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June 2014
04 June 2014
Last night we were given a fitting send off by the permanent potato harvest crew as we stood around an excellent fire enjoying a few drinks and after our last night in our little cabin we awoke to a cold morning and the grass dripping with glistening dew under a clear, sunny sky. Packing our remaining belongings into the motorhome and cleaning the unit we said farewell to Vince and Janelle as they headed off towards warmer climes, and Hamish from the unit next to ours as he went off to work.
We met up with the boss (Simon) in town and enjoyed a chat with him before bidding him farewell and heading back out onto the road. Topping up with fuel ($1.50 per litre) we passed the "Ooroo from Pinnaroo" sign confirming we were in fact leaving town. We stopped for something to eat at Murrayville before moving on passing more and more freshly planted crops as far as the eye can see. We took the turn off at Kowangie to investigate the historic Kowangie homestead and were surprised at what we found.
The area was first settled in 1859 with the cookhouse being built first and used as a home whilst the homestead proper was built. The buildings in existence now have all been restored by a group of enthusiastic volunteers.
The homestead is open for inspection and has a few items from the era to view
After our tour around the homestead we drove through what it left of a town that can only be described as a renovators delight, then it was on to the $10 a night camp at Walpeup for lunch and finally to Woomelang for our camp. We have stayed here before and are planning a two night stay.
06 June 2014
Our first night at Woomelang was pretty quiet except for the entertainment a late arrival gave us. An older couple came in and after trying for a while to find their perfect spot they suddenly left. A look out the window to where they had been revealed an ever enlarging silver spot on the ground visible only because of the street lights. The driver had run over the water meter which was flooding the area. The driver came back around the block and after a final look made a hasty exit from town. So, what to do? Well there was no phone number on the sign so a check of our tourist brochures showed a Shire number and that led us to an emergency number on the out of hours answering service and eventually someone came out to shut the water off.
Woomelang was such a nice spot that we decided to take another day off to chill out. Our lazy day started with us enjoying our breakfast while watching the council plumbers repair the water meter and copper pipes.
Joanne found this Shearing Shed made from old Kerosene Tins on the outskirts of town on her walk.
This morning we left Woomelang and enjoyed a leisurely drive to the town of Donald where we picked up some Kooka's Country Cookies direct from the factory and were told that we had a job if we wanted to move to town! But we are over work for the moment and using our waistlines as an excuse left town and continued on towards Laanecoorie where we have camped before. Stopping for a look at the Bealiba reservoir we decided it was too wet under foot and continued on to Laanecoorie. We arrived hoping for an easy quiet camp by the Loddon River but found the place full of long weekend campers. So rather than take the left over's we decided to move on to the RV site at Bridgewater. We often mention that this lifestyle is "Subject to change" and so it was for the second time today, just 5km's short of town we came across the boat ramp, complete with a bitumen carpark and decided that this view was just for us for today.
We might have missed out at Laanecoorie but this is a pretty good second place.
As the sun began to fade the softer light allowed some photography lessons again with pretty good results.
The view towards Bridgewater from the boat ramp just below our campsite.
The river at sunset
10 June 2014
As great as our camps were family commitments came to the fore and so we are back with them for a while. At this stage we should be back on the road around the 22nd or 23rd of June.
17 June 2014
My new addition arrived today and I am extremely happy with it. My camera came with two reasonable lenses but I have been after a wide angle lens that was going to let me experiment a bit more, provide a better view, remove the need to stitch photos together to get the whole picture and one that was not going to cost an arm and a leg to get hold of.
So after much research on the Internet and e-Bay (or evil bay as some call it) I found what I was looking for at a price I was prepared to pay, and here it is, my new Canon 10-22mm EF-S USM Lens.
I opted for some savings and bought second hand from e-Bay. The new price at the time of looking was $799 and I managed to get this for $547. The seller said it was in excellent condition and practically unused, and they were right it's in pristine condition. I opened the package and thought that I had bought a new lens.
So what is the difference between the old (18-55mm) and the new? Well, apart from the sturdier build and better glass, the pictures speak for themselves.
18mm versus 10mm
Both the photos above were taken from exactly the same spot about 3 feet from the plant (my feet didn't move) and both were focused at the same location on the plant, but, look at the difference in what they capture. To say I am a happy chappy is an understatement.
25 June 2014
With family commitments over we had intended to hit the road again two days ago, but the weather was so bad we postponed it until today. The weather still wasn't the greatest so with the open road before us we spent some time driving and covered about twice our normal distance. Arriving at Lake Eppalock we took a tour around the area, crossing the dam wall and stopping for a look at the spillway and ended up staying the night camped in the bitumen carpark, not your normal sort of campsite but it was safer than in the bush and near trees with the overnight wind.
Our camp spot taken from the bridge over the spillway
A nice sunset over the water despite the cold, wind and rain later on.
26 June 2014
Our camp was a pleasant one and even the people in the house across from the carpark where we were camped didn't care about us. The weather had abated somewhat as we pulled out of the carpark but despite the clearing sky the wind was still in full voice.
Heading towards Axedale we came across this abandoned stone cottage and just had to stop for a photo
Passing through Axedale we made our way along nice quiet country roads which ran through flat open farm land. They have had some rain up here and there is plenty still around in the paddocks.
Passing through Axedale and Elmore we ended up in Pyramid Hill where we drove through the grounds of the local golf club to get closer to the large Pyramid shaped hill with its very large boulder rocks set amongst the fairways.
Pyramid Hill, just the place to lose an errant golf ball or two
Stopping for a break and coffee at Mitiamo we passed on through Boort and onto Lake Meran where we have set up camp next to the lake, complete with a beach, and have it all to ourselves.
A front row water view would have been nice but with the wind blowing so hard we thought we'd stay away from the trees
The beach just down from our camp
27 June 2014
We were awake early this morning for some strange reason and despite the fact that it was so nice and warm in bed the emerging picture out of the bedroom window meant that this morning was the chance to try some photography in the dark.
To the eye the sky was just beginning to lighten but to the camera...
(focal length 10mm, f3.5, ISO 3200, 51 seconds)
Breakfast and preparations over it was time to hit the road. The wind was getting stronger from the direction we were heading as we made our way to Swan Hill for food, wine and fuel.
Lunch opposite the Pioneer Settlement and the Paddle steamer GEM and we were off back onto the highway and into the wind. Checks of the campsites around on wikicamps showed that there was a donation camp between the harness racing track and the river, complete with dump point, water and a 7 day limit. We drove around and had a look before deciding to pull up for the day, after all, we had done a whole 114 kilometres since our lakeside camp last night.
29 June 2014
With the wind blowing so hard we figured we would just stay put and hopefully the front would pass and we would save wasting fuel. There was a dozen of us camped in Nyah and all doing the same thing, remaining out of the wind.
This morning was reasonably still and we were eager to move on. The wind was nowhere near the strength of yesterday so we headed out towards Wentworth. Passing through Robinvale and Euston we arrived in Wentworth where we scouted out a campsite on the riverbank and then headed off back into town to check out Lock Number 10 and where the Darling and Murray Rivers' join.
A clever mural in the park opposite where the two rivers join
The Darling and Murray Rivers' join right here
Just before sunset we went back to the area around our intended campsite where we checked another campsite further down the river and amongst some wonderful majestically big, full of character river gums, but the ground was not the sort you want to be on if it rains so we decided to go back to our original spot. A few photos of the river before our evening meal and then it was out into the dark and the cold for some night photography while some others down the river sat and fished and drank while enjoying a good fire.
The milky way was shining brightly over the top of Lock 10
Mark Twain once said "...years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - and so we will.
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