Thurs, 10th Dec, 2015 Murray River bush camp near Murrabit to Murray River bush camp near Swan Hill, Vic

Lovely morning, cool at 20 degrees but nice and sunny. Headed back to the bitumen and little township of Murrabit where there is a dump point in the Recreation Reserve. Steve did the dumping while I checked out the history board.

Drove back to the Wayside Park to check out the information boards there.

Great picnic area on the site of the entrance to the Murrabit Railway Station and Shunting Yards, opened 19 Dec, 1925 and closed 9 Dec, 1961.

In the shelter shed was 8 boards full of history (but under glass so bit hard to photograph).

A paddle steamer towing a barge in 1920s.

In 1915 the Murray River was completely dry so they had a picnic in the dry bed of the Little Murray River (which joins the Murray near here). The drought broke though in May 1915.

The Gonn Crossing punt and the bridge over the Murray River downstream a bit from here.

Walked over to check out the railway info.

Across the road is the site of the Murrabit Country Markets which have been held on 1^st Saturday of each month since 1977.

Next to that is the War Memorial.

The Public Hall.

The mural toilets.

Another info board which is part of the town’s history walk.

Down the road past the citrus groves which are well watered by the irrigation channels.

Across the Murrabit Bridge over the Murray River. A sign says the bridge may be lifted between 9.30 and 10am and 2.30 to 3pm on week days. Now that would be great to see.

Turned around down the road and came back over into Victoria again. Turned down the track near the bridge. Info about the bridge and the bridge keeper. Built in 1926 it was the first all-steel construction lift bridge across the Murray designed to carry both road and rail traffic.

Good photo of a boat going under the lifted bridge.

Where we parked was called Miss Keats Picnic Park named to honour a local who was the first woman to graduate with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in Uni of Melbourne, 1923.

Back to Murrabit and we turned towards Swan Hill. We are travelling with the Murray on our right and the Loddon River on our left (not that we can see either). Zigzagging over the different irrigation channels. Stopped at Benjeroop which is on the Loddon River.

A steam engine and pump were out front.

In the shed as a Hornsby Suction Gas Engine and Robison Pump. Peered through the glass windows than Steve tried the door and we could walk in.

The door was even unlocked in the actual engine bit so I stepped in for a photo of the instructions on how to run it.

Lots of information.

As they didn’t have LPG in those days so Steve is unsure what gas they used. In one info bit it said one of the gas producers blew up because of the coal they used being different to the Europe timber. The gas was obviously produced in these big cylinders out the back.

There was also a replica of a shepherd’s hut.

The old wagon outside has seen better days.

Across the Loddon River – doesn’t look much different to the Murray!!

Huge irrigators ready to water.

Further down the road we followed the back roads to Fish Point. Very dry one side and lush  green the other – not sure what they are growing.

At Fish Point we crossed the river but it wasn’t the Loddon but the Little Murray River. Should have looked at the map at Murrabit closer as it showed the Murray River branching out and crossing over the land to join the Loddon. Therefore the Loddon River actually becomes the Little Murray and the Little Murray rejoins the Murray downstream at Swan Hill. As we cross over the Little Murray we are now on another island – Pental Island bounded by the Little Murray and the Murray Rivers.

15km from Swan Hill we passed a sign that said ‘River’, so might have to check that out for a place to camp. Met the Little Murray River again as it winds its way into Swan Hill.

Exiting Pental Island by crossing over the Little Murray River again and entering Swan Hill.

Parked near the railway station to go into the Information Centre. Took a photo of the street sign which also showed the Little Murray meeting the Murray River nearby.

One of the Big Icons – the Murray Cod called Arnold. In the early nineties, ABC/Meridican Films produced a moved called Eight Ball. In true Australian fashion, the movie told the tale of two blokes involved in the hare-brained scheme of designing an eccentric tourist attraction – a humongous, luridly coloured replica Murray cod, named Arnold. When the movie wrapped, the production company were stuck with a 15 metre long fake fish which the Swan Hill Rural City Council promptly snapped up.

I asked the lady about the rivers and she didn’t realise what happened to the Loddon so we checked it out on the big map on the wall. So the Little Murray broke off  near Barham creating Campbell’s Island in NSW then it crossed over and makes Pental Island in Victoria.

Now we got that sorted we headed down to the Murray River for lunch. The lady said there was plenty of room for caravans – silly duffer, no there isn’t but we found enough car parks to get off the road and then sat by the water’s edge with a duck and had our lunch.

We are just down from the bridge which crosses over to Murray Downs which was formerly part of the Murray Downs Station settled in 1839. It was once the largest river frontage property along the banks of the Murray River. The original homestead is a gracious Victorian mansion furnished with some of its original fittings. Now it is a private residence and no longer accessible by the public but can be viewed from a boat.

Back on Pental Island to where we saw the ‘River’ sign. Followed the black soil track beside a levee bank. Looks like it is not nice when it is wet.

To a boat ramp area then around to a nice shady area by the river.

An older couple were there fishing but he called out that they would be leaving soon if we wanted to stop there. We went for a drive to check out the other spots but that one was the best so went back and chatted with them while they packed up. Lovely couple who have only been married 12 years and it was their wedding anniversary so they came up from Bendigo for a week in Swan Hill. She has leukaemia but is on a trial and thinks she is improving or at least she is happy to help so that others may benefit. Poor thing’s daughter has bowel cancer – so sad how it hits some families so hard. But it isn’t stopping them doing things which is great. He left Steve a few shrimp. He only caught on small Silver Perch.

He found a double set of bells on the ground to put on his rod as he flicked off his other one at the last place.

The wind has come up now we have put out the awning but the trees look ok above us.

Leanne rang to see if we are going to be in Adelaide for the V8s as they might join us.

I rang Andrea after seeing her FB post about the trees all being removed by the neighbours so that she gets her view back. We chatted about her Christmas decorating which she does so well too.

Lovely sunset colour through the trees about 8.45 – getting later. Hard to think about cooking dinner when it is so light. My wind chimes are chiming nicely in the strong breeze.

Closed the windows as the wind is quite cold tonight. Down to 15 tonight the weather said.