Burra to Echuca

The old Town Hall.

Centre of town.

Leaving Clare, we had hardly got the car warmed up, and we were in Burra, just 40kms away. Amazing to learn, that this little village just 2 hours from Adelaide, was the fifth largest town in Australia in the 1850's. Today it is a quaint little tourist village full of wonderfully restored homes, and trendy cafes and boutiques. Up until a month ago we had never heard of it. A chance morning tea by the Murray with a couple who were on their way there, led us to drive through on the way to the Flinders Ranges, and that was when we just knew we had to come back.

The Monster Mine.

The old smelter chimney.

As was often the case, it was a mining discovery that led to the town's creation. Here it was copper, rather than gold. Between 1845 & 1877, 50,000 tons of copper were removed from the mine. It was one of the richest copper mines in the world, and people flocked here to work the mine and the smelters, most of them from Wales and Cornwall. By 1850, the town boasted a population in excess of 5,000. The mine actually saved the fledgling state of South Australia from bankruptcy. A series of small villages were set up along the creek, but most are long gone, with the town now comprising just Burra and North Burra, though the restored old buildings are still there to visit.

It is always refreshing to see an active council that really works on tourism. These days tourism is a matter of life and death for these old rural communities, and is sad to see how many choose death! Burra doesn't, and with the Burra Heritage Passport, you literally get the key to the city, to gain access to all the old sites and buildings. All are accessible to view from the outside, but if you want to get inside, the Passport is the go. It is all close together.

One of three pubs in town.

The caravan park is right in town beside the creek. It is a nice little park, well kept, and the footbridge beside the park deposits you right in town. Most people only stay for a night or two. We decided on three nights. We wandered into town, and at the end of the foot bridge found two beautiful old buildings, The Town Hall, and the Regional Art Gallery. Town is full of cafes, boutiques and antique shops. There is a big Antiques Fair held in Burra each year, another great initiative of the town. Most of the cafes keep up the old English theme, and offer scones with cream and jam, as well as lots of other tasty goodies. In addition the Cornish Pastie is king in Burra, and there is a great rivalry to see who has the best.

Me and Tiddy Oggi.

We learned the history of the Cornish Pastie here in Burra. It was the miners' staple meal. The traditional pasties came in two kinds, all savoury or savoury/sweet. The pasties comprised a pastry case as long as a man's forearm, filled with meat and vegetables, or in the case of the savoury/sweet model, meat & veg at one end, and apple at the other. The pastry was closed with a braided roll of pastry, that served as a handle to eat it with. This braided crust was discarded, so as to avoid the arsenic used in the mines being transferred from the miner's hands to his mouth!! Today the pasties are a more manageable size. I had to try the Tiddy Oggy, the combined savoury/sweet, which came served with a little pot of tomato sauce and a little pot of cream! It was yummy, and not a hint of arsenic!!

Redruth Gaol.

Row houses.

Our tour took us out to The Monster Mine Site with the restored Engine House Museum. We also went up to the lookout to view the pit, now full of water. We visited the old Bon Accord Mine site at nearby North Burra, as well as the beautifully restored Railway Station that now houses a B&B. The last train came to Burra in 1970. We saw a number of old churches of many denominations, and headed over to Redruth Gaol, which was again well restored. Burra itself has a number of fully restored Row Houses, many of which today serve as accommodation options. Just walking up and down the streets of town reveals restored old homes one after the other. This place just oozes history! From the 1950's to 1970's, another go at mining was undertaken, using more modern mining techniques, and this realized another 20,000 tons of copper, but now all is quiet at the mine.

La Pecora Nera.

