Lake Bonney

 19 – 21 August 2023

We left Bendigo on yet another very cold morning and stopped for coffee in Bridgewater where we considered our options. We consulted the weather forecast and decided that after several nights of sub-zero temperatures we would take a cabin for a couple of nights. We wanted to get as close to Waikerie, and Gluepot Reserve, as possible so we booked ahead to Lake Bonney, at Barmera. We figured we could handle a big day’s drive knowing that we had a place for the night organised.

We stopped and had lunch in a park at Nullawil, just one of many towns with fantsatic "silo art", and continued on towards Mildura. We turned off before Red Cliffs and drove along a minor road before rejoining the highway near Lake Cullulleraine.

We continued on towards South Australian but before reaching the border we stopped at the quarantine bins and deposited an avocado and what was left of a soggy cucumber. We hadn’t given much thought to quarantine when we left Bendigo as we hadn’t initially planned on travelling across state lines. We continued on to the quarantine check point where the car and fridge were inspected, before driving on to Barmera in the South Australian Riverland.

We had called ahead to make sure that our camper trailer could be accommodated near the cabin and were pleased to be offered an empty site in front. Our cabin had views to the lake even though we were a few “streets” back.

We took advantage of the space and comfort and cooked a big pot of bolognaise sauce to go into the freezer. We also shopped and Mick spent a lot of time going through the photos he had taken in and around Bendigo. We walked by the lake and enjoyed having water views for a couple of days.

Bendigo

14 – 19 August 2023

Once we had settled into camp for the first time since April, and after giving the trailer a thorough clean to remove some mould that had appeared, we set about enjoying our time in Bendigo. We visited the Greater Bendigo National Park a couple of times in search of the Purple-gaped honeyeater – again successfully. We also returned to Bell’s Swamp and Castlemaine Botanic Gardens for the possibility of better photos.

On Wednesday we were joined by John and Judy, Townsville friends who have been “grey nomads” for a couple of years. We last saw them in Mount Compass in November 2022. Once again we enjoyed a couple of great days with them. Unfortunately the weather was awful – daytime temperatures in the low teens and an overnight low of -3.9! Definitely not the best weather to be camping in. We had booked to stay for three nights in Bendigo but extended for two more when rain was forecast. We didn’t want to have to pack up wet, especially when it was so cold, and we were happy with our ensuite site, so staying on was the logical thing to do.

This was around the time we were getting up. 

Apart from birding and socialising we restocked the fridge, freezer and pantry ready for the next part of our journey. We visited the Bendigo Pottery Centre where we saw there are a number of artisans as a well as the well-known local pottery. It was an interesting way to spend an hour or so.

Eventually we had to move on and were lucky to have a nice sunny morning to pack up. We weren’t sure where we would end up, but decided to set the GPS for Waikerie (on the way to Gluepot) and decide where we would stop once we were on our way.

Nhill - Little Desert Nature Lodge

1 – 4 April 2023

After leaving Horsham we drove on to Dimboola where we stopped for a coffee and a walk around the town. We had time to kill so spent a good bit of time looking into lots of interesting shops and getting a last few grocery supplies. We continued on to look for somewhere to have lunch. We had intended to stop at the pink lake but the place was packed so we drove on to a rest area near Kiata. We had our lunch and Mick spent some time wandering around the adjacent bushland reserve looking for birds.

From there we stopped in at the Visitor Information Centre in Nhill to use up some more time until we could check in at Little Desert. We finally decided it was time to head to our final destination and arrived just after 2:00pm.

We’ve stayed at Little Desert Nature Lodge several times and it has been a favourite since our first visit. We were a little apprehensive as it has changed hands several times, and been closed for a time since we were here last, but Mick had phoned and asked about the bird hides and was reassured that they were all still in place and the water points continued to be maintained.

Once we were settled into our room, Mick set off to visit one of the hides, and spent a few hours there. Bird photography was our reason for visiting so he was determined to get the most out of it. The following morning I went for a walk with him to locate the second hide, and also so he could set up some perches. He revisited in the afternoon, again for a few hours.

We first met George in 2014
so I guess you could say we are old friends

The next morning we went out for a walk to the waterhole which is in the opposite direction to the hides. It’s another great spot for birding. Mick again spent the afternoon at the hide. I spent my time relaxing with a good book and enjoying the peace and quiet. For the last two nights of our stay it was just us and George, the resident emu.

