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.

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.

Horsham

30 March – 1 April 2023

With another short drive ahead of us, we left right on check out time of 10:00am and stopped along the way to Horsham at Oasis Rest Stop not far from Ararat. We had morning tea at the well-presented area then headed off again. We had rung ahead and the staff at the caravan park were happy for us to check in when we arrived, well before lunch time.

We were given a good sized site which looked out towards the river side park. We chose this caravan park for its proximity to the river and botanical gardens and were very happy with the location. Before we had left Ararat we noticed a very large crack in the windscreen which may have happened the day before on one of the dirt roads in the Grampians, so called the insurance company as soon as we were settled and arranged for a replacement the following day. We were very relieved that we could get it done so quickly.

The caravan park sits beside the Wimmera River

After lunch we set off into town for a walk around and to visit the op shops. We found another very friendly town, with a few good op shops, a couple of which were located out of the CDB area. Mick also managed to find a reasonably priced barber for a haircut.

On Friday morning I took the car in for the windscreen and walked back to the caravan park. We pottered around until it was time to pick it up, then spent most of the afternoon getting everything reorganised so we could put the trailer into storage again in a few days’ time. Later we went for a walk in the gardens and a little way along the river. 

We had some rain overnight but the sky was clear and bright in the morning. We had arranged a slightly later check out of 11:00am so that gave us plenty of time to get everything completely dry ready to pack up for our return to Tasmania. Before that though, we had three nights booked in at Little Desert Nature Lodge, in a garden view room.

Green Hill Lake Reserve - Ararat

26 – 27 March 2023

We left Rochester and continued our journey with a quick stop at Bendigo to pick up some more enhancements for the tripod. From there we detoured off our chosen route again to find a park to have lunch. As we were travelling on minor roads, there weren’t any rest areas so a detour was necessary.

We found the picnic area on Laanercoorie Reservoir and made use of the covered shelter to have our lunch out of the cool breeze. It was adequate but in a very untidy state. It is hard to understand why people would come to a lovely spot and just leave their rubbish around when there are bins available.

We continued on through Ararat and on to Green Hill Lake Reserve. This is a huge free camp on the lake, with toilets and a dump point. It was reasonably busy on a Sunday afternoon but we could imagine it would be packed on long weekends and school holidays. We lucked out and settled on a spot right on the lake, with just a short walk to the toilet block.

Friday drinks by the lake

We came to Green Hill Lake so Mick could look for a bird that had been reported recently so he spent some time in search of – unfortunately not very successfully.  The temperature dropped with the sun and we wished we had thought to bring some firewood with us. During the night it also rained quite a bit so we had to make a decision about staying, and putting up the awning, or moving on. 

More rain was forecast so there would be no bird photography if we stayed so we packed up and moved on. We were lucky that we had a short window of time with no rain so even though the canvas was wet, we weren’t. It was such a shame as this was a lovely spot – definitely one to come back to one day.