Monthly Archives: May 2013

Buronga – Day 2

Posted on Friday, May 31, 2013 by shorty

We were woken again by the bird life here in the Park, but thankfully no rain. There are so many different birds that we took a photo of the Identification Board.

Birds of Buronga

Birds of Buronga – one of many signs around the park

It was not raining this morning but when we checked the Bureau Of Meteorology website, we could see that there is some very heavy rain on the way on Saturday, currently forecast for 30 to 50 mm for this region.

As we were planning to free-camp for the next few days, we quickly reviewed our plans, and decided to book in here at Buronga for at least another 2 nights. That being the case we unhitched the caravan and put up the awning for some protection from the weather.

Our Set up

Our Set up

We originally stayed here in 2006 when the current owners had just taken over what was then a very run down park in a fantastic setting with million dollar river views.  At that time we were one of 8 vans in the park that week.  We came back here in 2010 and the changes were amazing.  We were one of several hundred vans that year.

This year, the place is even more amazing.  Multiple swimming pools, multiple camp kitchens, great facilities, tennis courts, multiple playgrounds, jumping pillow and a small farm.  The many trees have grown and the many gardens are everywhere.  Despite all these improvements, there is still a really friendly atmosphere that makes Buronga Riverside Caravan Park a great place to stay at a very affordable price.

Water level in the Murray is very low.

Water level in the Murray is very low.

This guys loves to be hand-fed carrots.

This guys loves to be hand-fed carrots.

Something for everyone.

Something for everyone.

Outdoor cinema.

Outdoor cinema.

New swimming pool.

New swimming pool.

Villas with million dollar river views.

Villas with million dollar river views.

One of the camp kitchens.

One of the camp kitchens.

We bought eggs from these girls.

We bought eggs from these girls.

After enjoying some farm fresh eggs (purchased here) for lunch, we made a brief excursion into Mildura for a quick walk through the town centre and to pick up a few supplies.

All in all today was a very easy day and we were both able to catch up on some walking and reading.

Tomorrow promises to be wet, but we are well set up to hunker down inside the van all day if necessary.

One for Suzanne.

One for Suzanne.

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure | Tags:

Echuca to Buronga NSW

Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2013 by shorty

This morning we were woken early by the sound of kookaburras and cockatoos, and the sound of raindrops on the roof of the caravan.  It was going to be a good day!  After breakfast and then packing up in light rain, we left Echuca at 9.30 – we were not going to get caught up in the school drop off traffic!

It was raining more solidly by the time that we arrived at Cohuna so we decided to stop for a coffee and re-assess our plans.  We were stunned at the lack of water in the lake.  It was so inviting in 2006, but now, I think that the photos say it all.  The landscape throughout the region is very dry.  We experienced steady rain for the rest of the day today but several days of solid rain is needed in this region to have any beneficial impact.

Cohuna Lake in June 2006

Cohuna Lake in June 2006

Cohuna Lake in May 2013

Cohuna Lake in May 2013

Cohuna Lake in May 2013

Cohuna Lake in May 2013

Cohuna Lake in May 2013

Cohuna Lake in May 2013

 

After a quick coffee in the van we headed further north west up the Murray Valley highway.  Just before Kerang we came across a quarantine stop.  Ann quickly juiced some lemons and stored the juice in the freezer, and we ate the last of our mandarins.  All refuse was carefully placed in the yellow quarantine bins.

About 8 -9 kms past Kerang, we could see lots of flashing lights in the now heavy rain.  When we got closer we could see that a small white car appeared to have lost control on the bend and rolled and landed 5-6 metres off the road.  The police and ambulance were in attendance.

We continued in the rain through Lake Boga and Swan Hill and stopped in Nyah to re-fuel and purchase a couple of hot country pies for lunch.  We moved from the service centre to a nice new rest stop further up the road in Nyah.  It was raining heavily so we set up in the van where we could relax, warm and dry and enjoy our lovely pies and coffee.  The joys of being self-contained!

