SWAN HILL
Trip Start
May 08, 2008
1
24
65
Trip End
Jan 31, 2012
Where I stayed
Riverside Tourist Park
Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia
Friday, April 10, 2009
Packed up on Good Friday to head to Swan Hill. Fortunately the roads were very quiet so we had a good trip along the Murray Valley Highway. Had a lunch stop at a little place called "Wood Wood" - a really pleasant spot on the banks of the Murray.
The caravan park was extremely busy, of course, because of the Easter holidays, but it was right on the river and adjacent to a beautiful, shady park also on the river. It was extremely hot - 30 degrees. Even though there were a lot of people, everyone was very respectful of your privacy and once darkness fell, it was really quiet. Met a lovely English couple with 2 daughters who have come to Australia for 2 years because of the husband's job. They are thoroughly enjoying camping around Australia every chance they get - bought their van in August and have been away 14 times already!!
Went out for dinner on Easter Sunday night - a delicious Italian restaurant called Quo Vardis.
Not a real lot of interest in Swan Hill but we did visit Lake Boga, which has been bone dry since 2003. It is 8kms wide x 3km long. In 1942 during WW II a RAAF No 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot was set up. Extensive buildings and hangers were built to cater for 1500 servicemen and women and it remained fully operational until 1947. There is absolutely nothing remaining here except a very small underground museum which was once a transmitting station. It is now a very desolate, isolated place.
It is very confronting to see a Yacht Club building, Sea Scouts building, picnic areas etc all set up on the banks of a very dry lake.
We packed up on the 15th April during a Dust Storm, yuk - but I think this may have also hit Sydney at some point.
Heading off to Eucha for 4 nights.
Hope everyone had a happy and safe Easter.
