Camp 4 - Gasdens Bend State Forest

Our Camp on the "bend"

Gasdens Bend State Forrest is just outside Robinvale in Victoria and is the first camp site we had stayed on the Murray that was new to us and completely isolated from any other campers. Our good friends Steve and Carol from  Morwell in south of Victoria had decided on the spur of the moment to pack up their van and travel 620Km to stay with us for a few nights.

The Girls chilling out

After meeting in Robinvale we headed out into the bush tracks winding narrowly thru the red river gum forest to the river. It’s always a little daunting winding thru the forest on a rutted track not having any idea what you will find at the end. But as luck would have it we found ourselves camped on a clean sandbar well away from those dangerous red gums (infamous for dropping large branches on campers) close to the water and not a single burr of stone.

The River Rats of Gasdens Bend

Apart from one couple parked some distance away we had the place to ourselves – camping Heaven.

Daily dips in the river, followed by lazy afternoons,  before drinks and  the evening board game and dinner around the fire became the daily grind.

What a great days and nights we had on the “bend”.

Short drone video is HERE

Camp 3 - Psyche Pumps

View from under the caravan awning

We have stayed at Psyche Pumps free camping area just outside Mildura before and returned again this trip. Nice flat riverside camps each with fireplace and table and a view to kill for are hard to beat this close to a major town. 

Early morning river traffic

Main reason to stay was to head into Mildura for a number of things including -  picking up mail from the Visitors Centre, parts from Bunnings, a lure from BCF, some refreshments from Dan Murphey’s, flu injections from the local chemist, shopping at Woolies, and lunch at the Dockside Café (loved those beer battered flathead fillets).  A full day in town and then back to camp for drinks with fellow Grey Nomads – it’s a difficult and tough life but we manage. 

Old Pump Station

The Psyche Pumps themselves are a great historical site which has been well preserved and worth spending an hour or so wandering around soaking in the history. Originally built by the Chaffey Brothers in 1891 for irrigation via Kings Billabong it is still serving the same function today – plus providing a permanent water bird sanctuary. If you are interested in the history have a look at this link - http://www.murrayriver.com.au/the-chaffey-trail/psyche-bend-pump-station/

I made a short video(almost crashed my drone!)  of the pumps area –  and you can view by clicking Click Here

Camp 2 - Moorook

Carp caught on spinner bait!!

Parked on the green grassed river bank, flat sites, great boat ramp, flushing dunnies, dump point, drinking water, lots of fish to catch, and scenery to soak up, all at $10.50/night – not sure what brings us back to Moorook?? Moorook is a small town between Barmera and Loxton in South Australia with a small general store and club that’s open for meals and beers on Friday/Saturday and Sunday nights – not much to offer except a great spot to camp, relax and catch a few Golden Perch (or Callop as the South Aussies call them).

I

Moorook Laundromat

t was 41C the day we arrived so it was a slow and steady set up of our camp and a then a swim and cold beer, next day not much cooler so the set-up of the tinny took a little time.

Fishing was pretty good and most outings we caught several Yella’s on our ever faithful spinner baits.

Donald Campbell's Bluebird K7 - Lake Bonny

We took the opportunity while we were camped to do some sightseeing at Barmera, Berri, and lunch at Loxton – a nice day out.

Had a great time and we will be back.  Link to short  video here

  

Camp 1 - Walker Flat

Two Murray Princesses

Walker Flat is a small community on the banks of the Murray around 30 kilometers upstream from Mannum. The free camp area either side of the boat ramp has room for about 10 to 15 vans on the water so a nice spot for a night or two. We arrived on a Sunday and the river was very busy with water skiers and jet skis and I would imagine that over long weekends and school holidays in summer that it would be a busy and noisy. 

View down river from Walker Flat

After the skiers had left Sunday afternoon the only real river traffic was the two large paddle steamers that operate out of Mannum.  Good camp spot with grassed areas, clean dunnies and away from the main road traffic.  It’s located in the section of the Murray that has those iconic red cliffs so a pretty spot as well.

Paddle Power

Whilst we were camped at Walker Flat we drove into Mannum to get a tyre repaired, pick up a parcel from the Visitors Center, do a little bit of shopping, and have lunch at the pub. 

I think I may have mentioned in previous blogs the brilliant services all visitors centers offer. If you need to post a part to somewhere where you are travelling too, looking for water to fill your van, info on river conditions, etc. – simply google a Visitors Center in a town you will be passing through in a week or two - flick them an email and they will always help out.