Lunch in the van out of the rai

Lunch in the van out of the rain

We then continued further up the highway to Robinvale where we had planned to spend the night but it was only 3 pm and all available campsites were near water .  We decided to keep going and had another quick stop Mallee Fowl Rest area between Euston and Gol Gol.  At that point we decided to proceed to our favourite Caravan Park in Buronga about 5 kms north of Mildura (just over the river).

By the time we arrived, the rain was very heavy. We pulled into a drive through site, plugged into power and water and turned on the heating to dry our clothes and shoes.  If the rain keeps up, this will be a very good place to stay until the rain passes.

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure | Tags: ,

Echuca – Day 2

Posted on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 by shorty

We were woken up this morning by the sound of what seemed like thousands of birds flying over the park calling to all residents to wake up.  It was a cold morning followed by a great sunny warm day.

At about 9.30am I walked into town and it was just as well I took my camera as what should I find but the National Holden Motor Museum.  A highlight for me was the 1969 Holden Hurricane – a very futuristic prototype project that unfortunately didn’t get past the prototype stage.  It has been temporarily on display in Echuca and soon heads off to the USA for a tour!

Holden Hurricane at the National Holden Motor Museum

Holden Hurricane at the National Holden Motor Museum

If you’re interested, you can Click Here to see more about the Holden Motor Museum on my Classic Car Photography website.

Ann took her time, talked to the neighbours and caught up on her email.  Later we caught up for a walk around the town and Port area as well as lunch at the Moama Bakery.

There is a huge redevelopment happening at the Port.  The Port of Echuca Revitalisation Project and Interpretive Centre is due for completion in November 2013.  We walked quite a distance along the River and were very surprised to see how low the water level is.  There are very long ramps out to the boats and they seem to have to navigate their way down the centre of the river. Water levels appeared to be as low as they were when we were here in 2006.  Melbourne has had a lot of rain but it would seem that the country areas have missed out.  It will be interesting to see if it has impacted the water levels at Wentworth where the Murray and the Darling Rivers meet.

Very long walks out to the river boats

Very long walks out to the river boats

River Boats

River Boats

Murray River appeared very low at Echuca Port May 2013 Paddle Steamers seemed to have to use the middle of the river to get depth

Thong Trees

Thong Trees

We were pretty tired when we returned to the van at about 2.30pm so we sat in the sun and enjoyed a cup of tea with the dozens of very fat and tame ducks who graze here in the park.  They are not deterred even when we tell them that we have a very good recipe for braised duck with Asian greens!!

After we had recovered from our day wandering around Echuca, we drove in to the supermarket for some supplies.  We timed it badly as we got caught in the after school traffic jams!  What were we thinking!

Then it was back to the caravan for dinner, internet and TV.

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure | Tags:

Wangaratta to Echuca

Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 by shorty

This morning was again very cold.  We weren’t in any real hurry to get going and I didn’t want to pack up while everything was wet and damp so I let the Navigator have a bit of a sleep in.  We finally left the caravan park in Wangaratta at 10.30am and headed off towards Echuca.

Early Morning In Wangaratta

Early Morning In Wangaratta

As we were driving through Bundelong we were stunned by the destruction along the Highway.  A tornado tore through the area on March 22, 2013 and has left huge gum trees ripped to shreds and even 2 months later the devastation is quite confronting.

We stopped for a morning coffee in the sun beside Lake Mulwala in Yarrawonga.  One of the locals (a seasoned vanner) came out to talk to us and check out the hitch on the van.  There was an all-weather, luxury cruise boat, The Paradise Queen, moored near where we stopped and we watched as a bus from the local retirement village dropped off a large group of people for a lunch cruise on the Lake.

The Paradise Queen

The Paradise Queen

We drove on a bit further and stopped at Bourke’s Bridge Rest area for lunch in the sun (Camps 7 #249).  Having downloaded the stops in Camps 7 into the Garmin GPS saved a heap of time (check out GPSOZ for the software download).  Just as we were enjoying the relative tranquility of our lunch stop, a bus came along and dropped off a bunch of school kids, followed shortly after by a couple of utes loaded with canoes.  Obviously an outdoor ed adventure in the making.