On our final morning we had calculated we needed to leave before 8:00 so were up early and on our way to Bendigo.

Nowa Nowa

 24 – 26 February 2023

We had never visited Nowa Nowa before but it looked like a nice destination. Once again we didn’t have far to drive so we went the long way back through Bairnsdale where we wandered around the shops and picked up some supplies. We stopped for lunch at a park in Bruthen and then continued on into Nowa Nowa.

We were able to get an early check-in and set up in the shade by the creek. There’s not much to Nowa Nowa but there are a couple of walks, mostly along the creeks and river. We enjoyed our quiet afternoon with a nice view, and found ourselves with a couple in another Cub camper trailer as neighbours.

Saturday was going to be very hot so we set off for the walk to Boggy Creek Gorge Lookout fairly early. All we had to do was join the path that ran along the back of the caravan park and along the creek. It was a mostly gentle, slightly uphill walk to the lookout, but we didn’t think the view was all that special. Maybe we have been spoiled by all the stunning gorges we have visited in other parts of the country.

While the gorge was nice, I was fascinated by the markings on the trees along the walk

Later, we drove down to the boat ramp and walked along the Wetlands Walk, Again, this was a very nice walk but nothing special. Mick did find a “birdy” spot where he spent some time trying to get some photos.

Over the previous week, there had been marine wind warnings for most of East Gippsland but the weather had improved so we decided to head back to the coast and Cape Conran for a couple of days.

Lakes Entrance

 21 – 24 February 2023

We planned a short visit to be able to catch up with travelling friends who live in Lakes Entrance so we booked 3 nights in a caravan park near the beach. Once we left Lake King we only had a short drive to Lakes so we went a little way in the opposite direction to Paynesville – another spot we had never visited. It was a cold, grey day so we went and had a coffee in a bakery and visited the local craft shop. We didn’t walk along the shore because it was so windy and drizzling with rain but we did find the op shop before setting off back towards Bairnsdale.

We had to do a bit of back tracking on this part of our journey

We stopped to have a look in an antique shop and art gallery on the way, and then found a park to have lunch. We drove on to Lakes Entrance and settled in to the caravan park. Later in the day we went for a walk along the creek and down to the beach.

We had a few jobs to do, including a minor modification to the camper trailer to keep creepy crawlies out, so we went into town and did some shopping for the things Mick would need. He spent the afternoon completing the job while I off-sided for him.

On Thursday we joined Ruth and Boyd for a lovely lunch at the local Bowls Club and had a bit more of a wander around town. We weren’t sure where our next stop would be so we spent some time consulting the maps and considering a few options. In the end, the weather forecast convinced us to stay inland so we decided on Nowa Nowa for the next couple of nights.

Loch Sport and Lake King

 Loch Sport

19 – 20 February 2023

We chose Loch Sport as our next destination as it was on the Lake Victoria, and close to some free camps on the beach that we wanted to have a look at. We headed into the caravan park and noticed that it was very quiet with hardly anyone there. Like many in this area, there are lots of “seasonal” vans, but the ones here looked very much unloved which gave the whole park a run-down appearance.

We settled in and then set off for a drive to Golden Beach to have a look at a number of free camps – some with toilets, some which allow dogs. We were interested in the ones with toilets, but without dogs. It turned out we were further away than we thought, but it was a nice drive with plenty of stops along the way to look at the beach and camps. Unfortunately for us, all the best spots were taken so we decided to move further towards Lakes Entrance in the morning.

We did go for a nice walk along the shore at Loch Sport in the late afternoon, as well as the obligatory walk along the jetty. Despite the appearance of the caravan park, it was a nice enough, quiet location to spend the night. I’m not sure I would want to be there during the busy season though.

We enjoyed a walk along the beach and out onto the jetty at Loch Sport

After another short walk along the beach we set off to return to the highway and on towards Lakes Entrance.

 

Lake King

20 – 21 February 2023

We headed off from Loch Sport not exactly sure where we would spend the night. We had a few possibilities and as none were very far away we were able to take our time. Our first stop was in Sale to try and find the Wetlands. Poor signage meant it took a few goes, then when we did find the right place, the infrastructure was actually closed for repairs – and looked like it had been for some time.

