayed at a spot three kilometres off the main highway along a dirt road called Ngallo.  This place was a tennis court and club house in its heyday but was closed in 1988 and prettied up for camping.  There was a visitors book in the clubhouse wherein people had written and commented. I always enjoy seeing where people have come from and what they thought about their stay. There was also a newspaper cutting telling the story of the closing of the tennis club and the 250 people who turned up for the event.  Bob and I appreciated the great fire pit and the wonderful roaring fire we produced to keep us warm while we ate our dinner outdoors.

Sunday 12^th August

Sunday 12^th August

There were three walks highlighted in Mannum, so we chose one which we thought would give us the best views and scope of the town. The walk focused on buildings which had either been built or lived in by William Randell and his brothers. The walk took us up a VERY steep incline which was known as the Goat Track.  It is one of the oldest roads in Mannum.  It also led to the market and so was a stock track for many years, only being bituminized for the first time in 2006. 

The backyard of one of the houses on the route had a display of many wooden creatures and “stuff”  - enough for me to stop and take a few photos.  

I imagine the owner to be a retired man who just enjoys dabbling in his shed creating all these wooden creatures. 

We saw the Mount Lofty Ranges in the distance as well as the Murray River flood plains. After descending an equally steep track we crossed to a board walk out to the river which enabled us to view many of the water birds that have their habitats around Mannum.

Yesterday the lady in the Auxilliary shop had mentioned a craft fair being held over the weekend, so we checked at the information office for directions.  We realised later the lady who gave us the map and way to find the fair must have assumed we were driving.  We walked and walked and then walked a bit more until we finally found it.  A lovely cup of tea was really appreciated before I headed for the different stalls to explore.

I am always inspired by people who are involved in craftwork of any kind, and as I have dabbled in many different ones over the years, I am never satisfied with my end results. 

There were some lovely patchwork quilts on display along with the usual card making, lace making and many varieties of preserved fruits. 

I was particularly taken with this little doll – albeit a keyring whose dress is made from beads.  She even has knickers to match.  She now sits in the kitchen of the van.  The bottle of prunes in spiced port wine beckoned as well, and as we were walking we limited any further purchases – a wise move indeed.

Not far from where we camped there is a marker illustrating the heights the Murray River has reached in flood over the years.  The worst one was in 1956 when the river rose to 5.1 metres

Saturday 11^th August

Our destination today was Mannum on the Murray River, about 75 km from Gawler.  This was not a long drive but one which took us through some very pretty countryside and enabled us to get out of the city and into the country regions. On the way my eyes were diverted to a farmers market at Mt. Pleasant, so naturally we called it a rest stop and stayed to look over the local produce. Upon entering the hall our senses were drawn to hot cooked popcorn and tables of produce ranging from fresh yellow beetroot to lovely dainty cupcakes.  

This was a morning to enjoy chatting to the country stallholders while sampling their wares. We came away with quite a number of home created food items, but sadly I paid for a delicious wheel of camembert cheese, talked too much to the stall holder and realized at the next destination I had not picked it up when I paid for it.

When we arrived in Mannum we found a lovely camp spot right on the Murray River, very close to the ferry where we were able to leave the van and truck while looking over the town. We found a craft shop run by the local hospital auxilliary which had a list of the items the shop had funded over the past 10 years – to the tune of $500,000.  I thought this was an interesting way to let shoppers know that the purchase of that jar of jam or the fridge magnet all go towards making life in hospital a little more bearable.  Their latest purchases are 2 beds at $6000 each.  What we find so uplifting in these little shops is the enthusiasm of the volunteers running the place and their willingness to engage in conversation.

Both sides of the Murray River at Mannum is serviced by a punt, rather than a bridge, so we used this a number of times, both with the vehicle and on foot.  The trip is only about 3-4 minutes, and while the locals accept this as a way of life, to us it was a novelty.

 In 1851 pastoral leases classed as “Waste Land of the Crown” were issued and William Beavis Randell leased 34 square miles from the present Dry Dock area stretching eight and a half miles upstream. He gave his land the name “Noa No”. William B. Randell's son, William Richard worked at his father's flourmill in Gumeracha, but dreamed of building a paddle-steamer and using it to trade on the River Murray. He, and his brother, Thomas George, together with a carpenter, built the frame and transported it to their father's river property by bullock cart. There, they finished it and named it the ‘Mary Ann' after their mother. It was to become the first paddle-steamer to ply the River Murray.

To service his growing trade, William R. Randell built the Woolshed, the first building in Mannum. He and his brothers built houses for themselves during the next decade, and slowly the town began to develop around this area.

It is easy to assume that Mannum, once the paddle-steamer trade had died, would lose its attraction for local residents. The town has re-invented itself, however, and is now a thriving tourist destination. It boasts a thriving accommodation and houseboat industry, and is lucky to have retained many of its original buildings in the main street named after William Randell. We noticed the main street had agents windows displaying only houseboats for sale.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting alongside the water while intermittently reading a book, watching a little girl trying to catch yabbies and enjoying the day to day activities of the water craft.