Moama to Mathoura

Moama to Mathoura = 54km
Cummulative total = 701km

Well it has been quite an eventful few days lately. First listen to this ... dad left early yesterday morning and we did have good intentions of cycling with him to the railway station at 6am in the morning but it began to rain so dad said don't worry stay in bed! We took the dog for a good walk and as we were going back to our tent site one of the men from the caravan park stopped and came up to us and quite rudely said that dogs are not allowed in this area, I just said that but we are camped in this area, then (still rudely said) but dogs are not allowed in this area, too this Neil and I were dumbfounded (as they put us there!) then he asks who put us there and we just said the lady at the reception, and again really rudely he said we would have to move, by now I am ready to strangle the little terd! the only thing holding me back from loosing my temper with him is the fact that there is really no other campground in the area that will take dogs, so Neil asks what can we do. So the little neo nazi man goes off and gets the big boss and they both come back and say that we will have to move to the area that allows dogs.
So we pack up everything and move to the powered area with the other dogs and caravans. Really there was nothing we could do and apparently the receptionist didn't realise that we had a dog, which I thought was stange as I was parked outside with the dog in front of the office and no fewer than 5 mins before the information center had rang them up asking about dogs etc and basically said there are cyclists on the way with a dog so how many cyclists with dogs does this receptionist see each day?!
So it was a crap rest day, no one in the caravan section talks to us except for one couple from south australia, so we spent a nice relaxing day by the murray.

Great view isn't it!
So today we had all the intentions of heading of early but listen to this ... everyone in the caravan section now decides to chat to us!!!!! So we were rather late in getting away this morning.
After much discussion about this caravan park which is part of the Aspen group we decide that it is really 'sterile' and has no character not like the smaller friendlier ones you find in the smaller towns!
So we start out and follow the "long paddock" route which is the Cobb Highway. It is a relatively busy highway but on one of the sides it has about a 50m wide strip to the private land and it is in this strip that drovers can move their stock. Not sure if it is still used nowadays but I sure would love to see it in action. But it is an historic stock route from way back!
We got to Mathoura at lunchtime and just before the information center I come across a Jones Street so we are now 1 all!

We had lunch at the information center and fill up with water as we were going to bush camp along the Gulpa creek.
Camp 5 said the camping area was 3km along a dirt track. So we head along and find the area but as I was going up the track to the clearing I could hear a rustle to my right and I just thought that it was a lizard but it got louder and was going for a looooooooooooong time and I could see something moving incredibly fast out of the corner of my eye and I thought shit it is a snake and it is heading for a collision for us so I stop behind a huge tree and it stops there (at least I think it did!) and I said to Neil that I think there is a snake behind the tree so we tentatively go on. After assessing the area and ummmmming and ahhhing we decide that the snake has spooked us too much to stay there.
So we take the chance that the caravan park takes dogs and go back to Mathoura ... and yes the caravan park did take the dog, in fact I don't think it sees too many tenters as it is a small one with permanent holiday caravans! But it is quiet and small.
So we will pass through Deniliquin tomorrow and onto Conargo!
Below is a picture of me coming back along the Gulpa Creek Road. Rough in places but ridable!

Gunbower to Echuca

Gunbower to Moama = 59km
Cummulative total = 647km

Today was only suppose to be a 43km day but we got lost trying to find the one and only caravan park in Echuca that would take dogs ... basically the Northern Way caravan park doesn't exist!
Listen to this ... 2 websites said this caravan exists and the address is 75 Northern Hwy Echuca. So I use the google maps to find its location so after going to the train station to get dads ticket I take the lead and take us there. We get to a roundabout and I am sure it is south of it and Neil thinks it is north of it. So we go south and it is not there the numbers are greater than 75. Then we go north and we end up at the turnoff that we first took to get into town. So we pull over and then Neil looks up the internet again to double check I have the right address and this time we click on the google map that is with the caravan park website and the Northern Hwy is now the main street of Echuca so we go back there .... and still no caravan park!
So we go to the information center and they inform us the only 2 in the area that will take dogs is 7km before Echuca and one at Moama which is the Maiden Inn so they ring up to find out if they take dogs ... well they said yes but I am sure that the Maiden Inn on the website said no dogs!
But here we are at the Maiden Inn holiday park and it is right on the Murray and is a huge lovely expensive park!
So it has been a long hot day and we all hate Echuca! But we did manage to take in some good photos!