We then went to the park on Lake Guthridge to have a look for waterbirds and decided to have an early lunch there. There are some picnic tables and toilets right by the water so it was a good place to stop.

After lunch we drove on to Stratford where we hoped to check in to the caravan park. Unfortunately they have a strict 2:00pm check-in policy, but did suggest we could park and wander in to town. We had a look around the caravan park and decided it wasn’t as nice as we had hoped so moved on.

We stopped in Bairnsdale for fuel which was the cheapest around the area on the day, and then drove on to Lake King. Again, a small caravan park with lots of “seasonal” vans, but this one looked much better maintained. Although we didn’t get a waterfront site, we still had a view of the lake.

We went for a walk and enjoyed a quiet afternoon while we contemplated whether to stay or move on in the morning. We decided to move on to Lakes Entrance where we would be able to catch up with friends we met on Cape York in 2016.

Tarra Valley

17 – 19 February 2023

We left Warragul and chose to go on the most scenic route towards Tarra Valley, but unfortunately we trusted the GPS once again, and although we were going in the right direction, we were on windy, hilly roads through farming county. It was a beautiful drive, but took much longer than expected as it was impossible to drive at the signposted 100 kph.

We found a park in Leongatha for lunch then continued on to Yarram, where we turned off onto the Tarra Valley Road. The information provided by the caravan park warned about the possibility of taking inappropriate roads if following the GPS or google Maps, so from Yarram we followed the signs – just like in the olden days.

It was well over 30° when we arrived at the caravan park but the rainforest setting, across from the river, made it the perfect location for a couple of days. Storms were forecast and we did get good downpour after a cool change arrived.

In the morning we set off to Tarra – Bulga National Park, further along the road. Our first stop was Tarra Falls, only a couple of kilometres away. There is a small carpark at the top of a set of stairs which provide nice views of the falls. From there we continued on to Tarra Valley where we went on the walk to Cyathea Falls. This easy walk along a creek through rainforest to the falls was my favourite for the day.

Cyathea Falls

We thought about going home for lunch and coming back up later, but decided against another drive on the very narrow, windy road so we continued on to the visitor centre where there are a number of walks. We started off on the Lyrebird Track but turned around after a while as the bush was fairly uninspiring regrowth, along a somewhat overgrown track. When we returned to the junction we made our way along the walk to the Suspension Bridge. This walk involves quite a bit of downhill travel – and then back uphill if you do it as an out and back walk as we did.

By the time we had finished we were ready for lunch so drove back to the caravan park where we spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the beautiful surrounds.

The following morning we left Tarra Valley and drove back down the mountain to stop in at Yarram for some shopping, before continuing on towards our next stop – Loch Sport.

Croajingalong National Park

13 – 14 April 2015

Mick was keen to spend a night in the Lakes Entrance area and we chose Croajingalong NP. On the recommendation of the staff at the visitor information centre in Lakes Entrance, we chose MuellerRiver. The first part of the road from Cann River is sealed, and the unsealed section in the national park is reasonably well maintained (compared to some) but it was slow going and quite narrow in some parts.

Eastern Whipbird was a surprise early morning visitor .

Little Wattlebirds go for gold in the early morning light.

Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia)

Our tent was only two metres from the calm water of  Mueller Inlet.

There are only 8 sites at this campground and two long drop toilets. Tank water is available for hand washing but there are no other facilities – but the location is beautiful. The 4 drive in campsites are all a good size and along the edge of the river with views out beyond the mouth of the river to the waves crashing onto the beach beyond. It’s quite disconcerting to be camped on a river and hearing crashing waves. If we hadn't had a commitment in Sydney on Wednesday night we might have stayed longer than one night.

I'm happy with this close encounter with a Brown Thornbill but I missed a great shot of an Eastern Whipbird. Mick.

There were lots of birds around the camp ground so Mick spent some quality time with the camera before we finally left mid-morning, heading towards Nowra.

Melbourne

12 – 13 April 2015

After a calm trip across Bass Strait, on a beautiful day, we arrived in Melbourne and made our way to St Kilda to stay at a backpackers’. We thought we might be too old for this sort of accommodation but our kids had stayed there on their way to Tassie and this particular one offers motel style rooms – just perfect for people like us. The nearby pizza place served a tasty pizza at a good price.

