Day 6 Friday 20/12/2024 Euston – Buronga (Mildura) 29 (@ 9:00) – 38◦

It’s a warm clear cloudless morning as we head off towards Mildura on the Sturt Highway, which is on the NSW side of the river. The first half of the drive is through dry Malle Scrub, which is a short eucalypt with no trunk as the branches spread out from the large root. Suddenly it’s the vineyards of Trentham Cliffs, wide expanses of river at Gol Gol and we’re sweeping over the bridge at Buronga into Mildura. We have an hour to kill before check-in at the park so we stock up on a few immediate supplies. The town, or should I say city is large, busy and green oasis of lawns and shade trees.

Back in Buronga it’s the first day of trading since the park was flooded. In 2022 – 2023 the River Murray riverine flood took 3 months to work its way downstream from the Hume weir to the mouth at Goolwa causing significant damage along the way. The water was so high that a friends’ family at Echuca were able to wake board in what had been their back yard. At the caravan park new lawns have been sown and facilities have been repaired, replaced or upgraded. The main bathroom block that sits high on a rise now proudly shows a painted line hip high where the floodwaters reached. We’ve stayed here several times and love the laid-back feel of the place and the stem whistles of the paddle steamers. Though we still laugh about the time we stayed here to show friends how relaxing caravan life is and an angry young bloke produced a rifle and started firing at his equally angry mates, before rolling his car whilst trying to escape the clutches of the coppers.

Anyway, by the time we’ve set up we only have the energy to swim in the pool and doze in the shade, but there’s enough happening on the river to keep us occupied. There’s a constant passing parade of houseboats, paddle steamers, barbie boats* and jet skis.

We’re surrounded by birds, magpies, miners, maned ducks, purple swamp hens, blue faced honeyeaters and a nest of whistling kites in a gum tree by the river.

Several of our neighbours from Euston are here and we chat while cooking chops on the BBQ in the new camp kitchen. Woody’s brother, Woody the Elder rings to say that their 2^nd cousins are over at Dareton and would like to meet at the club while we’re here. Wow, it looks like it is a family Xmas after all.

Accom: $32.00

*Barbie Boat, a small punt style hire boat just large enough for a party, beer, ice and a toilet.