Cootamundra and Deniliquin, including Wanganella Creek

Cootamundra

2 – 4 November 2015

We drove back along the Wombeyan Caves access road and on towards Taralga, then turned off to Crookwell. We stopped at the Visitor Information Centre and were pleasantly surprised by the wealth of information provided. We had coffee and went back down to the Sock Shop – locally made socks, some made from local merino wool. We were treated to a short history of the business, as well as a “behind the scenes” look at the machinery at work. A real treat in a small country town.

We planned to stay in Yass so stopped to have a look around. There is parking for RVs and caravans just off the main street – and a short walk to supermarkets and visitor centre. It would be great if all towns did this. After checking out a few things, and visiting two op-shops we decided to move on to Cootamundra instead.

A Silvereye seen checking Christmas lights in a Coota yard.

We found our way to the caravan park and settled into a cabin for a couple of days. The weather had been awful and more of the same had been forecast so we felt a little treat was in order. The RSL club is just a short walk so we treated ourselves to dinner. 

The morning was bright and sunny – no sign of rain and Mick was keen to go looking for the Superb parrot. Our hosts at the caravan park had guaranteed that he would see one so he was very excited. Unbelievably there was one in the tree in the caravan park! A walk in the nearby park resulted in some excellent photos as well. We walked into town for a look around – it’s just a short stroll from the caravan park. In the afternoon we walked back into town to the Visitor Information Centre, and later, along the creek for a short way.

Graham Yallop

There are some superb busts of cricketers at the park but it was a Superb parrot that I was after. I had never seen this beautiful long tailed parrot until we hit the outskirts of Coota. A pair flew high above the car as we drove in to town and although not seen well enough to tick, the silhouette was distinctly that of a Superb. Sleek, with long tail and fine long wings, bigger than a Musk lorikeet. My next encounter was on the way to the club for dinner, a single bird flew over much lower and with the evening sun lighting it up beautifully. I had a brief but clear view. Tick! 

Now all I needed was a nice pic. The next morning I found a single bird in the tree I was told they favoured in the caravan park. I managed to get a couple of decent shots of its head before it flew. Over to the Captains Walk to see if I could do better. On my first lap of the park I noticed a pair of Superbs land in a River red gum. As I approached slowly, they flew to the ground and began feeding, oblivious to my frenzied clicking. It's nice when things fall into place so easily, but all too rare. Mick.

Male Superb parrot.

Cootamundra is the birthplace of cricketing legend, Donald Bradman, so cricket features heavily in the tourist offerings. Jubilee Park is adjacent to the caravan park, and is home to the Captains Walk – a series of bronze sculptures of all Australian Test Cricket captains. Some of them show exceptional skill, while others bear no resemblance to the real person, and others are just plain scary – but it is certainly worth a look.

Also in the park were Galah and Eastern rosella along with lots of Red-rumped parrots (not pictured)

We left Cootamundra after a very pleasant couple of days, bound for Deniliquin.


Deniliquin

4 – 6 November 2015

We decided to head to Deniliquin. We’d stayed there before and Mick remembered some good birdwatching. There are a number of ways you can travel from Cootamundra to Deniliquin, we drove through Junee and Wagga Wagga, towards Narrandera, then turned off to Urana, stopping at Lockhart for lunch in the park. From there it was on to Jerilderie and then through Conargo to Deniliquin.

More rain and storms were forecast so we again decided on a cabin. We returned to the caravan park we had stayed at about 10 years ago – and ended up in the same cabin! This park is right on the Edward River and bordered by the Murray Valley Regional Park so lots of bush and birds.

Our walk was rained on, and the skies were very grey so we felt we had made the right decision. There was more rain overnight but no big storms. We ventured out to the Visitor Information Centre in the morning, and to pick up some supplies. Mick obtained information about a couple of likely spots for birdwatching – and it rained quite heavily for a while. 

After lunch we drove to Mathoura – about ½ hour away – and on to the Reed Beds Bird Hide. This is a really nice spot, and very well set up. Information signage is available at the entrance and along the boardwalk are signs depicting the various birds which might be seen. Each sign has a picture of the bird on one side and information on the other. If you spin the sign around completely, you will hear a recording of the bird’s call, and there is also a QR code which provides a link to the Birds Australia website information on the bird. Excellent – but there is more! In the bird hide itself, there are a number of panels scattered around – each depicting a bird which might be seen – and each relating information using a different format – Facebook, email, postcard, letter etc. There’s also the QR code so visitors can be sure of an informative and educational visit. I thought it was fabulous.

There was rain overnight – but not as much as we had anticipated. We set off for the short drive to Wanganella Creek Camp Park – just 35 km north if Deniliquin.


Wanganella Creek Camp Park

6 – 8 November 2015

We had read about Wanganella Creek Camp Park and the lady in the Visitor Information Centre in Deniliquin said it was a lovely spot so Mick had rung to book. We drove up the Cobb Highway and, following the instructions given, stopped at the Post Office / shop just over the bridge to check in, pay and obtain the key for the camp ground. Back over the bridge and we found a nice spot – closest to the creek.

This is a small camp ground right on what is reputed to be the longest creek in Australia. The camp ground has an amenities block with individual bathrooms, as well as separate toilets and laundry (no washing machine, just a laundry tub). At $25 per night for a powered site, and access to a great camp kitchen, it’s pretty good value. The sky was grey when we arrived, but cleared as the day went on, and the wind replaced the rain so we were grateful for the well-appointed camp kitchen – fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster and electric hotplates – everything we could need. 

After a leisurely afternoon, the owner Lex, arrived and introduced himself, and provided a little information about the region. He owns the land all the (short) way to the bridge and told us this spot is usually quiet. We were the only ones there on the Friday night so we appreciated the solitude.

Western gerygone

White-winged fairywren

Yellow rosella

Red-rumped parrot

Saturday would have been a beautiful day if it hadn't been for the wind. We did go for a walk along the creek but ended up spending most of the day in the shed (camp kitchen). It was a good relaxing day and there were still no other visitors.

The wind dropped during the evening and so we had a quiet night. We packed up, stopped for a chat with Lex and headed off for Victoria via Hay.