Leaving Melbourne on Monday morning, we (I) made the mistake of not getting onto the motorway soon enough. Who knows how much time that added to out journey! We made the usual stops – coffee, op shops, picnic lunch, visitor information centre – before choosing to camp at Croajingalong National Park.

Melbourne

14 - 15 March 2015

Leaving our beautiful campsite, we again stopped to photograph resident koalas - they are such beautiful creatures. We headed back to Apollo Bay for morning tea and had a walk around the markets in the park. There was some local produce as well as arts and crafts. 

Next stop was Lorne for lunch. It was so crowded - not sure if it's like this every weekend. On to Airey's Inlet and a visit to the Split Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse featured in the popular children's television series "Round the Twist". There are walking paths around the headland, and lots of low coastal scrub that should have been home to birds - but they were all hiding when we were there. We did notice some surfers on the water below but they seemed to be doing more bobbing than surfing.

Split Point Lighthouse

The Great Ocean Road ends at Torquay and you start the journey into Melbourne, passing through Geelong. We took the motorway for most of the trip so probably missed most of the city traffic - although there were lots of cars on the motorway. Fortunately we had booked our accommodation in advance earlier in the week, and that's when we discovered it was Melbourne Grand Prix weekend - the $500 per night tariff for city hotels, and no caravan park cabins at all, was a dead giveaway. We ended up with a motel room out near the Sandown Raceway. Clean and tidy, and very reasonably priced, it was perfectly adequate for our needs.

We had a very early - 5.00am -start in order to get to the Spirit of Tasmania for check in which commenced at 6.00am. With little traffic that early on a Sunday morning the drive took about 35 minutes - and the GPS even knew the way!

Blanket Bay - Great Otway National Park

12 - 13 March 2015

We continued along the Great Ocean Road with a view to camping in one of the many National Park campsites along the way. Because of the online booking system introduced by Parks Victoria in 2014, it is necessary to book your campsite (the actual number site - not just the park) online, which is quite difficult when you haven't actually seen the campground so we decided to drive in and have a look around then go ahead and book once we had found something we liked the look of, and which suited our needs.

One of the many stops on the G.O.R.

The first site we visited was Johanna Beach, a lovely spot where we enjoyed a picnic lunch. We drove on to the campsite which is behind the sand dunes. The campsites were very small and side by side so there would be little privacy of there were lots of people there so we crossed that one off the list and moved on. 

We were headed to Aire River because some reviews suggested this to be a lovely spot, but without detailed maps, and no signs from the main road, we missed that one. We continued on and realised we had also missed the turn to Cape Otway. As there was no mobile phone reception we pressed on to Apollo Bay and the Visitor Information Centre. We were assured that Blanket Bay is one of the most popular spots so took the risk and booked site number 12 based on the information available on the Parks Victoria website.

It was great to see this Echidna hunting around for ants in the campground.

We headed back along the Great Ocean Road, and took the Cape Otway turn-off. As we drove along this road we noticed fellow travellers stopped on the side of road. looking up, with cameras in hand. There is a large koala population and they can be seen easily in trees on the road side. Of course, we stopped for some photos too.

Koala. Actually taken on the way out.

As we headed in to Blanket Bay we noticed signs saying "camp ground full". We weren't sure whether this was current, or left over from the recent long weekend, but we were glad we had already booked. Our spot was level, and not far from the toilets - pit toilets, but well maintained. We were able to position the car in such as way as to allow us to use the awning too.

There were lots of birds around so Mick was happy. We walked on the beach and around the campsite and agreed it is a beautiful spot - shared with resident Echidna and wallabies (and possibly koalas although we didn't spot any at the campground.

Olive Whistler

The elusive Rufous Bristlebird.

This is a wonderful birding spot with, no doubt, many more birds than I was able to see in our short stay. Great views of an Olive Whistler were a pleasant surprise as we walked around the campground. Later we caught fleeting glimpses of the very shy Rufous Bristlebird. Eastern Yellow Robins and Crimson Rosellas were never far away and Yellow-faced and White-eared Honeyeaters were plentiful. The Bristlebird was the highlight for me though as it in not an easy bird to see or photograph, not that the photograph is great. Mick.

After a relaxing night we packed up for the next leg of the journey - the one we weren't really looking forward to - into Melbourne.

