South from Mildura,Vic we take the B200, the Henty Highway which is flanked with bright yellow canola. It only seems like minutes before we reach the hamlet of Hopetoun. For such a small town accommodation choices abound. There is a caravan park and then there is the lake, Lake Lascelles. A small perfectly round lake fringed with sandy beaches and shaded by red gums. We pay $20 for a powered and watered site on the grass fronting the lake. There is an adequate camp kitchen and ablution block. On the eastern shore there is free camping with gold coin donation hot showers. In addition to this there are corrugated iron and stone bunk rooms for large groups. There are even two silos that have been converted into high rise cabins. This is an impressive place and only a few minutes’ walk from the heart of town. Campers tell us that it gets very busy here on weekends and that is not surprising. It is an easy two kilometre walk around the lake.

The reflected light of the sunset plays on the lake. I could easily stay here for a week just doing nothing.

We cook dinner in the rustic camp kitchen because it is too inclement to cook on the fire pits provided for each campsite. It is a bitterly cold night and we stay in the kitchen until we can stand it no longer. Thank goodness we’ve got power…. and electric blankets.