We did have to cross this bridge over the Campaspe river and I swear it was leaning to one side and I was sure the planks of wood would not hold the heavy bikes!

Since we are in Moama (NSW) we crossed the border between the 2 states.

On the road to the caravan park at Moama we saw a paddle steamer going along the Murray.

And this is our view from our tents (actually you just have to go down a short steep embankment to get this photo!)

So it wasn't too badder a day but I don't think I will be using the Google maps again this is the 2nd time we have gone wrong with it ... the first was back in Bacchus Marsh where is clearly had one road goes into another without changing status where as it was a 'C' road and then became a one lane road (so I think it does change its status!)

Tomorrow dad heads back to Melbourne and we will stay here for a rest day. His train will leave at 7.20 tomorrow morning so he said he will get up at 3 o'clock and start packing ... I think he has your problem Sharon!!!

Koondrook to Gunbower

Koondrook to Gunbower = 49km

Cummulative total = 588km

There was no signal at Gunbower so I have done this blog from Moama.

It was a nice day to cycle, cloudy (but no rain) and warm (but not hot!). It was flat with relatively weak winds from the North east.

It was a quiet road to Cohuna, the road runs parallel with the Murray valley highway. It was flat all the way covering mainly farmlands with green fields! Which meant dairy country ... which meant ... FLIES! You really didn't notice them until Leitchville.

We made good time to Cohuna and before entering the town we saw this street name!

I will endeavour to photo all streets that have the O'Briens or Jones name ... I wonder how many we will come across? I think there will be more of the Jones compared to the O'Briens!

Cohuna was quite a big town where we decided to pick up food here as we know that Gunbower is a small town (popn of 293)

We stopped off at the park which despite the so called water restrictions (stage 1!) they still have a water feature.

Also in this park is this statue of this fish

We are not quite sure of the relevance of this fish in this region, it is not a native Murray Cod so it must be a Perch which is really a pest in the waterways unless it is some other fish that we are not aware of!
Speaking of water there is alot of green (and I mean green) fields around here and heaps of canals full of water. We often wondered just how they got the fields so green with no obvious sprinkler system ... well we stopped at Leitchville and neil came across this field being watered.

basically the canals are filled and the fields are electronically graded so there is an ever so slight slope that really we can't see but when it is watered it is obvious that it has to have a gentle slope. A small paddle in the canal pushes the water onto the field and floods it (just like what would happen if the Murray was let to flow naturally and not dammed up). So the part of the field that is closest to the paddle get absolutely saturated while the part of the field furtherest away gets the bare minimum. I have to admit is is rather archaic but I can see that it works but I can also see that there is alot of wastage as not only is the field flooded but sometimes the area between the field and road is sometimes flooded.

Here we are taking a quick break at Leitchville. From here it is a short ride to the Highway and onto Gunbower.
The campground was small but quiet and the town is really tiny, so I am surprised that there is a campground here!

We are off to Echuca tomorrow.

rest day @ Koondrook

It has been a nice restful day so far in this quiet town of Koondrook. Went for a walk down to the bridge that crosses over to the Gunbower State Forest which is a very big island sandwiched between the Gunbower and the Murray (I think it is anyway!). Here is a photo of our camp spot.

After walking the dog we took a short ride over the murray to Barham which has the supermarket in fact it has 2 - an IGA and also a Foodworks. Having 2 supermarkets surprised us as we didn't think that the 2 towns would warrant 2 grocers.
As we were riding along we came across this nifty contraption made into a clock.

The bridge that crosses the Murray river is bit of an ancient relic (at least it looked and felt like it as we croassed over!) I think it was engineered by John Monash (not sure if that is the same guy that the big university is named after!) anyway it is regarded as bit of a engineering fete as I think it use to raise to allow the steam boats through. It doesn't raise now but the old wooden planks have been tarred over with bitumen and after wear and tear the gaps are beginning to appear between planks so you have to gingerly go along on the bike so that your wheels don't get caught in the ruts!