Plaque at Bourkes Bridge Rest Area

Plaque at Bourkes Bridge Rest Area

Students on Outdoor Ed Excursion at Bourkes Bridge

Students on Outdoor Ed Excursion at Bourkes Bridge

After lunch we drove on to Nathalia and stopped and walked around the town and had a coffee at the bakery.

We arrived at Echuca Holiday Park at 3.30pm.  This is a great park with big drive through sites and walking distance to the Historic Port precinct.

So far I’ve made reasonable progress on the photos from Historic Winton 2013, but there is more work yet to be done.  If you are interested in seeing my Classic Car Photography, please Click Here.

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure | Tags: ,

Wangaratta – Day 3

Posted on Monday, May 27, 2013 by shorty

After a cold morning, it was a lovely day here in Wangaratta today.

Painters Island is a lovely van park especially at this time of year with the trees changing colour.

We went for a long walk into town this morning.  From Painters Island you walk across the new swing bridge to Café Pre Vue.  Sit by the fire and experience great coffee and good food.  The trouble is that more people have found it and the whole precinct is being redeveloped.  We will have to learn to share “our place”.  It was a good place to start exploring the town.  There seems to be a lot of development happening here at the moment.  It is a lovely town with fantastic family friendly facilities.

I spent the afternoon sorting my photos from Winton while Ann cooked up a storm using up our fresh produce rather than throw it out at quarantine check-points further up the highway.

All going well, we plan to leave here tomorrow and decide where we are going once we hear the weather reports.

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure | Tags:

Day 2 – Chillin’ in Wang

Posted on Sunday, May 26, 2013 by shorty

Chilling is an understatement when describing the current weather in Wangaratta.  The overnight weather forecast was for -2 degrees (yes – minus two).  We’re not sure if it got that low but it was 5 degrees inside the caravan at 7.00 am when I turned the heater on.  The fog eventually went and it turned out to be a nice crisp day with clear blue skies.

Some readers of this blog will be aware that I am pretty serious about his Classic Car Photography and I spent the day at the 2013 Historic Winton motor racing at Winton some 30 kms down the highway.  I had a very good day and caught up with several people I knew.  I now have well over 1,000 photos to sort through but I’ll post some samples soon (plus provide a link where anyone interested can see more of my Classic Car Photography).

winton2013sedans After refusing to get up until the temperature was in double digits, and without transportation, Ann lazed around the caravan, took a walk and read her book by the heater.

Tomorrow will probably be a bit of a slow day while I spend some time sorting and uploading photos to the Classic Car Photography website.

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure | Tags: ,

Day 1 – Melbourne to Painters Island Caravan Park Wangaratta

Posted on Saturday, May 25, 2013 by shorty

After cleaning and tidying the house ready for our house sitter, we slept in the Trailblazer in the back garden last night. Our neighbours were sure that we would freeze but on the contrary, we were so warm and comfortable that we actually slept in this morning! After packing a few more things and having a good laugh, we said good bye to our lovely neighbours and headed north towards Wangaratta.

The road works around the Western Highway before you get on to the Hume are nearly finished and it is a good run but when it is finished and has more signage, it will be fantastic.

We actually left home at 11am and drove 157 km to a very nice rest area (Grass Tree) about 20 km south of Euroa for a lovely picnic lunch in the sun.

We stopped again at Maccas just before the Wangaratta turnoff for a coffee and apple pie break.

We had a great run today with great driving weather and light traffic.

Total distance travelled was 295 kms which is a good effort for Tony who has rarely driven since his recent illness.  A great start to our 2013 Big Adventure.

11 am - Ready to leave home

11 am – Ready to leave home

4 pm at Painters Island Caravan Park

4 pm at Painters Island Caravan Park

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure | Tags:

Hello and Welcome to Our Blog

Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 by shorty

Hello and welcome to Shorty’s RV Adventures.

Shorty (also known as Tony) and Ann have been travelling for a number of years but, unlike some of our caravanning friends, have not shared those adventures in an open blog.

That’s now changed and here we are blogging like the rest of them!

The plan is to start off blogging on our 2013 Big Adventure.

Categories: 2013 Big Adventure

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