Colac Colac

 15 - 19 February 2025

We set off from Glenrowan but didn't get far before we detoured off the highway to another favourite spot -  Honeyeater Picnic Area and Cyanide Dam in the Chiltern - Mount Pilot National Park. It was morning tea time, so we made a cup of coffee and went for a walk around the dam. It's a lovely spot for a short stop with bonus birding included. 

We returned to the highway and continued on until taking the turn towards Talangatta. We stopped for lunch on the foreshore of Lake Hume at Tallangatta, but it was so windy we had a very quick bite to eat before continuing on towards Colac Colac - not to be confused with Colac which is also in Victoria. "Clack Clack" is only a few kilometres from Corryong and is in a beautiful location on Corryong Creek, with views all around. We set up camp in a quiet spot in the caravan park and settled in for a relaxing few days.

Our friends from Townsville who are travelling full time arrived to meet us the following day. We try to catch up with them whenever possible and we were looking forward to a couple of days together. Judy and John had stayed at Colac Colac a few weeks before so suggested a day trip for the next day.

We set off after breakfast, following Judy and John to Bluff Falls. There is a camping area nearby but it is closed at the moment and looks like it is being redeveloped. There is a short walk from the carpark to the falls and then a set of stairs that takes you to the bottom for a different view. It was there that John crashed his drone into a tree - on the other side of the creek. I wonder how many drones end up left in trees and bushes?

It's an easy walk from the carpark to the falls

From the falls we continued on to the small town of Jingellic in New South Wales for a lovely lunch at the pub, right on the Murray River. We went for a walk and had a look at the campground that is between the pub and the river. It looked like a top spot to camp. We returned to Colac Colac via the road that follows the Murray River, stopping at a couple of lookouots and Clark Lagoon Wildlife Reserve. Our friends drove back a different way - along the NSW side of the river and arrived back at the caravan park only a couple of minutes ahead of us. 

We went to NSW for lunch!

The following day we had a look around Corryong and discovered the sewerage ponds - usually a good spot for birding, but not this one. We visited the shops and picked up some supplies from the supermarket. We also chatted to some locals at the servo to get some advice about which road we should take back to the coast. It's always good to get local knowledge about road conditions.

The following morning we packed up, said farewell to our friends and set off to travel to Lakes Entrance.

Chiltern

4 – 9 March 2023

We had visited Chiltern and wanted to return for its proximity to Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park, where the Regent honeyeater can be found. There is no suitable camping in the national park so we chose the caravan park in town, which is ideally located on Lake Anderson. Chiltern is a small town with a few interesting shops, a small supermarket and a couple of pubs.

On Sunday morning we went for a walk in town and discovered there were markets on in the park so we went down to have a look. There was a good variety of stalls and we bought some salami and quince paste in anticipation of a nice cheese platter one day soon. We went out to the national park later in the afternoon but the light wasn’t great so we decided we needed to come back for a morning session.

We had a few things we needed to do in Wodonga so we drove in on Monday morning and ended up spending half the day there. By the time we had had a tyre looked at, bought a few things for our camping set up and visited some op shops, it was lunch time so we found a very nice café near the supermarket, then we stocked up on groceries and headed home. We also went for a walk around the lake later in the day and bought fish and chips for dinner from a visiting food van.

Sunset over Lake Anderson

On Tuesday we made the effort to get out of bed early and drove to Honeyeater Picnic area in the national park. It’s a lovely spot by a dam where there were lots of birds. Mick spent about an hour wandering around in the bush.

Wednesday was cold and drizzling with rain so we decided to spend an extra night in Chiltern so we didn’t had to pack up in the wet. It was a good day for a touristy drive so we chose a route that would take us back towards the alpine area with our first stop at Beechworth.

Beechworth is a lovely town with lots of old buildings dating from the gold rush era. There are lots of interesting gift shops and heaps of cafes which is an indication of its reliance on tourism. My favourite shop was the Beechworth Honey shop where we were able to sample some of their delicious wares. They were happy to provide tastings even though we explained we would be unable to purchase any due to our imminent return to Tasmania. Biosecurity rules prohibit you from taking honey into Tasmania (and other states as well).

From Beechworth we continued towards the high country and Myrtleford. The rain was tumbling down and it was very cold so we didn’t spend much time wandering the town. We visited a couple of op shops then continued on to Yackandandah where we again browsed a couple of shops before heading home to Chiltern. Every Wednesday the communal fire is lit at the caravan park so we joined some fellow travellers for a very enjoyable drink and a chat by the fire.

The following morning was bright and clear – but very cold at just under 4° when we climbed out of bed at 7:30a.m. We set about packing up ready to head down the road to Glenrowan.

Chiltern

7 - 8 March 2015

Our next stop was a birdwatching spot, so we had a definite plan when we left Khancoban. We followed the Murray Valley Highway through to Tallangatta where we stopped for coffee and cake (delicious) at the local bakery, and some supplies. We also drove down to the lake - which is quite low and little more than a few ponds. Tallangata is just off the highway and worth the 1km drive in for a break.

From there we drove on to Wodonga and were directed to a lovely park for lunch. Belvoir Park is on a lake with a walking track that looks like it goes all the way around. There are picnic tables, BBQs and toilets. Seating and picnic areas are provided all along the path. There is also an enclosed a dog "off leash" area away from the main picnic park.

Ducks and geese roam the area and despite the signs prohibiting feeding the birds many families were doing just that - and then trying to chase them away when they crowded for more.

After fueling up, we drove down the Hume Freeway to Chiltern - a small town, founded on mining. The Chiltern - Mt Pilot National Park is a well known birdwatching spot, so that was our first stop. We spent a short while at Honeyeater Picnic Area which is on Cyanide Road and is beside an old dam. Mick met a fellow bird photographer who provided some local knowledge. Birdos are generally a friendly lot.

We moved on to set up camp at the local caravan park, then to the Visitor Information Centre where we obtained a map to another birding spot - No. 2 Dam. Another nice spot with a walk to a hide. The dam level is quite low so the hide is a long way from the water, but is well maintained.

Crested Shrike-tit

Barking Owl on the No. 2 Dam walk.

We made a fairly early start on Sunday and returned to Honeyeater Picnic Area for the morning. After a picnic morning tea we hit the road again. We had learned that this was a long weekend in Victoria so were not surprised when we saw how crowded it was in Rutherglen - just up the road. We stumbled upon local produce markets that were just starting to pack up, but headed in for a look anyway. There was an excellent array of yummy goodies. Due to lack of space we settled for some home made pasta and sauce, as well as local strawberries which were sweet and juicy (and tasted just like strawberries should).