There is also a small walk in Koondrook that incorporates a series of redgum carvings and below are photos of a few that we saw.

a kookaburra

a murray cod (of course!)

a pelican (don't quite see the relavance of that here!)

a steam boat captain.
Also the path takes you through a redgum sawmill (thought you might like the following photos Ray!). It is still being used today. And as you walk through it the smell of the wood is absolutely devine! they have redgum sawdust which I would love to bag just to capture the smell of it so I can open it every now and then to get a whiff of it!!!

Tomorrow we head for Echuca as we have convinced dad to leave from there as it is easier for us to leave from Echuca rather than Swan Hill!

Kerang to Koondrook

Kerang to Koondrook = 26km
Cummulative total = 539km

Just a nice short day today. So here we are at the place where the Gunbower river meets the Mighty Murray river ... and produces ... mossies!!! hell I have been bitten a far bit before I managed to put the insect repellant on!
It is a lovely place but first let me show you photos of our campsite last night at Kerang.

It was a nice campsite with good facilities and the Loddon river ran alongside it.

This is our view from the back of the tents or from the dinner table/bike trailer upside down! Lovely isn't it, unfortunately the Loddon river here is full of weeds and that only seem to benefit the 3 swans that liked to test Kouta by coming up to us at the tents and this would drive Kouta nuts and he would always try to catch them!

Anyway we got up later this morning and by 9am the temperature started to get warm that we didn't need to wear the thermals at the start! Todays high is around 29 degrees and after spending the last 2-3 weeks with a high of only 23 degrees you definitely noticed the difference! But I think we all prefer the heat compared to the cold!

So after going to Safeway for the 3rd time since we got here at Kerang (loving all the cheap bargains we could get!) we finally left Kerang for a flat ride to Koondrook which is on the Victorian side and the town just the other side of the Murray river is Barham which is in NSW.
We got here around lunch time and just relaxed throughout the afternoon with a few of the local caravaners coming over to chat.

We did go for a walk before dinner and there is heaps of stuff to see here in Koondrook so I will put some photos on here tonight and the rest tomorrow.

We did see 2 young guys riding around on this bike below, I took the photo when it was parked outside the pub, but dad had seen it previously parked along the Murray as they must have been fishing.

It is a 'tri-sled' brand bike and has lots of gears, disc brakes and shocks at the front and I would imagine it would weigh a tonne!

But off course the main reason why we came in this direction is so dad could see the Murray so I have taken a few photos of it for him to take home and remember it!

On our way back to the caravan park we saw heaps of wood carvings which I will put the photos up tomorrow and a redgum sawmill which I thought Neils father would like and I will put those up tomorrow as well.

But below is a photo of the Koondrook town hall.

And the photo below is off the train that is at the center of town.

Dad is on the front of the engine but when he stood up on the engine and as I took the photo the first thing that popped into my head was the song sung by Sheena Easten "my baby works from 9 to 5, he works ...." as I remember the video of her hanging of the train engine just like dad is doing!!!! but dad doesn't look a bit like Sheena Easten!

Tomorrow we have a rest here and will go over to the other town of Barham to see what is going on over there!

Boort to Kerang

Boort to Kerang = 52km
Cummulative total = 513km

Last night despite thinking the campground was overpriced we did have a nice setting and I managed to take a photo of it around sunset.

At this point the view was lovely but the temperature was starting to get cold, enough to have to put pants and the merino and polar fleece vest on!
For dinner last night we had steak sandwiches (and the steak was a little tough to bite into!) as we don't seem to eat enough red meat - generally veges or chicken! Dad decided to boil himself some eggs, so here is a photo of him doing 2 things at once! 1. boiling his eggs and 2. patting Kouta and giving hime some attention!

I know what Kouta is thinking while this photo is being taken 'Oh I hope phil gives me an egg' but that was wishful thinking Kouta!