Port Campbell

11 - 12 March 2015

Leaving the campground, we travelled back towards Portland and then on to the famous and beautiful Great Ocean Road. We stopped in Part Fairy for lunch and supplies. We found a park near the beach - it must be the smallest Apex Park in Australia, but was right next to a beach access track so we took advantage of the location and had a short walk on the sand. We also visited the Botanical Gardens - again, must be the smallest in Australia - absolutely tiny, but located next to the river  - wedged in between the bridge, the road and the caravan park.

Male Chestnut Teal. We don't see these up north but they're common here.

Musk Duck near the Gardens. Another tick for me.

Another stop in Warrnambool to visit the park and beachfront we remember from our last time there. The park is home to many birds - mainly seagulls and ducks - and is very popular with families because of the playground. Along the shoreline to Merri Marine Park. There is a long walkway and it appears that you can walk out to Merri Island at low tide, which it wasn't when we were there. There is interpretive signage along the walk, and great views.

Pied Oystercatcher on the beach at Warrnambool.

From Warrnambool we headed east along the Shipwreck Coast (so named because of the large number of shipwrecks in the early days of settlement) and made the obligatory visits to the viewing spot on this spectacular coastal drive. We visited most along this section, including Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs, London Bridge and The Arch.

The weather was still somewhat inclement so we headed into Port Campbell and a cabin in the caravan park. On Thursday morning we ventured on to Loch Ard Gorge. This is famous as the site of a shipwreck where only two survived. There are steps leading down to the beach and it is worth the effort. You can really get a sense of how amazing the story of survival is.

The main species I was looking for in this part of the country were Brush Bronzewing, Rufous Bristlebird and Blue-winged Parrot. I'm pretty sure I saw some Blue-winged Parrots from the car but could not find their location once we'd stopped. They are supposed to be quite common but not for me. The preferred habitat for these species is dense coastal heath so tracking them down was never going to be easy. A little bonus while searching in vain for the above birds was coming across a group of cute little Southern Emu-wrens. Mick.

Going down to the beach at Loch Ard Gorge.

Loch Ard Gorge

From there we also visited the most famous site - The Twelve Apostles (although there are now less than twelve). There is a visitor centre and the pathway to the viewing platforms leads under the road for the safety of pedestrians and the convenience of drivers. No visit to the area is complete without seeing this magnificent natural wonder. You can take a helicopter flight out over the coast - but we didn't.

Discovery Bay Coastal Park - Near Portland, Victoria

11 - 12 March 2015

 

We drove south from Little Desert and saw the result of a bushfire not long ago - such a sight. We went through a number of small towns before arriving in Portland. As usual, we stopped at the visitor information centre. We had thought to stay at the Discovery Bay Coastal Park and wanted to get some more information. We were shown a "mud map" of the campground at Lake Monibeong and settled on site number 7. The next challenge was to get online to book the site. We were told there is a surcharge if you book over the phone so we didn't take the chance. Site booked - at a whopping $35.90 for one night - we headed towards Nelson and easily found the turnoff.

The road in is about 10km from the Nelson-Portland Road, and is listed on Parks Victoria website as 4WD only, so we put the car into 4WD for the first time and drove along the sandy track, but it wasn't really necessary. The campsite we had chosen was very well protected from the wind, and quite close to the lake, but we never did find the beach.

White-browed Scrubwren

Silvereye

For me, this was a disappointing place as far as birding goes. The only notable encounter was a distant view of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos near the turn off. This is not to say that there aren't birds around... I didn't try very hard really.  

We were greeted by a welcoming committee of Superb Fairy-wrens as we set up camp. These are endearing little birds and quite common down this way. They seemed unconcerned by our presence and hopped around under chairs and tables, ignoring us completely.

Also around the camp but keeping their distance were Red Wattlebirds. Small flocks of Silvereyes darted from one dense shrub to the next, rarely visible but always noted by their lilting, squeaky calls. White-browed Scrubwrens were also common around the camp and were attracted by the dead bugs all over the front of our car. Mick.


We decided to put up the awning as it was quite warm when we arrived. We went for a walk, but were most surprised to see a number of resident superb wrens hopping around the campsite. It's a beautiful spot, but the camp fee is rather large considering the basic facilities - toilets, and no showers. Compared to Qld and NSW National Parks,this seems to be a bit overpriced. I notice there are many negative comments being posted online about the charges.

Our camp amongst the heath.