Lunch break at Cadell

After leaving Walkers Flat we crisscrossed the Murray several times on our way to our next camp at Moorook (three Ferry rides in one day). The Ferries along this section of the Murray are excellent – operating 24/7 and are a free service.

For some Walker Flat drone shots click here

Pildappa Rock

Our camp at the rock

We have camped at Pildappa Rock many times and have always enjoyed our stay. Each time we have camped I have tried to capture the essence of the place with my trusty DSLR. Getting up before sunrise, moon rise and times in between to capture that “that’s what Pildappa is like” photo has been a challenge.  Hopefully the aerial shots taken with the new toy LINK HERE give the readers of my blog a better perspective of the rock.

our favorite camp spot - no more 😢

Apart from photos this visit we did notice a couple of changes:

You are no longer allowed to camp up against the north “wave” of the rock – this was a great spot for up to 10 vans to camp out of the wind. I can only guess that someone blackened the rock  with fire, graffitied the rock or most likely that the opportunity to photograph the spectacular north wave was limited as there was always a van parked in the way.

The lichen on the rock makes an unusual photo

Noting how we were visiting this time a month or two earlier that ususal -  the absence of water in the gamma holes on top of the rock and plague proportions of flies (necessitating fly vails) and march flies (yep covered in aeroguard) were most noticeable.

Haslam

Our Camp among the trees

It has become a ritual of passage for us to stop for several nights at Haslam camp after all the one night stops on the Nullarbor. Its a great camp area next to the beach with shady campsites, drinking water, flushing dunnies, squid from the jetty, and at low tide miles of sandy beach for Molly to explore.

Haslam's main attraction

The local oyster farmer has stopped selling fresh oysters to the Grey Nomads camping at Haslam – apparently there has been an issue with finding enough oyster spat (baby oysters) to stock the oyster racks. Most SA oyster spat was sourced from the “spat” growers in Tassie and their stock had developed a disease stopping them being sent to SA. Luckily some local SA spat was found and the industry is in recovery. We drove to nearby Smokey Bay Oysters and brought four dozen fresh oysters for $40. After a dozen oysters as an entrée every night the vans been rocking more than usual J.

I'm a celebrity - get me out of here!

We worked hard for only four squid off the jetty but the salt and pepper squid with chips and salad after an oyster kilpatrick entrée was four star dining. Pretty tough for us old pensioners out in the bush J.

Great place we will be back on our way back to WA in October.  Link to short video here

Across the Nullarbor

My two favorite girls

After the mandatory top up of water tanks at Norseman Visitors Center we headed east across the Nullarbor. First fuel stop Balladonia ($184/ltr) and then to our first camp at Woorlba Homestead Rest Stop. Not a bad spot for a one nighter – unfortunately the land owner had fenced off the camp area so there was no access to all those quiet spots at the back off the road.





We met a Canadian couple camped in tents next to us who were travelling from Perth to Brisbane. Nothing extraordinary about that until you spot their two push bikes! Yep – everything they own by pedal power to Brisbane!

Fueled up again at Caiguna Roadhouse ($1.88/ltr) – that had a sign up next to bowser saying “Stealing Fuel is an Offence” but think they may have been the robbing bastards.

Second night was spent at Moodini Bluff just down the pass from the elevated section of the Nullarbor Plain. Plenty of room here – so we camped 500 meters away from the hustle and bustle of the main campsite – a nice quiet night.

Molly and friends

One thing we noticed travelling so early in the season was that wherever we stopped there were March flies in plague proportions – seemed to be more attracted to Kerry (must be the blue blood?) So far Molly is getting used to the gypsy life although the 1080 and strychnine warning signs have restricted her to a leash at every stop.

Night three was spent at Bunda Cliffs Lookout on the Great Australian Bight –only room for half a dozen vans but we got in early for a good spot (facing away from the wind). The magnificent cobalt blue ocean and cliffs did not disappoint. Sent my new drone (with fingers crossed J) out over the ocean without seeing it fall into the never never. Did break my drone – tried to launch off a post in the wind – but was easily repaired.

Don Quixote was here?

Night four was spent at Penong Caravan Park – as it was my 64^th Birthday we had a meal at the pub and after dinner drinks with friends who were heading by caravan back to Perth after a trip east and arranged to meet us for my birthday.

On our trip across the Nullarbor we spotted eighteen Wedge Tail Eagles (3 deceased), four emus, four Bob Hawkes, a dead owl that couldn’t give a hoot, countless crows, hundreds of dead kangaroos, and one slow wombat resting upside-down on the edge of the road.

We always enjoy the Nullarbor crossing – just one of those iconic Aussie road trips. Link to short video here.