Berri

 1 – 3 March 2002

We spent some time in the South Australian Riverland when we came through in November last year and thought we might go back to Waikerie, before returning to Gluepot, but changed our minds and settled on Berri instead. We left Lake Cullulleraine and headed west towards the border between Victoria and South Australia.

Quarantine warnings were posted regularly as we approached the border and we stopped at the designated bin and disposed of our last piece of fruit before continuing on to the quarantine checkpoint. The check was the most thorough we had experienced in 6 years of crossing state borders. The officer not only checked the fridge, pantry drawers, but also the couple of grocery bags visible on the back seat, including the one which contained the dirty clothes. I don't think he was expecting that!

We stopped for a coffee in Paringa and at a hardware store in Renmark before arriving at the caravan park we had booked in Berri. We had gained a ½ hour when we entered the main SA timezone so were set up before lunch time. We’d booked an ensuite site for two nights and were allocated one which was actually a drive through, right at the rear of the park, with a view to the neighbouring tennis court. 

We went for a walk along the river, and stopped in at the Visitor Information Centre which sold a good selection of locally produced goods. We located the supermarket and returned later in the day to stock up for the next leg of our trip which would see us visiting some more remote locations.

On Saturday morning we walked along the river again, into town to browse the shops and buy some of the produce from the visitor centre – smoked almonds, dried fruit and almond muesli. Berri is a good sized town with all the expected shops and amenities as well as a beautiful spot on the river.

On Sunday morning we set off again, this time headed for Gluepot Reserve.