We were woken during the night by the sound of rain, and fortunately the tent is leak-proof (so far). We had to take things slowly in the morning to allow the tent and awning to dry out as much as possible, so we left at about 10am to start our journey along the Great Ocean Road.

Little Desert Nature Lodge - near Nhill

9 - 11 March 2015

After a late start from Echuca we headed to Bendigo, with a stop for coffee at Elmore. There was a great little coffee shop, right on the highway and directly opposite public toilets and some tourist information.

Mick was keen to stop at a park in Bendigo, with a lake, where a Nankeen Night Heron had been seen. We found the park without difficulty - it's right on the highway - but it was absolutely chock-a-block full of people - a legacy of a public holiday and a sporting carnival at the adjacent field. We eventually managed to find a parking spot and were pleasantly surprised by the lovely spot, but no night heron. We walked right around the lake before driving on.

A White-faced Heron was some consolation for missing the Night Herron.

We used a map and the GPS to determine the fastest route to Nhill, and Little Desert, taking a number of back roads. We stopped at a roadside picnic area  for lunch and then St Arnaud for supplies, before making our way to Little Desert Nature Lodge. We visited the lodge - which is adjacent to the National Park - when we traveled to South Australia (and into Victoria) in September last year, and always intended to return. 

We booked into an ensuite room and were allocated the same one we had last time. The facilities here are great. Visitors in ensuite rooms have access to a small kitchen with microwave, toasters, fridge and a zip boiler, as well as the lounge area with TV. The lounge room gets the afternoon sun, so was beautiful and warm in the evening as the outside temperature dropped.

The Emu known as George was never very far away, probably hoping for a hand out.

We had a late start thanks to daylight saving and being so far west in Victoria (almost in South Australia). We walked down to the bird hide on the property and stayed a while without much luck. We returned for morning tea via Whimpy's Pond. Mick returned to the hide and spent most of the rest of the day there. I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon with just George the emu for company.

We have written about this special place before and I suppose, the fact that we have returned indicates that it has quickly become a favourite destination. Although the morning walk didn't turn up anything special, an afternoon session at the hide gave me a beautiful Diamond Firetail, Black-chinned Honeyeaters and many others covered last time.

White-plumed Honeyeater (Lichenostomus penicillatus)

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops)

The Shy Heathwren put in an appearance but proved impossible to photograph. Later when I related this to one of the staff (Grahame), he offered to help out and found me a bird that had been regularly seen elseware on the property. Thanks Grahame! The Heathwren posed beautifully for me at one point but I was unable to find it through the viewfinder. I managed some OK shots though so was very happy.

I think this is a great birding destination, right up there with O'Reilly's and Kingfisher Park. Mick.

Diamond Firetail

Shy Heathwren

We left Little Desert Lodge on Wednesday morning and drove south - through the part of the park which had been burnt out in bushfires not so long ago. Fortunately the lodge and it's surrounding property and adjacent park were not affected.

Echuca

8 - 9 March 2015

We drove on to Yarrawonga and had lunch by Lake Mulwala - a very popular spot - then headed for our next destination, Barmah National Park, right on the Murray River border. Unfortunately it is not well signposted, and seems to go by a number of different names,  and we had to use our instincts to get us there. On arrival in the park, there was no obvious park information, and although we knew you could camp there, there was no information available (that we could see). 

We drove down to a camping area and had a look around, but decided not to stay. The area was huge and quite crowded - a legacy of the long weekend - and was serviced by only two long drop toilets, without toilet paper or water. I guess you get what you pay for. With the number of people, and noisy water craft there was little chance of any birdwatching so we decided to drive on through the park to the next town. What a silly thing to do! The crazy woman (my GPS) indicated this would take 2 hours, but we pressed on regardless. After a while of seemingly getting nowhere, we stopped and asked a chap at another (smaller) camping spot. Local, fortunately, he informed us the road through to our alternate destination had been closed, so back to Barmah we went. Perhaps some park signage, or printed maps such as are available at other National Parks, would have been helpful.

We pressed on through Barmah, heading for Moama/Echuca - another big mistake. Echuca - Moama are twin towns right on the Murray River - Moama in NSW and Echuca in Victoria. Because of the long weekend, all the caravan parks were full. We tried a couple of motels and eventually a very obliging lady at one called the local booking service and found us a room in Echuca. She even phoned through to the motel for us to secure the room. By this time we were exhausted and really appreciated the service.