No trip to Burra is complete without a visit to La Pecora Nera (The Black Sheep). When a boy from Rome meets a girl from Burra, the end result is a unique and rapidly becoming famous, restaurant. People drive up from Adelaide for lunch on the weekends! It is a huge old tin shed, now with a huge new shed added to the back. The  wood fired pizzas are authentic and excellent, with thin crispy pastry and not too much filling. Paolo decides on what other dishes he will cook, but it is usually an antipasto, and a couple of pasta dishes, and mussels. We shared the antipasto plate and a pizza plus a Caprese Salad. It was absolutely delicious and transported us back to Italy. The place is licensed, but in the true casual style with which it operates, you help yourself from the fridge or the shelves and just let them know what you took! All wines are one price, all beers are one price. At the end of the meal, Paolo and his wife liberally hand out the Limoncello, and share a glass and a chat. We had a truly memorable evening and waddled back to the caravan across the bridge.

The mighty Murray

Some very big floods!

So that pretty much was Burra. In the morning, we quickly packed up and walked the bridge one last time for coffee and a light breakfast at our favourite café, St. Just. We felt they did the best coffee in town. After lingering over a second cup, we were headed out of Burra, richer for the experience, and on our way back down the River to Renmark, in SA's rich Riverland region. We were retracing our tracks, but felt we should stay a few days in Renmark, as it just looked inviting.

Renmark Big 4.

Not a bad spot for Brekkie!

In Renmark we stayed at the Big 4 Riverfront Caravan Park. We paid a little extra for one of the Riverfront sites, and were really glad we did. This is a very nice caravan park. A lot of people complain that Big 4 parks are expensive, but this one gives a lot for the money. It is a big caravan park. It has a huge resort pool area, with a water park for the kids next door. There are playgrounds and jumping castles, and excellent facilities, many of them new or recently refurbished. Our large double slab site was right opposite a huge, wide sweeping bend in the river. With houseboats and pleasure boats passing by, and so much birdlife, it was just lovely to sit there and watch the passing parade.

Renmark waterfront.

The weather was continuing to be superb. Cool nights and lovely warm days. We did the tourist drive out around Berri, Loxton, Moorook and Barmera, taking in Lake Bonney along the way. Following the river it is a drive through fruit trees and grape vines. We stopped and bought fresh crisp apples, semi dried nectarines to die for, as well as farm fresh veggies from the roadside stalls. We had a beer at the famous Loxton Pub, which really didn't live up to the hype for me. Berri was a lovely town, right on the river. It seems to be a busier centre than Renmark, with lots of Houseboat Hire based here. Some of the big bulk wine producers have their factories here, places like Berri Estates, where most of the wine comes in a box rather than a bottle! Row after row of huge stainless steel tanks. In town, the riverfront area was nicely rejuvenated. We think we will have to come back here for a better look!!

Woolshed Brewery.

Tasting platter.

On another day we crossed the river to Paringa and headed out to the Woolshed Brewery. What a great spot. You have to admire the initiative and drive of some people. Here, out on the banks of the Murray River, in an old woolshed is a working boutique brewery. There is a huge deck out the back, projecting you out over the river, where you try an ale or two among the giant river redgums, full of hundreds of squawking Corellas! The beers weren't too bad either. There were houseboats tied up at the wharf, as well as small boats. The only thing missing was a helipad! On the way back to town we detoured down a dirt road to Murtho Forest Landing. Here we climber a viewing platform that afforded some of the best Murray River views we have seen. Looming orange red and white cliffs and more of those incredible river gums. Stunning scenery, and just on cue a houseboat came into view around the river bend.

Incredible river scenery.

Thousands of Corellas.

We took ourselves out to the Renmark Golf Resort for a game of golf. A fair bit of poetic license here! It was a bit of a goat track, but it was another gorgeous day, and it was cheap and certainly not crowded. Given the competition, I can't see this place surviving! We called in at Ruston's Rose Garden, which was a very nice surprise. At 27 acres, they claim it is Australia's largest rose garden, and whilst many bushes were past their best, it was still a sight to behold. There is a café and even a small vintage car collection to add to the interest. Our last stop that day was Angoves Winery. This is probably the best known brand from the area. We just had a look, as we have so much Clare Valley Wine we couldn't fit more in!

Beautiful sunsets.

