Hogwash - Mildura

We left Hogwash and went onto Waikerie and checked out the painted silos and moved onto Holders Bend Reserve, this was nice but not as nice as Hogwash in our view.

Leaving Holders Bend after a night we went on to Barmera, here we did an Oops and got set up before making an on line booking only to find out that Vista Reserve was closed until Easter.

So onto Martin’s Bend Reserve near Berri. This was a lovely place, though we could not park close to the river it was nice to see lush green grass and a camp ground well maintained and all for $5 a night !! We stayed here two nights and went into Berri to do some shopping on the 2nd day.

Two days are about our limit at present, we are timing ourselves to arrive at Deniliquin on Thursday to attend the Masterpiece Caravan gathering for a few days. After Martin’s Bend we went looking for some River Camping places, after two fails and around 100k trip we gave up and headed for Mildura and arriving later than we would normally we found the prime river spots taken. A drive up and down some tracks and eventually we found a spot close to the river but also close to the dirt road. We we entertained by some local lads drifting around the track sending up gravel and dust … we think the same group entertained us on the river in their tinnies yahooing …

Eventually things quieted down and we had a nice evening, next day was a short drive into The Palms Van Park, here we were greeted by a very pleasant lady who looked after us with a large grassy site. Vickie has been catching up with the washing and I gave the Van & Chev a wash.

Doughboy - Hogwash

We stayed at Doughboy Reserve so we could visit Stone Hut Bakery BUT unfortunately it was closed … so we decided to go back 8klms to Wirabarra to dump the loo and check out their bakery. On a scale of 1/10 we would give Wirabarra Bakery a 2 🥴 We stopped at Gulnare for the night and it was bloody hot !!! So hot we both went and had a cold shower, clothes and all at the amenities block .. did I mention it was HOT 🔥 So far every day since we left Norseman it’s been around 40 degrees ..

Looking for some relief from the heat and ability to catch up on the washing we chose to stop at Brinkworth & so glad we did .. what an awesome spot to stay ! $15 a night with power and water, a small area but big enough for 12 vans, walking distance to the Hotel and shower and toilets immaculate! A huge credit goes to the volunteers at Brinkworth and our thanks.

We stayed 4 nights at Brinkworth but one night we left the van there and drive to our Daughters place at Bellevue Heights, 12klms from Adelaide. We caught up with the family and had a nice night out at a Chinese restaurant. Next day it was back to stay the night with the van and moved on to where we are now at Hogwash Bend on the Murray River. It took us longer to get here than a flight back to WA thanks to Google Maps , I wonder if they subsidise divorces as the friction was getting rather warm in the Chev, especially after encountering 16klms of rough dirt roadworks .. what took us an eternity could have been accomplished in 15 minutes had I not listen to Ms Google and listened to Mrs Vickie. 😁😁

So here we are, on the edge of the Murray River, kept company by the Kookaburras and Ducks & Butcher Birds … Serenity at last. Love it.

Old Cohens School - Doughboy Reserve

We had arranged to meet up with our mates Geoff & Vickie Parker at the Old Cohen’s School Site 10k west of Ceduna. We have stopped here a few times usually to cook up any vegetables that would need to be handed over at the SA Border. It was going to be a Hot day and it did not disappoint! We set up and pulled out the awning and a couple of hours later our mates rolled in. The Afternoon was spent chatting and laughing and just enjoying each others company. We had taken our big overseas trip with these mates and known them since 1984 so there was plenty of History between us. With the temperature sitting around 40 plus degrees, it did not let up until well into the night. Enough fluids consumed to ward off dehydration 😁

But all things end and they were sadly heading home to attend a funeral of a very good mate of theirs who passed away quickly from Septicaemia, something I’m well aware of this infection, a few years back I went to a Hospital with an infected ankle and was immediately put into Hospital and on an IV drip of antibiotics for 5 days. I was very lucky. Saying our goodbyes we headed towards Ceduna but decided to stop at Penong to refuel. Who’s Landcruiser & Caravan should be at the fuel pumps but my Brother from different Parents, John Mossenton. We knew he was heading East to see his family but didn’t think our times would coincide with a catchup.

We drove a bit further and we both stopped the Penong Cemetery, we have visited here many times and the reason was we saw a funeral being attended to way back in 2005 as we headed East one year, on the way back we stopped and worked out by the dates who had been buried. We also read about the very sad endings for some of the Shipard family, young Wade taken by a GW as he swam out to his father’s boat. His father later dying and his mother who remarried the brother both drowned at sea .. talk about bad luck!! To give some good news we won $201.00 in Lotto 😁 We rarely win but we’re lucky in Love & have a healthy family.

Ok .. back to the drive, we handed what produce we did have to the Border Official, refueled at Port Augusta. The Big Chev is averaging 23lt per 100 which we are very happy with considering the winds and weight of the rig. Stopped for the night at Doughboy Reserve East of Melrose SA.

Norseman - Fowlers Bay

We refueled with diesel and adblue at Norseman in the morning and headed East along the Eyre Highway, we’ve lost count of the number of times we have driven East & West or lapped around but we always enjoy being on the road. We stopped at Baxter for the night, the wind was gusting the whole drive and it was good to stop. We were greeted by some friendly magpies and they were lucky to get a feed from Vickie. Not many other vans for the night, around 5 or 6.

Jilah Rockhole near Mundrabilla was our next night stop, this is a large area with tracks going off in many directions, we drove far enough in to be away from the Highway noise though to be fair the Highway quietens down later in the evening. The Wind drops down also but picks up again in the mornings.

We are not in a hurry but still averaging around 400k a day, with the usual coffee stop and lunch break we have been camped up by 1.30pm. Kidnippy Rest Stop was our next night stop, we had booked to go into Fowlers Bay for two nights and Kidnippy was not to far away for an easy drive into Fowlers Bay after refueling at Nundroo Roadhouse. Diesel prices have been $2.40 the highest and $1.99 the lowest on the trip so far.

This latest post finds us camped up at Fowlers Bay, I’m glad we booked because the park has already filled up. We have a nice easy to get into site and we plan on doing some squid fishing off the jetty this afternoon. 🙏

On The Road Again

And away we go ! 😁😁 It’s good to be on the road again BUT next time check that it’s not a long weekend !! We left home and spent two nights at Vickie’s Sisters farm at Donnybrook and we did have intentions of meandering down the South Coast but a long weekend and every where we looked was booked out. Even as far East as Esperance was booked solid on the stupid WA Parks & Gardens Website … so we just winged it and kept moving East.

1st night we were lucky, as the campsite at Gordon River we had picked to stay at there was a serious road traffic accident, fortunately for us we turned off the Albany Highway just before getting to the banked up traffic … the road stayed closed for quite a few hours, two Helicopters came in to take the injured away. Hopefully those involved all recover well.

Next night we stopped at the old Fitzgerald School site, we have stayed here before but it was different this time with a lot of the smaller shrubbery and ‘nature walk’ we saw last time was all gone. The School Memorabilia and plaques were still there. We were checking the National Parks web site hourly hoping to see a vacancy at Cape Le Grand but even looking months a head there was nothing, I started to see vacancies around June 🥴🥴 …So for us it just meant a change of plans which we don’t have 😂 so we continued onto Norseman.

45 degrees outside today, thank goodness for car A/C and we could run the van A/C for a few hours if we wanted but the breeze and a few coldies sufficed.