Tuesday – Swan Hill to
Mildura
Today I was going to
go for a run but because I had the coldest time trying to sleep I was awake
most of the night and felt rather lousy the next day. Poor Greg ended up with
broken ribs with me trying to wring all the heat out of him but at least he did
sleep and woke fresh.
I consoled myself with
a not much eating day and a hot shower to compensate for the no exercise but
felt lazy and tired all day. Never mind tomorrow might be great for a run.
We packed up our camp
in the most brilliant sunshine day for a change. Greg decided that we would use
our get one free breakfast vouchers to save money. We really need to do this as
we are not flash with cash so we parked our car and van a short walk from the
café which was Café 202 and practised using calories!
The café was just
great. Not only did we have a tight arse voucher for buy one and get one free
but they have a happy hour for coffee where you buy one and get one free. We
looked at the breakfast menu and among the numerous choices, all I really
thought we would like would be 2 eggs on toast and 2 coffees. So I ordered them
and we only paid $13 for the lot – what an excellent bargain. My husband said
that this is what we have to aim for on this holiday. I suddenly felt like a
canny grey nomad – except I am not grey.
We also took our time and read their papers from start to finish which
saved us buying one. Oh the thriftyness of us today.
 |
| Mind the trains - Greg taking pictures of - well whatever! |
Ms GPS suggested we go the most
interesting way to Mildura. I actually blamed the route on Greg but it was Ms
GPS that told us to go that way. How come every time Greg drives its an easy
down the freeway or major highway, boring but very easy. I got the way that
goes from a single way each way to something that if you meet traffic you have
to stick half your car in the dirt on the side!! It was better though, it’s the
road less travelled- or in our case the road only frequented by locals that is
a little more interesting. How may wheat silos can you see in one day. We
followed the railway line but to my disappointment did not see a train. (I am a
train fan, I would love to be a train driver – maybe next career change)
 |
| Hattah National Park |
 |
| Which way? |
This way that Ms Gps
suggested went past Hattah National Park. So we stopped there. Originally we
were going to stay there but the sad news was that most of it was closed. We
did visit the information centre which was unmanned or womaned and informative
but a ghost area! Since most of it was shut we decided to go down to the picnic
area. It was quite nice but once you have seen it – you have seen it. There
were some lovely pelicans out on the lake and a lovely wooded area before the
lake so we took lots of photos and got back in the lady cruiser and drove away.
I drove for ages and
we came over a town called Manangatan. Like WHO named this town? A really hairy man with a red bum who
liked bananas???? Actually it was a really small, very tidy town with clean
loos and a really interesting public area that had a picnic area and a hedge of
mallee roots. I remember my Grandparents on Mum’s side lived in the Mallee as
my Grandfather cut railway sleepers there. Mum always told me that mallee roots
were the best things in an open fire as they burned hot but the best thing is
that they were so interesting to burn.
They also had most
interesting sculpture that had all sorts of thing embedded in it. Everything
from marbles, taps, old electricity conductors, horse shoes, bits and pieces
was embedded in this sculpture. It was indeed a feast to the eye and all the
objects were so interesting that you could have spent a while there wondering
where all these bits and pieces came from and what sort of life they lead
before ending up here. It was like history in a structure. Well worth seeing
and I could have spent more time photographing it.
After checking out the
loos on my part – which are nice and clean – and taking photos we loaded
ourselves back into the cruiser and drove on to the next - this time Mildura.
Mildura is a rather large regional centre so before
it were some little towns and the sad part is that there were local produce
stalls on the wrong side of the road to where I was going AHHHH! I love local
produce stalls.
We came in to the town
on the Calder Highway which is not the normal way in to town so it came as no
surprise that we could not find a sign or anything to the information center.
Ms GPS was at a loss to find it so I took out the trusty IPhone and she found
it – poo in your shoe Ms GPS smartarse!
The Mildura Tourist
Info centre is spit and polish and I started finding gifts for all my family
and friends immediately – and had to put them all back as we are on such a
tight budget. (sorry family and friends) Anyway they also had really helpful people
who, when I asked a question told me what I wanted and even booked our
accommodation. Bargain!! Then we had a cuppa in their coffee shop and they had
rooibos herbal tea which is my favourite (it was 3.30 and I can’t have caffeine
after 2pm unless people want to go clubbing with me all night) and Greg had a
coffee which he can. (it sucks)
But the hot beverages were great and in spite of the fact we had calorie
laden breakfast – we had only one piece of fruit for lunch and we were a tad hungry I/we resisted the cakes, although Greg had
to stop salivating over the next table’s Jelly slice and chocolate mud cake.
 |
| Paddle boat on the river at Mildura right where we were camped! |
Over our hot beverages
we discussed and decided on lodgings for the night. We decided on the caravan
park over the bridge – Burgona Caravan park which is right on the river in a
bend – on the New South Wales side. It’s a really tidy park and the staff
seemed pleasant – we didn’t get a slab site but we did get a river view site
with lots of room and really nice neighbours who were not ducks this time, but
people!
Its really hard to me,
the talk-a-holic, to make friends with the people on the other side of the camp
you are on, but draw the line between being a pain in the bum person that won’t
leave you alone - versus someone
that you could have had a rip snorting great night with. How do you tell
between nice manners and people wanting company over dinner? I am not sure at
this time of the trip. I am but a
novice. It’s a skill I am yet to acquire to yabber or not to yabber.
