Riverland and back home

New South Wales – Victoria – South Australia

We left Balranald and drove through the rain heading back towards South Australia. To do this we had to enter Victoria through Mildura, not being allowed to stop in Victoria and then enter South Australia. In our many years of travelling we have passed through many border check points but never imagined that we would go through one in Australia. We had filled out our online permit and the crossing was very simple, first a check by the fruit fly inspector (We had done the right thing and disposed of all non permissible fruit and vegetables), then the police checked our drivers licences and on line permits and waved us through. Back in SA and the rain had stopped.

Renmark

We arrived in Renmark around lunch time and after visiting the tourist information webought fish and chips and sat on a picnic table next to the Murray in a pleasant park. After consulting the maps and Wiki camps we set off to find a spot to park for the night.we set off to find a spot to park for the night.we set off to find a spot to park for the night.

 

The impressive Renmark Hotel. The fish and chip shop was behind the Hotel and to the right, highly recommend.
Paddle steamer behind the tourist information centre.

The Black Stump

On our way we stopped at Paringa to take a look at the black stump. This stump was found on the river and floated down and displayed by the roadside. It was impressive but don’t know why it is called the black stump as it wasn’t black.

Murtho

Our spot for the night was Murtho on the bank of the Murray River. Along the way there is a lookout with spectacular views of the river.

The spot for the night was quiet and well away from the other campers and we even had our own black stump. With plenty of shade and no rain it was a great place to relax and go for walks but too cold for swimming.

Jenny preparing our dinner.

Woodshed Brewery

We had heard from our good friend David that a must place to visit is the Woolshed Brewery situated on a bend in the river. As you probably guess it is brewery located in a former Woolshed. It was close by and a great place to have some lunch, drink some beer and enjoy the ambiance. A popular place that can be accessed by road and by river as many people came by boat or houseboat.

A view of the river as we drove to the Woolshed Brewery.
Same view zoomed in, Jenny playing with her camera on her new phone.
Our taster paddle, 2 beers, a cider and a lemonade.
Beer and nibbles for lunch, a great way to spend a couple of hours.
Glasses empty time for the next round.
Great location at the bend of the river.
Inside the Woolshed Brewery
View of the place from the carpark.

Later in the afternoon we ventured back the the same camping spot but to a more vegitated area. While sitting reading Ewout spotted out of the corner of his eye some movement, after investigating it turned out to be a lace monitor. He (or she) sat there and allowed us to take this photo.

Banrock Station

The next morning we ventured to Banrock Station a place noted for its wine but also a wetland area. For $10 per person you can walk through the wetlands along tracks and over it via boardwalks. But before the walk we had to build up our strength with coffee and scones. There were three walking trails and we chose the midrange one of about 4.5 kilometers. With the previous rains the water was right up to the boardwalks and it seemed as if you were walking on water.

The driveway to the cafe and information centre, threatening clouds luckily the rain stayed away.
One of the many boardwalks. Water to the left and right.
This is not grass but duck weed that turns red over time then dies and dissapears. Looks like you can walk on it but you would soon be very wet.

Time to move on and we drove to Barmera for some lunch.

Jetty at Barmera, amazing clouds in the background.

The evening was spent having dinner with friends David and Robyn drinking Barock Station wine and Woolshed Brewery beer. They now live in Berri and it was great to catch up again.

Street art in Berri.

Karoonda

Bidding our friends farewell we drove about 120 kilometers to the town of Karoonda where we spent the night at a free parking area next to the oval. This would be our last night on the road as the next day we drove back to Adelaide.

Karoonda silo art
The big ram at Karoonda

Back Home

30th October 2020, 25 days on the road. Our trip to New South Wales has ended and an enjoyable one it was, combining some touring, sightseeing with relaxing stays by many rivers.

All the photos in this blog were taken on Jenny’s camera. The blogs were written and posted using my tablet and the WordPress app. Luckily working better than last time. All our sites for staying overnight were sourced using the Wikicamp app, a must for travelling in Australia. Lastly our thanks go out to Micheal and Pam Guymer for their blogs as they travelled through New South Wales. They were an inspiration and gave us ideas and tips on how to motorhome in Australia. Till next trip cheers from Ewout and Jenny.

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This Post Has One Comment

  1. mickpamg November 2, 2020 Reply

    J+E
    Nothing like a border check-point in your own country. We’ve enjoyed following your travels through NSW in the new Bunyip over the past few weeks. It’s hard to imagine the state looking any better than it currently does, given all the rain. Pam loved that silo art.

    Anyway lets hope they get a vaccine sorted and we can travel a little further afield in 2021.

    Thanks for your acknowledgment and we hope we can catch up sometime soon.

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