WEDDERBURN TO CHARLTON

 

 

WEDDERBURN TO CHARLTON (via Wychitella and Borung-Charlton road) = 45km

CUMMULATIVE TOTAL = 141km

GORDON CARAVAN PARK = $13 powered tent site ($15 powered site or $12 unpowered)

 

I tell you it was soooooooooooooooo cold last night in Wedderburn ... we definitely needed another dog in the tent last night!  We both slept with clothes on and poor Kouta even he found it cold and had to snuggle up close to me ... why not Neil? ... well listen to this ... we wake up when Kouta moves and he comes between us and flops nearer to me, Neil states that he is freezing and momentarily picks up the dog blanket that is on the floor between our sleeping bags so that the dog has something to lie on rather than the cold tent floor and puts it over his sleeping bag!  Meanwhile Kouta and I are cuddling each other trying to keep warm.  It was a very sleepless night ... and when I mentioned to Neil in the morning that he shouldn't take Koutas blanket as the tent floor is cold for him and Neil admits that he still wasn't warm ... so that is his Karma!

Anyway we had a good giggle about it and judging by the weather today I think it will be another cold night tonight here in Charlton.

So we start out with the usual quiet road out of Wedderburn and take the road that goes to Whychitella (the turn off is 5km along the Calder hwy).  It climbs a bit but not continuous more like steps. 

We are riding along chatting away and I am babbling about something clearly Neil is not listening to a word I am saying as he blurts out snake so we both slam the brakes on and I say where (I have been looking religiously for branches alongside the roadside as they all look like snakes!) and he says in the middle of the road! So I look back and take a photo ... can you see it?

no you can't see it can you?  so you can understand how I missed it!  Have a look at the next photo as I have circled it ... the damn thing is in the middle of the road and Neil and I rode either side of it!

here is a close up ... just for you Leanne!

it was a small one and very difficult to see, not sure if it was dead and I couldn't see any tyre marks on it ... I think it was just cold (after last night!) and sunning itself on the road.

 So this road to Wychitella is quiet as per usual and not exactly flat more gentle climbing and then going down hill.  It is not until you get to Wychitella that you can see flat open land (which is so pretty it hurts your eyes!).  Just after Wychitella we turn left onto the Borung-Charlton road.  From here we are going west to Charlton and lucky for us we had a gentle tailwind to push us along. 
Charlton was nearly closed by the time we got here at Lunchtime and the IGA closes at 1.30pm and reopens for 3 hours tomorrow (sunday 10-1pm).  So we got here in time to get dinner - nachos with mexican beans!  woo hoo I hope it sets Neil off enough to keep the tent warm!
The campground at Charlton is a community one and after the floods the community banded together to put the campground back together and I tell you it is a great community park alongside the Avoca river - the shower and toilet blocks are clean as with the kitchen.  The water is incredibly hot and the showers huge!
We are tucked in the corner in the open as we didn't want to camp under trees, so we got to try out our expensive shade cloth (more expensive than the tent!) ...

as the sun moves you move to the shade that the shade cloth creates so it is great and the wind is not too strong at the moment.

In the afternoon the shade is on the side of the tent so I am sitting there looking at my view of the gums along the river (I can't quite see the river from my spot) ...

They have only charged us $13 for a powered tent site which is good.  We are staying here tomorrow for a rest day.  We will have a look around town this evening and tomorrow.  I must take a photo of the flood line which is about half way up the laundry building wall!