We had a nice night in
at Mildura. Down from where we were camped is a spillway and there would be 3
dozen pelicans and twice as many seagulls as they are not as interesting
surfing the current for fish. Apparently they are feasting on little carp that
have been washed down. Pelicans are one of my most favourite things so we spent
a little while watching them fly in, drift down and take flight again. I only
had the little coolpix camera and wished I had my big Nikon.
It was quite a chilly
night but we had a powered site so the little heater was on and it was cosy. I
cooked a pasta thing which had vegetables (again) in it and a tomato base – and
for a bit of extra flavour – a small tin of diced up spam. You may think this
sounds awful but the spam gives it a bit more flavour and by the time its all
mixed in with vegies, tins of tomatoes and herbs it is quite nice. However I
made too much so we ended up with a container of left overs. Something I was
trying to avoid as fridge space is at a premium. Never mind.
Wednesday
I got up and went for
a run. Unfortunately I was so busy looking around I almost got lost. It was
only a short run as I was a bit tired as the caravan park is right on the
highway so trucks rumbled past all night, then over the river is a railway line
with freight trains going on it. Such an lovely picturesque spot and so noisy.
There were also the 5pm o’clock hoons. Stupid revheads that tear up and down
with loud cars revving engines and carrying on. According to our neighbours,
they carried on like that for hours on Saturday night keeping everyone awake
and being irritating.
We decided to spend
the day in Mildura with me uploading the blog and the photos. It was a nice
enough day but for a very cold wind and the threat of rain coming and going.
First of all though we
had to do some washing as tomorrow we will be going to Mungo National park
where you have to take your own everything, there are just pit toilets and no
power. The only place you can have a shower is at the information centre.
Public washing machines,
especially those in caravan parks must come with an instant lint dispenser. We
have a front loader which is great for getting rid of lint. Our old top loader
had an instant lint dispenser so we dispensed with it some time ago. Anyway so we put our non linty but just
a bit grotty clothes in the machine with liquid detergent to save on scum lines
and our clothes came out with tide lines of lint – just wonderful. Greg helped
me hang our linty wash out on the line and we just had enough pegs. Domestics
done – we hopped in the car and went to see what good old down town Mildura had
to offer.
 |
| Happy hour Mildura style Isn't it handy having a drop down tailgate! |
Full as googs we
waddled back to the car and found the regional library where I madly downloaded
photos on to the laptop. Greg found that WIFI was free but unfortunately my
file sizes were large and I didn’t realise this until I was into the blog and
could not go back so it took me ages to put the blog together and had to miss
out on some of my photos. Shall go back, resize and put them in later.
Eventually we both got
sick of all of this and packed up our things and went in search of groceries
and supplies for our Mungo leg. We had decided to eat at a local pub up the road
as a treat for me to not cook for a night.
I wanted to buy fresh
food of a local vendor but the only one I found on our side of the bridge was
on the way to - wait for it - ORANGE WORLD!!! Yes this amazing place,
obviously a hit with tourists with kids I thought would be full of interesting
displays of the various ways of the cultivation of oranges and the keeping of
trees, threats of disease and the implications etc. No.
 |
| Orange orchards near Orange World |
When we rolled up
outside orange world I realised we had missed the tour. Bugger. Then we walked
inside and it was like you were in Italy. Italian music played rather loudly
and there was some postcards, a display or orange peelers and a few other bits
and bobs and some tables and chairs. I ordered a litre of fresh squeezed orange
juice which was being squeezed as I ordered – and an extra glass as I could not
wait. It was just the yummiest orange juice ever. After that I thanked our
cheerful host and left. Orange juice bottle in hand.
There was one fresh
grower that I had noticed on the way so we endeavoured to find his shop. It was
down and out of the way a bit but we rolled up to a big shed and I hopped out
with my purse. The shed had fresh oranges but also everything almost that you
would find in a fruit shop so I bought celery, carrots, onions, oranges,
mandarins, a packed of baby partsnips, locally grown sultanas and a few other
things. A fellow came out and we started chatting about where we were from etc
as I gathered my shopping and when he rang up the lot he only charged me $20!!!
I can’t get half of that here in Canberra!! I was stoked. He also put our
things in a sturdy cardboard box which would come in handy and shouted me a
ticket in the local raffle. First prize is $1000 so I said if we won I would go
him halves. So Joe – still waiting for the call mate! In any case it was a great shopping experience.
The local pub – called
‘The Edge’ was an Egyptian themed but not done really well type of place with
pink – yes vivid pink walls. They didn’t have much of a wine list and not much
of a menu. We were hanging out for a nice steak but there was a sign as you
came in saying the grill was broken and steak was out. Bugger. Since we had
walked there from the camp which was only about 1 1/2km, we would have to walk
all the way in town to get something else so we decided to make the best of it.
A lousy choice. We ordered and then ¾ of an hour later I was informed that
there was no fish. A further wait, getting sick of it now and we had dinner. It
was ok but nothing to rave over. Should have walked in town!!! That will teach
us for being lazy – it was also freezing and being in the warm all but pink
environment was preferable.
After our extra long
meal, we walked back to our caravan and settled in for the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment