Berri to Echuca

Day100 (Oct 24) Martins Bend Berri to Overland Corner Hotel.

A cool morning this morning, called in to Bunnings after breakfast and packing up. Hoped to get some new bolts for the camper shock absorber bushes but they appear to be an odd thread. I'll see if there is a bolt place in Mildura maybe, or else just reuse the existing ones.

Took the scenic route to the Overland Corner Hotel, it's an old historic pub, with lovely gardens and has free camping out the back, they just ask that you buy something if you stay. We had a coffee and a scone, then set up, made sure I got the solar panels on to both the camper and the freezer battery in the car. Just one other caravan there, so lots of room and you can go down the track and camp by the river if you want to. We were going to have dinner at the pub but because of their trading hours we would have had to have it at 5:30 so we decided to have lunch instead. Has salt and pepper squid between us and beer.

Did the river walk after lunch and found another camp spot just down river a bit which looked to be really nice. 

Some Monash butcher sausages and veggies for dinner. 94.8km travelled.

Day101 (Oct 25) Overland Corner Hotel to Buonga Riverside caravan park Mildura.

On the road by 9, stopped at Renmark on the way through and filled up the water tank. Disappointed to cross into Victoria and not be able to stop by the sign and take a pic. Again we had to stop and have an early lunch when we re-entered the fruit fly free zone. Had to bin some fruit which is annoying but you have to do the right thing don't you? Chatted to a couple travelling in a truck towing a 5^th wheeler who were from North of Newcastle. The flies were terrible so we didn't stay too long. Crossed the bridge at Mildura to the camping ground on the other side which means that today we have been in 3 states, SA, Vic and now NSW! Kind of an odd situation really but looking at the map it seems that the Murray is the border between Vic and NSW for most of its length so we'll be jumping back and forth a bit from here on I guess. Set up right on the river by 1:30.

We walked back across the bridge for our dinner on board the PS Mundoo. We could see the wharf where we had to be and could have swum there, even me who swims like a stone, but there wasn't any water taxi so walking it was. Lovely moonlight night to spend on the river, we were seated at a table with 6 others, but 4 were a family group from Dumbleyung in WA who'd been on a rally and once the boat got underway, they moved to another table with another couple, so we had lots of room.

We decided to get a taxi back to camp and just over the bridge we go pulled up by a RBT. The driver had to count to ten and the machine registered alcohol, so then he had to do a breath test which was negative. Apparently the ones you talk into are very sensitive and may have picked up the fact that we had shared a bottle of wine with dinner. Didn't realise they were THAT sensitive. Roast on board PS Mundoo for dinner. 199.8km travelled.

Day102 (Oct 26) Buonga/Mildura.

Carol's birthday!! Cooked breakfast in the camp kitchen. Turns out the white pudding we bought in Monash is not suitable for frying and turned to mush. Never mind, the bacon and eggs were fine.

Went for a drive to explore Mildura a bit. It's a really nice town and good things have been done down by the river. Drove to lock 11 and our timing was good as there was a paddle boat just coming into the lock as we got there. Quite a height difference and good to watch it going through. 

Had lunch in the Mildura brewery pub, then up to the shopping centre where Carol finally found some new Scholl thongs. Her old ones had broken around about Karijini and she'd been wearing some that she bought in Kununurra! I bought some insoles as well and seeing as how it was Carol's birthday, we had an ice cream from 48 flavours. Found a bolt place online and went and got some spare bolts for the shock absorber bushes. They had the right ones and I got charged the grand sum of $1! I think it was just too hard for the guy to get the paperwork printed out. Pizza on the Ziggy for dinner. 

25.1km travelled

Day103 (Oct 27) Buonga/Mildura/Wentworth.

Went for a drive to the Inland Botanical gardens to have a look at the markets. Pretty disappointing and we didn't stay long. Called in at Orange world and nothing to see here, unless you pay ! Carried on to Wentworth where the Murray and Darling rivers converge. No sign of Malcolm. 

Back to camp via Mildura and some shopping and fuelling up. There are major road works on the bridge over the Murray and it's causing BIG delays. Carol was driving and did a couple of back streets which saved us quite a bit of time getting across. 81.2km travelled.

Day104 (Oct 28) Buonga/Mildura.

Walked over the bridge into town after breakfast and to the markets. Still roadworks happening so still cars lined up both sides but not as bad as yesterday. Treated ourselves to another ice cream from 48 flavours, this time from the one in town, who wasn't as generous as the lady at the shopping centre a couple of days ago. Walked down to the lovely park on the river bank, almost opposite our camp and ate the ice creams while watching the river sliding by.

Lunch back at the camp, then I changed the shock absorber bushes. Not a hard job by any means, the bushes were certainly showing signs of deterioration, surprising given that the camper is only just over a year old. Sure we've been over some pretty rough roads the last few months but isn't that what the Mitchell is built for?

Took the car for a drive to see if I could pin point a rattle that we have in the back. I thought it was the hitch receiver, especially with the arm for the stone stomper attached, so I took that off before I left. Rattle is still there, I jumped underneath but everything seems tight as. We decided to give the car a wash seeing as how there was a wash bay at the camp. I got Carol to walk beside the car to try and see if she could see where it was coming from, but she couldn't hear anything. I could still, which makes me think that it is something inside the car at the back. We'll have to check it again once we get to Brisbane and get everything out of the back. I was feeling a bit off colour, something in my tummy not quite right so I had toast and jam for dinner while Carol had Cruskits and tuna. 

5Km travelled.

Day105 (Oct 29) Buonga Riverside caravan park Mildura to Reedy Lake RV stop.

Up at a reasonable hour but delayed getting on the road because the jockey wheel has seized. It's been a bit stiff to wind the last couple of times but this time it is jammed. I got the jack out of the car and managed to get the weight off it but it didn't improve its operation any. Lucky in a way that it happened here in Mildura, we went up the road to BCF and bought an Ark one. We had a look at one when we were in Broome but didn't buy it, mainly because I wasn't sure whether the shaft was the same size as the Alko one. The guy we spoke to at BCF said he thought they were the same, they certainly looked it and indeed it fitted fine when we got back and tried it. The added advantage of the new one is it has 3 positions height wide whereas the Alko one only has 2 which had been a bit of a pain a couple of times.

On the road by 11, stopped for lunch beside the Murray and got to Reedy Lake about 2. Only one other caravan here, so lots of room. It's quite a nice spot with a toilet nearby that looks fairly new and is obviously well looked after. 

My stomach still isn't 100% so we had spaghetti on toast for dinner. 282.1km travelled

Day106 (Oct 30) Reedy Lake RV stop to Rotary Park Echuca.

A late start this morning. I'm still getting stomach cramps and not feeling right and very tired even though I feel like I slept well enough. Not far to Echuca, we checked out a golf club in Moama across the river but it didn't feel right to me, plus it was only a 24hr stay and we wanted to have a bit of a look around town. Went back to Rotary park and it looked fine, with lots of room. There are toilets here but they're not open so we have to set up the en suite and use the porta potti which is no big deal seeing as how there is a dump point on site. Set up on a nice site by the river, not the Murray but the Campaspe. Drove in to town and had a look around. Found a shop that sold black pudding so of course we had to buy some. Carol had a doctors appointment, she's had a sore ear and also a bladder infection. Seems we're both a bit under the weather at the moment. Sausages and salad for dinner. 144.5km travelled.

Day107 (Oct 31) Echuca.

Spent the morning at the port area in town. It's quite historic and preserved pretty well. Went through the discovery centre and had a guided tour around the area which was very informative and included a look at an underground bar that also had an escape tunnel and was used back in the time when alcohol had been banned in the town. There would be a lookout posted and when he gave the signal that the law was approaching, everyone would escape through the tunnel to another part of town and then return when the all clear was given. Also had a cruise down the river on the PB Pevensey which was used in the TV series “All the Rivers Run” under the name of the “Philadelphia”.

Went back to camp and I had a lie down for a while. I'm thinking that the cause of my ailments may be my water bottle. It hasn't has a washout since we have been on the road so it got a good one this afternoon. Have to see if I get any improvement. 10Km travelled.

Here are some figures for the month of October:

Travelled from Yulara (NT) to Echuca (Vic)

Days travelling 31

Kilometres travelled 4416 (18494)                                                                               142.5/day

Diesel 590.26lts (2538.96) $958.67 ($3766.66)                                                          $30.92/day

Camping fees $506 ($2563)                                                                                         $16.32/day

Tours etc $395 (Coober Pedy,Mildura,Echuca) ($3017.94)                                     $12.74/day

Other Expenses $1790.42 (Food, alcohol, hardware, chemist)                                $57.76/day

Pajero Costs $858.80 (Service,wheel/align,tyre)                                                       $27.70/day

Mitchell Costs $1245.10 (Service&Shock, charger,J/wheel)                                    $40.16/day

Total costs/Day                                                                                                             $185.60/day

Mitchells Spotted 0

Dearest fuel   $2.08/lt Erldunda Roadhouse