Day 5 Tuesday 7/5/2024 Lake Tyrrell to Red Cliffs, sunny

VeeWee wakes us up, knocking on the door at 6:30 because the sun is rising. An orange band across that salty eastern horizon. Struggling into clothes that will soon be warm, I bolt out the door and crikey there must be a dozen cars out here, tripods everywhere, and sleepy disheveled people with serious camera gear around their necks. At least they’ll never notice that my boobs have gone commando and are being held up by the waistband of my trackie dacks.

There’s a sliver of water in the distance and the sun highlights it with a golden glow. The native succulents and saltbush take on a warm ochre.

After breakfast we farewell VeeWee and the pups as they head for home to get ready for their winter trip north. We turn towards Red Cliffs and spot an emu in a paddock of wheat stubble. Whilst shopping for a few groceries in Red Cliffs we get chatting to a woman who sagely tells us to keep on caravanning until the doctor’s appointments get too close together (like hers have).

The Red Cliffs Golf Course is nearer to the town of Irymple. When up this way we usually stay at Buronga Caravan Park on the NSW side of the Murray River overlooking Mildura, but sadly they haven’t reopened after the last devastating floods. The golf course though is a good overnighter, spacious and on red dirt. There’s a camp kitchen close by and homely toilets and showers in the clubhouse. The bar isn’t open tonight, otherwise we would have raised a glass in thanks.

Dinner is a veggie bake to get rid of our vegetables before we cross the border into South Australia.

Accom: $10.00, Towing Kms: 171kms