Todays ride to Kerang was flat but a little tougher, we had a slight cross to head wind but that was no real drama and cruised along at around 16km per hour (instead of out 20km per hour with a tail wind!!!) The country side is still flat and I think it will be like that from now on and as we got closer to Kerang the fields were more lush that 100km south. But one thing we did have to battle with today and that was swarms of locusts. We had seen cars and trucks that have them splattered all over the front but for us they just get a head ache when they bang into us.

Generally they were in groups and some where actually quite thick in places. I couldn't figure out why they always were going from a left to right (and never from right to left).

We took regular breaks today for dad as he doesn't like head winds and to break the journey up we would stop every 14km or so.

Our first rest stop we had to park in the middle of the dirt road as this area and alot further a head is 3 thorn jack country and I do not want these in my tyres so to play it safe I try not to take the bike of the roads!
Our lunch break was at Lake Merang and we stopped at the telstra exchange like we normally do and Neil was over taking a photo of us and he came across this letter box and thought the concept of "no junk mail" on someones letterbox out in the middle of nowhere was really strange. It is not like there would be an abundunce of coles, woolworths, kmarts, reject shop etc way out here to even warrant brochures! But is was still funny that someone had put it on their letter box.

As you can tell it is a lovely warm day and with this north easterly wind came warmer temperatures - I think around 24 degrees which is fabulous to ride in!

I think Dad at this point was happy to see the turn off road to Kerang! Only 2 more kms to go!

I haven't been into town but Neil says there is a woolworths so it must be a reasonable sized town to have one of those.

The campground is okay and has a small camp kitchen and rec/tv area with tables so at least that is better than last night. There is a big camping area which Kouta can run around in.

Tomorrow is a nice short day to Koondrook/Barham so Dad can get his first look at the Murray (at least I think it is his first real look at it) and we will stay there as a rest day. And I think the northerlies are with us for the next few days but somehow I don't think it is hot enough to go for a swim in the Murray!

Wedderburn to Boort

Wedderburn to Boort = 48km
Cummulative total = 461km

this is a bit late as there was no internet reception at Boort, in fact the signal was very weak so I am doing this from Kerang.
The rest day at Wedderburn was great, very relaxing. We toke a small walk around the reservoir which was at the back of the campground. I would imagine the reservoir would be very nice in the hot weather that they can get up here, but when we walked around it somehow I don't think it was very inviting ... a wee bit too murky for me!

The Wedderburn campground is really nice and I highly recommend it - cheap and clean with all the facilities a cyclist needs but can't carry on the bike! Also opposite the office is a little hut with a great deal of history. Originally it was at the back of the reservoir and in 1983 it was moved to its current location in the caravan park. The hut was built by an 11 year boy (with guidance from adults) and he built it for some woman called Nancy Stokes who previously lived in a make shift tent that was patched together and the little boy thought that this woman couldn't live in the tent like that. So between the 2 they built this hut and she lived in it until 1979 (which is only 31 years ago!) and she was 93 years old! Marvellous story it was!

Our campsite

Nancy Stokes hut/house

So the ride to Boort was relatively uneventful, we had to wait for dad for a long time while he got himself packed up. Below you will see a photo of Neil and we have titled it "the waiting for dad pose" LOL!!!!

So we knew the ride to Boort was going to be easy - flat and a raging tailwind! And dad was very happy with the cycling today!

We got to Boort around lunchtime and it did cross our minds to continue another 51km to Kerang since the wind was so strong, but I think that would be pushing it for dad!

The campground at Boort was expensive $35 for the 3 of us and "listen to this" there was no facilities for us - only a shower, toilet and laundry! no sink to wash dishes, no kitchen, no power points at the bbqs and no real area for unpowered camping! but there are more bbqs in this park than actual people! So she stuck us in the corner near the water skiing facilities. But we did have nice view of Little Lake Boort (Neil said Lake Boort itself was dried up)
I don't know why but today while cycling we stopped at a place called Korong Vale and neil took this photo of this building so I have put it up here on the blog just for him!

I must admit there are some really lovely old buildings in some of the towns we pass through, most have been kept up and look great!

Tomorrow we head for Kerang.