The Settlement Motor Inn turned out to be clean and comfortable, if a little noisy. Right next door is a very well maintained laundromat so I took advantage and did a load of washing before making a late start on Monday morning, headed for a return visit to Little Desert Nature Lodge, near Nhill.

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).

Little Desert - Victoria

18 - 21 September 2014

We headed off early in the morning and joined the queue to cross the Murray River punt. This operates 24 hours per day and is free – it's the only way to cross the river at Wellington. We headed to Tailem Bend and stopped at the Visitor Information Centre. The friendly folk there provided maps and a friendly chat. Coffee and a pie to warm us up then on the road (Dukes Highway) again. We drove through a number of small towns, and stopped to visit some op shops. We stopped for lunch (and op shopping) in Bordertown before crossing the border into Victoria. Groceries at Nhill then we turned off to the Little Desert National Park and our final destination – Little Desert Nature Lodge. The property is adjacent to the national park and has access to a number of the walking tracks. Mick headed off with the camera once we were settled.

Dinner was provided – ready in our fridge to warm up in the microwave in the communal kitchen. There is also a communal lounge room with dining tables, lounges and a TV – and a reverse cycle air conditioner. We settled in to eat dinner, watch TV and keep warm. The air con in our room kept us snuggly warm through the night. We awoke to the local weather report that sounded more like a soccer score – Nhill – 1. Despite the cold, it looked like a beautiful sunny day outside. There were kangaroos grazing on the lawn in this really tranquil setting.

Kangaroos and an Emu were never far away. The cold morning proved too much for this Joey.

 We headed off into the National Park for the “Lodge Loop” walk, and although Mick didn't get many bird photos it was a very pleasant 2.1km stroll. Mostly flat, sandy path with some gentle uphill sections over what we presume are old sand dunes. This part of the country is so different from what we are used to. 

Painted Lady Butterfly

After morning tea and a chat with some of the lodge staff we headed down to the newly erected bird hide in the corner of the property, and while the birding wasn't as good as we had hoped (we were there in the middle of the day) it certainly did show promise. The little artificial pond was bound to attract wildlife at some stage. While we were there we did spot a shingle back lizard wandering past where I was sitting.

Shingleback Lizard at the bird hide

The Lodge in the distance from Whimpy's Pool

We returned to the lodge for lunch, then Mick set off for what turned out to be a marathon effort with the camera. He spent a good few hours back down at the hide and was duly rewarded with some good shots.

Yellow-faced honeyeater

Eastern rosella

A great variety of honeyeaters and other birds came in to drink at the pond through the afternoon. Those responsible for the pond had been very clever and thoughtful, placing some dried branches around the water for birds to perch on.

Spiny-cheeked honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeaters were very common at the hide

White-naped Honeyeater

White-plumed Honeyeater

Male Superb Fairy-wren

We sensed it was very cold again overnight, but remained warm with the aircon on in our room. We headed down to the bird hide early but there were very few birds waiting to be photographed - we could hear them and see them fleetingly, but non stopped long enough. We walked back to the lodge for morning tea. We had been told the location of a Tawny Frogmouth - which sits quietly in a tree just waiting for a keen photographer to come along. We drove in to Nhill to buy some supplies and have a look at the wetland we had spied on our way in. Unfortunately the boardwalk was closed - a big disappointment as it looked like it would have been a really nice walk with the chance of seeing a few birds.

Back to the lodge for lunch and then out on the part of the Nature Walk that we hadn't been on. This took us towards the back of the property and past a pond and the Mallee Fowl Aviary. The aviary is huge so there was little chance of spotting this shy creature. 

Later in the afternoon Mick headed back to the hide on his own and again stayed quite a while hoping to get some good photos. We realised late in the afternoon that we were the only guests - we had the whole place to ourselves so settled in to the comfy lounge to watch some TV without interruption. 

Probably a Southern Brown Bandicoot (I'm no expert) at the hide.

An early start in the morning and back into South Australia to Clare. We tried not to make it our usual leisurely drive because it was so far to go - but we still made a few stops - at Keith for coffee, Murray Bridge for petrol, a toilet stop in Gawler and picnic lunch in Tarlee. We arrived in Clare early afternoon.

The landscape is brightened by vivid fields of Canola but native flora and fauna have suffered