Home to Mildura
Home - Nambucca Heads - Ryde (Sydney) - Wagga Wagga - Hay - Mildura - Mungo National Park - Wentworth
The Route Map
Day 1 - 4th Feb
Home to Nambucca Heads.
... Great run down the freeway. Quick stop at the ledgenary Woopi Bakery for Cake, Slice and Pies. How great is it to have a caravan park with it own taven!
Happy_Hour_Caravan_Park_Tavern
Nambucca Heads - Cormorant Sculpture
Day 2 - 5th Feb
Nambucca Heads
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Up early to hit the beach for sunrise photos. This location is just a few hundred metres from the caravan park.
Sunrise over Wellington Rock at Nambucca Heads
Sunrise
More sunrise
Nambucca River Mouth from above
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We had a drive around the area today. Walked the main street which has a very "coastal Maleny" vibe.
The_Break_Street_Art
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The break water is lined with large rocks and cement blocks. Many along the pathway have been sign written as memorial, reminders of holidays past.
The_V_Wall
Day 3 - 6th Feb
Nambucca Heads to Sydney.
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One more sunrise before we go.
Sunrise_Over_Wellington_Rock
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Overnight the waves had built up and were crashing into the headland.
Wave action outside the heads
More wave action outside the heads
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We had been planning to drive the almost 700km from Nambucca Heads to Goulburn in one day but decided to break the journey in Sydeny to see Charissa and Chikabelle. This was Chika's first day of High School (Grade 7).
The Sydney family
Day 4 - 7th Feb
Sydney to Wagga Wagga.
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We were up and gone by 6.00am from the caravan park at Lane Cove. Within a kilometre we were onto the M2 toll motorway. No traffic going our way. From there it was onto the M7 another toll motorway. Again no traffic. In about an hour we were onto the M31 to Canberra. No traffic lights and no traffic. It did cost $62 in tolls but as far as we are concerned that was money well spent for a stressless transit of Sydney.
Wagga_Wagga_Beach_Murumbidggee_River
Murumbidgee_River_Park
Courthouse_Clock_Tower
Day 5 - 8th Feb
Wagga Wagga - Hay.
Wagga_Wagga_Courthouse
Entry_Old_Police_Station_with_George_V_cypher
St_Andrews_Presbyterian_Wagga
St_Johns_Anglican_Wagga
St_Michaels_Cathedral_Wagga
Street_Mural
Another Mural
Post_Office_Hay
Street Art Hay
Old_Bank_Hay
Storefront_Hay
Many a story told under this verandah
Old_Sign_in_Laneway_Hay
Old_Hay_Goal Hay
Old_Fordson_Hay
Old_Horsedrawn_Plough_Hay
Memorial_to_Red_Gum_Forestry
River_Bend_Murumbidgee_Hay
Water_Tower_Art_Hay
Water Towers from a different side
Australian Shilling Art on Post Office
Day 6 - 9th Feb
Hay - Mildura.
Sunrise in Hay before we left for Mildura.
Sunrise_Murumbidgee_River_Hay
Emu_Sculptures_Sunrise_Hay
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Off to Mildura across the Hay Plains.  ***Hay_Plains between Hay and Balranald
***Day 7 - 10th Feb
Mungo National Park.
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Sunset tour to Mungo National Park with Trevor as our guide. We were his only guests, so it was a very personal tour....
Our fist stop was at the old sheep station that was purchased to become the Mungo National Park. The old shearing shed is a stark reminder of recent European past.
Old Mungo Shearing Shed
Old Mungo Shearing Shed Interior
Roos at Mungo
Old bucks are huge
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After dinner, with the sun is still high in the afternoon sky, Trevor drives us out across the dry, ancient lake bed to the base of the so called "Walls of China".
First stop the Red Top area
Shaddow are getting long
The striking land formations
The eroded ancient sand dunes
Moonscape
Moonrise
Sun set makes the hills glow
The sun was set and it was time to head home
Day 8 - 11th Feb
Mildura.
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Late start this morning after a very late night return from Mungo NP....
Jenelle took a taxi up to the old area of Mildura to check out the historic buildings and some shops.
Rio Vista - the home of the famous Chaffey Bros
Rio Vista inside
Dinning room
Stained glass windows
Mildura Town Clock
Jenelle also checked out the Murray River action.
The river is packed with houseboats
The oblibatory paddlesteamer
Day 9 - 12th Feb
Wentworth.
Yesterday the temperature topped out at 38 ℃ and we stuggled to keep the van a few degrees less. John was ready to pack up and head to the snowy high country. Today the high is predicted to be mid forties...
We were up very early and headed off to see where the Murray and Darling Rivers meet at Wentworth....
Murray_Darling_Confluence
Darling on the left, Murray on the right
The meeting of the waters at ground level
From here we headed to the Perry Sandhills just outside Wentworth...
Perry Sandhills
Just like a desert dune
Wentworth was the first inland port in Australia in days of paddlesteamers and barges carrying all the country needed....
Post Office
The old Goal
Back in the caravan park we finally learned how to keep the van cool. Just in time because the outside temp hit 44℃ in the late afternoon. Inside it was a pleasant 32℃ Thankfully within 24hrs the daytime temperature maxed out in the high 20s and the nights became quite cool. With in a few days we had to have the heater on in the morning because the temp was getting down to 6℃...
.Day 10 - 13th Feb
Mildura to Renmark.
Finally we are going to get to South Australia. Our first stop though is at Redcliffs just outside Mildura. These impressive cliffs form the high bank of the Murray....
Red Cliffs indeed
The drone is the only way to really capture the cliffs
Over the last few days driving around the Mildura district we have seen some spectacular farming
It is table grape picking time
Muscat Grapes
…and dry fruit racks for of sultana grapes
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We have been lucky to spot a few new (for us) bird species too.  ***Australian Ringneck Parrot
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Blue Bonnets
The Mulga Parrot
And an occassional stunning flowering tree…
Magnificant
