Workfree Wandering

Mentioned in the previous post that we stayed at Balranald — turns out my memory was doing its own thing. It was actually Hay, and then we camped at Balranald for a couple of days. Right on the Murray, peaceful as anything, and I even started wondering whether I should finally buy a fishing rod. Had a wander along the riverbank inside the caravan park, picturing myself catching absolutely nothing but enjoying the attempt.

Then at around 2am, out of nowhere, we hear this massive crack followed by a bang. Proper heart‑starter. Should I be worried? Next morning we find a huge gum tree had split and dropped straight into the river — right where I’d been walking the day before. No wind, no storm, no warning. Just Aussie Red Gums doing what Aussie Red Gums do: randomly deciding it’s time to fall over.

After Balranald we found ourselves asking the familiar question — where to now? Turns out the answer was south, to a little border town called Tooleybuc. We ducked down for a day drive and looped back via the Yanga Woolsheds — an incredible slice of history that’s teaching us more about Australia than school ever did. Hard to imagine 3,000 sheep packed in for shearing by 40 shearers. Now it’s a quiet national park: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/historic-buildings-places/yanga-woolshed

From there we rolled into Mildura, camping just outside town on the Murray again.

Biggish place, easy to settle into. Next day we did a day drive and headed to Wentworth (this is where the Murray meets the Darling), and then out to Perry Sandhills — a taste of desert country. I got the drone up for a couple of quick shots between sightseeing planes doing laps overhead. Up, down, no stupidity… but gee I wanted more time up there over those 400 acres.

Back in Mildura we spent a day learning how the weirs and locks work. Suddenly the whole “houseboat holiday on the Murray” thing made sense. Arts centre the next day, more exploring, more wandering.

Eventually our minds were made up — heading west was still on hold — so we aimed for the pink lakes in Murray‑Sunset National Park.

We set up at the southern campground –

then went looking for a remote site the ranger recommended (“if you want no neighbours, head here”). We assumed half an hour. Nope. Over an hour of single‑lane tracks through mallee country. Found the site… but it was literally just a clearing in the scrub. So we turned back and tried a shortcut to another lake. Road got smaller, wetter, muddier. After a couple of sticky holes we hit a 100‑metre stretch of water. No mates, no reception, no idea where we really were — so a careful 180 and back we went. A half‑hour recon turned into a three‑hour adventure. Saw our first herd of emus though.

Learnt a heap about salt mining and how the pink lakes came to be.

Got the drone up that evening for some magic shots.

Next day we moved to Hopetoun / Lake Lascelles, another spot the local council has developed to bring in tourist dollars.

Honesty box camping around the lake. We parked next to campers we’d met the day before — good people. But when we arrived someone asked, “You here for the muster?”

What muster?

Turns out we’d walked into the 832 Muster — a gathering of “like‑minded people” who reckon most others (including the government) don’t know what they’re doing. Eureka flags, slogans, bonfire, music… and a T‑shirt Shell spotted that read Good people break bad laws. Long night. Still going at 2am with strong opinions and plenty of F‑bombs drifting across the lake.

Next day we drove through Yaapeet, Rainbow and Beulah, getting deeper into the silo art precinct. The Rainbow silo is a must‑see — stairs and a lift up the outside, two internal viewing platforms, and the acoustics inside were unreal. Shell even gave me a little singing performance. Magic.

The muster crew kept mostly to themselves. Not often I don’t stop for a chat, but I was happy to give this lot a wide berth. Couldn’t help thinking Richard Butz would have love the challenge and had a bit of fun in a mischievous way.

Foggy morning departure to Horsham, where we found the showgrounds were too wet and boggy, so we camped in a lovely park by the river. Day trip to Natimuk, Mount Arapiles and Dimboola — and wow. Views from Arapiles were excellent, but Dimboola was next level. The town’s being revitalised by quirky newcomers from Melbourne, and the standout was The Imaginarium — a wild, creative little gem that feels like stepping into someone’s imagination: https://dimboolaimaginarium.com/

Back in Horsham we ordered our first pizza… went to pick it up… shop closed. WT? They refunded us the next day and the replacement pizza was actually OK.

Next morning we explored the northern end of the Grampians — Ngamadjidj Shelter, Mt Zero and Gulgurn Manja — and the vibe was strong. The Grampians were calling.

So we set the plan: head to Halls Gap for a proper stay. Travel day through Murtoa, Rupanyup and Stawell. The Stick Shed at Murtoa was another slice of history we’re never taught — a massive grain shed built at the end of WWII. Absolutely worth a visit: https://www.thestickshed.com.au/

In Stawell we visited the track where the Stawell Gift is held. Shell was like a kid in a candy store and the staff member was brilliant.

Finally we rolled into Halls Gap, a town with the vibe of a ski resort — and we knew instantly we’d enjoy it. All that in the next post.