Glenrowan

 12 - 15 February 2025

We have stayed at Glenrowan quite a few times so Mick can photograph the Turquoise parrots that frequent the park, so we didn't want to miss another opportunity. We drove from Bendigo straight to the caravan park on a very hot day. We set up but were disappointed that the birds didn't seem to be around.

On previous stays at the caravan park there have been regular visits to the bird bath by a number of birds, and there are usually a few visiting birders - but not this time. There has been talk that the management of the park has been less than encouraging of birders and some feel that she has actively discouraged them. This certainly looks to be the case which is such a shame.

We had wanted to stay a few days, but thought that maybe one would do - until we checked the weather forecast for the places that were next on our list and saw that there might be some significant rainfall and possibly damaging storms. We decided to stay for three nights and hope that the weather wasn't too bad where we were.

Despite the lack of birds,
we did enjoy the peace and quiet

We took the opportunity to catch up on some shopping and general day to day tasks while we were there, and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Most visitors only stayed overnight so the park was very quiet during the day. We also drove over to Benalla to have coffee with Mick's sister. Collette is always pleased to see us, and it was a nice morning out.

We rose early on our final morning to go for a spot of birding in the nearby Warby Ranges National Park. Mick had been told about a spot not far away and he was happy to see that there were a number
of Turquoise parrots right where he hoped they would be. 

We drove back to the caravan park and were packed up ready to leave by 9:00am. We headed off up the highway on our way to Colac Colac, in the Victorian High Country.

Glenrowan

 19 – 24 March 2023

We left Whitfield and called in to Edi Cutting so Mick could spend some time looking for birds to photograph. Unfortunately there weren’t many around but we did manage to snag a great spot by the river to have morning tea. We contemplated staying the night but decided to return to Glenrowan, partly because some nasty weather had been forecast for the following few days.

We arrived at the caravan park, again in time for lunch and were set up in a partly shady spot as the temperature headed towards 30°. While Mick spent the afternoon at the bird bath, I drove in to Wangaratta for fuel and groceries.

Hot air balloons launch from nearby Benalla

With storms forecast for Tuesday, Mick spent most of Monday with the camera at the birdbath, chatting to others with a similar interest. Glenrowan is a prime spot for birders and many secrets are sjared around the birdbath.

The forecast storms weren’t as severe as anticipated but were enough to have us deciding to stay an extra couple of days at Glenrowan so that we could get the canvas dried out – and it’s a great spot anyway. Whenever the rain stopped, Mick went out with the camera. We also took the opportunity to sample some more of the delicious bread and treats from the bakery in the small town.

We wanted to go up into the Warby Ranges and had found a possible campsite not too far away so we had a slow start on our final morning, then headed into the national park.

Glenrowan

9 – 15 March 2023

With only a short drive to Glenrowan ahead of us we took our time leaving Chiltern and stopped at Wangaratta along the way. Wangaratta is a busy town, without much parking for towing vehicles. Most of the main street and surrounding streets are metred, angle parking so we had to drive around the back streets for a while and had almost given up when we found a suitable stretch of parallel spots with free parking. We popped into a camping store and a couple of op shops before continuing on to Glenrowan.

Glenrowan is best known as the site of Ned Kelly’s last stand and the small town is geared for tourists interested in this part of Australia’s bushranging history. For us, though, it’s all about the birds. The caravan park has a lovely spot with a bird bath that is frequented by a number of species so Mick spent much of his time there. He met a number of other keen birdwatchers and photographers, happily swapping notes and tips.

An interpretative trail leads visitors to key points of interest around the Heritage Seige Precinct

Our campsite was right on the edge of the park, looking out to the bush covered hill. It gave us some privacy from the crowds who descended on the park for the long weekend, and allowed some “on the spot” birdwatching.

On Saturday evening we were joined by a family member on his way home from a golfing and mountain bike riding adventure in Tasmania. We hadn’t seen Tony for about 5 years so enjoyed a very nice evening before he set off for his night’s accommodation a few hours away. Travelling, and meeting new people, is fabulous but I do miss seeing family and friends so his visit was very special.

On Sunday we went for a drive to have a look at the campsites at Winton Wetlands. We have visited a number of times but have never camped there, so we were keen to do so this trip. We stopped along the way at each of the points where there was water and had morning tea on the edge of Bill Friday Swamp, near one of the campgrounds. From there we drove on the Nesting Ground Campground on Green Hill. We decided that this would probably be the one for us when we returned to camp later in the week.

On Tuesday we drove in to Benalla to do some shopping and also to visit Mick’s sister who lives there. Once again it was lovely to spend some time with a family member and to meet Mick's youngest great-niece.

Mick spent most of the rest of our time in Glenrowan staking out the water point, photographing birds and chatting to fellow birders and photographers. We had intended to spend four nights but ended staying for six, and probably could have stayed longer, but with the weather forecast for clear skies for the next few days we booked our spot in Winton Wetlands and moved on.

Glenrowan

15 - 20 March 2022

We made our way through the Melbourne traffic and onto the motorway towards Glenrowan and arrived just on lunch time. We had chosen this location because of the Turquoise parrots that frequent the caravan park. At the base of the Warby Ranges, there is plenty of bush around and lots of wildlife that visit. We chose a site with a view towards the Victorian Alps in the far distance and settled in for a relaxed stay in a fairly peaceful setting.

We spent our first afternoon relaxing and considering how we would spend the following few days. Mick spent the next morning at the water point with the camera and, after lunch, we decided that a drive into Wangaratta was required to restock the freezer and pantry, and to pick up some local maps at the Visitor Information Centre. There was rain forecast so we opted to stay in the caravan park - with the camera at the ready for the rest of the afternoon and see what the weather was like for an excursion another day.

Thursday morning was cloudy, with rain forecast for the middle of the day so we didn't go out. Mick managed to get some good photos before the rain arrived. A drive into the Warby Ranges would have to wait until another day.

Friday morning was clear and bright - and shaping up to be a hot day. The light was perfact for photography at the water point so that's where Mick spent most of the morning. In the afternoon we decided on a drive into the nearby Warby-Ovens National Park. We were dismayed at the lack of signage on the way to the park and were glad that we had picked up a map earlier in the week. We eventually found our way to Wenham's Campground and went for a walk which took us to the Mount Warby summit. The walk we chose was only about 850 metres and supposedly rated a grade 2 - but the path was uneven and rocky in parts, and covered in loose gravel in others. Loose gravel and steep inclines do not mix and can make for a nasty fall. We never did reach the destination promised and began to wonder if perhaps the 850 metres was to the start of the actual walk. We will never know.

The afternoon was very hot so we didn't continue on with any walking, instead staking out some birds back near the campground. We had considered camping at Wenham's once we left Glenrowan but decided against it. Camping for caravans, camper trailers and motorhomes is along a bollarded roadway which, for us, could mean dodging bollards as we moved about outside. We left the campground and returned to Glenrowan to indulge in some ice cream.

Mick spent most of Saturday either at the birdbath or editing photos. There were some other birders staying at the caravan park, so they exchanged stories and special spots. Birders are generally very friendly folk so we readily accepted the invitation to join them for drinks in the evening.

After 5 relaxing nights at Glenrowan we packed up on Sunday morning to head into Benalla where we had the car booked in for a service. As it would only be about a 1/2 hour drive we decided to spend some time exploring Winton Wetlands on the way.