Day 17 Sunday 8/3/20 Kergunyah to Burrowye Bend, warm

It is sad to be leaving this perfect park. We fuel up at Tallangatta then take the road to Granya which to my surprise takes us over the rather steep pinch of Mt Granya to the Murray Valley. At least it tests the work we had done on the Jeep.

At the tiny hamlet of Granya there are expansive views of Lake Hume with dead trees, swathes of green, billabongs and stretches of winding river. Pelicans are patrolling the billabongs. This stretch of road has been designated The Great River Road, yes another ‘Great’ but it is well deserving of a marketing campaign.

We follow the Murray River upstream from a treeless meandering ribbon to a wild mountain stream, now poplar and willow lined with sweeping gravel banks.

We easily find the Burrowye Bend River Reserve with its acres of flat grass and wide gravel banks. We park the rigs to walk the site and find a suitable camping spot. Meanwhile Elle dashes into her van to heed the call of nature on a more personal basis. Suddenly a car and caravan appears and wants to pass. There’s no option for El Prado but to shout “Hang on!” and move the van leaving poor Elle perched on the throne.

There are a few other campers yet we find a large area big enough for us all. Cows splash in the river across from us. New South Wales cows. Now we can study the habits of cows. We settle down to read and gaze at the swift flowing river and the cows when suddenly he’s off again! Toothless has gone looking for wood. We’re betting that he’s checking out the next town, surely he’s not going back to Wodonga.

More lazing and reading and listening to the mooing of the cows. We cook Satay Chicken on the BBQ and notice that there is a cobalt blue sky to the east or we think it’s the east, we have no signal. Its looming closer and we’re betting again, this time on how long we’ve got to finish dinner when a mighty gust blows the table over in a flurry of salad, chicken and rice. We scurry to rescue plates and chairs and pull our awnings in and then there’s nothing, silence, no wind, no rain. When we think it has skirted us a little rain falls. Well, at least we’re all packed up for tomorrow’s departure.

As the sun sets the burnt range beyond is lit by last light.

Summary

Accom $0

Utilities: None

Fuel: $0

Towing kms: 92kms