Balranald

4 – 7 November 2024

We called ahead to the caravan park in Balranald and booked a powered site for the night, followed by a cabin for the next two nights when the temperature was expected to reach 40 degrees. We were only travelling a short distance so stayed in the national park campsite until after morning tea. We were grateful that we were able to check into the caravan park early so were set up there before lunch time.

Our site in the caravan park was a drive-through so we were able to stay hitched up. It was only a short walk to the shops and the park was right on the river so there was no need to drive anywhere. There are walking tracks along the river so we did a bit of exploring in the afternoon and the following morning.

Balranald sits on the Murrumbidgee River

Our cabin was scheduled to be cleaned first in the morning and we were able to move in as soon as it was ready. The temperature was already starting to rise so we were glad to have the airconditioning, as well as a nice view of the river. The cabin was basic but it did the job and kept us out of the oppressive heat for a couple of days, and away from the crowds taking advantage of the Victorian public holiday.

While we were in Balranald we planned and booked our next national park stay – back to Hattah-Kulkyne which is another favourite.

Yanga National Park – Mamanga Campground

2 – 4 November 2024

I’d had Yanga National Park on the “possible” list many times but we never seemed to be in a position to go and stay there, so we were hopeful we could do that this time. We needed some supplies so drove into Balranald where we visited to local IGA supermarket, then drove the 10 minutes back to Yanga NP. Campground bookings are essential but we had read that Telstra service was good in the campground so we took the chance and headed in.

We’d been watching the weather and there was a very windy day forecast for the following day, and a day of extreme heat in a few days’ time, so we needed to be mindful of that when making our decisions.

We drove into Mamanga Campground and found a great spot right on the Murrumbidgee River. Camping is free, but you do need to book and pay a $6 booking fee – no matter how long you want to stay. With this in mind we booked for two nights and hoped that the wind wouldn’t be too bad.

Although there was some wind during the next day, it was never bad enough to stop us cooking and enjoying this fabulous spot. It was just so nice sitting on the banks of the river watching the water. We went for a couple of short walks around, and Mick took some photos of the local birds – of course.

Sunset over the Murrumbidgee River

We had been prepared to leave Mamanga if the wind had made things difficult, but there was no need so we stayed for the two nights we had booked. Our next challenge was finding somewhere to stay during a heatwave, with the Melbourne Cup public holiday coming up. We knew continuing on towards the Murray River would be pointless so we made the decision to stay for a few days in Balranald.

Hay

1 – 2 November 2024

We had been up since just on sunrise and had been out birding until 10:00am so we weren’t keen on a long drive from Lake Cargelligo. We decided to head off and stop around lunch time. We were eventually going to Gluepot Reserve in South Australia so had a general direction, but again no firm plans. We stopped briefly in Rankin Springs then continued on to Hay.

We decided Hay would do for an overnighter and we found a caravan park on the Murrumbidgee River where there was plenty of room to stay hooked up. With no rain forecast we were also able to set up without bothering with the awning. We did some washing and had a restful afternoon. The caravan park was nothing special, but was more than adequate for our needs.

The next morning we were able to get away quickly and were on our way towards Balranald.

Hay!