27 Acres of roses.

Probably our greatest delight in Renmark, was happy hour by the river. We would sit and watch the birdlife on the river. So many water birds, and precocious pelicans, who would almost mug you! They just walk right up to you and give you the eye! Carol is in her element surrounded by wildlife, no not me!, and always has a bag of seeds for the birds. The sunsets over the river were spectacular, and I can confirm that there is nothing nicer in life than being reclined by the river, under the shade of an enormous river gum, with a good book in hand and your beverage of choice.

Robinvale Caravan Park.

A campfire by the river.

We only left our spot in Renmark because we couldn't extend. SA school holidays put paid to that, so we decided to just head back down the river a little way to another riverside option, Robinvale. We love this park, and with Victoria school holidays over, had no problem getting a spot on the river. Here it is all about doing nothing. It is nice to come back to a spot. You've done all the sightseeing so can have some me time. With the nights now getting decidedly cooler, we got out our new Hillbilly Fire Pit, and christened it. This caravan park allows fires in a contained fire pit, and actually hire them out if you don't have your own. Nothing like sitting around the campfire beside the river. The only thing that amazed me was that we didn't

Birds feeding at the weir.

have any marshmallows! That will be fixed for tomorrow! We did do one little exploration trip. Access to the weir has been

River red gums.

restricted due to maintenance, and someone told us that if we crossed the river to the NSW side and worked our way along the dirt tracks at the back of the town of Euston, we would eventually find the river just below the weir. We persevered and were successful. What awaited us was well worth the effort, with hundreds of pelicans and cormorants taking turns in the turbulent water below the weir, diving for fish. It was quite a sight!


Our last stop along the Murray, on this trip, is Echuca, a town we have visited before and

like very much. The river boat history here is huge, and it is hard to imagine that in the mid 1800's this was the third busiest port in Australia! It is a great town to walk around with its many grand old buildings and pubs. There are some great pubs, but still nowhere near the

Birthday dinner by the fire.

number of 86 pubs that were in Echuca in its heyday! The weather, especially at night, has now cooled considerably. The days are lovely and sunny though it takes most of the day to warm up! Echuca is the ideal place for Carolyn to stay, whilst John heads off for his annual golf indulgence, this year at nearby Tocumwal, where together with 24 mates they will enjoy 5 days of golf on the annual "Big Tour". It is also the time of the year when we celebrate our birthdays and wedding anniversary, and Echuca offers some wonderful dining experiences at which to celebrate! At the time of writing, John has already celebrated, and when I get back from golf it will be Carolyn's turn. She has been left in charge of choosing her own venue for when I return from golf.

When the golfing activities have concluded, the colder temperatures will herald the start of our northern migration, chasing the sun. But first we will make a quick trip to Bendigo where we are going to see a wonderful exhibition of all things Marilyn Munro at the very with it Bendigo Art Gallery. We have now seen a number of fantastic exhibitions here, and are really looking forward to it. As most know, Carolyn is a Marilyn Munroe tragic. From Bendigo, we will be making a stop near Yass, in NSW, to visit Balmain friends who have chosen a rural life for the raising of their family. We haven't seen Nicole, Brendan and the boys for 4 years, so are really looking forward to a stop at their farm. Then we will be back in Sydney for a couple of weeks before the northern pilgrimage begins in ernest.  

Flinders Ranges & Clare.

The Flinders Ranges.

The Flinders Ranges is an iconic Australian Outback destination. Unlike much of Australia's outback, this region is very accessible, being only 450 kms from Adelaide, on first class, sealed roads. It has been on our list for a number of years, but circumstances have stopped us on three earlier attempts, but not this time!! Our route took us along the Murray, through the lovely riverside town of Renmark, where we stopped for lunch at a lovely little riverfront café called Chill n Grill. It is true that I was attracted by the board out front which declared "Soup of the Day - Beer!!", but the food was equally as good. After lunch, we stopped at the local Woolies to top up our supplies for the week ahead, then continued along the river to Waikerie, where we spent the night.

Ferry Across the Murray.

The railway town.

In the morning, we hopped on a ferry to cross the Murray and drove through lots more vineyards before arriving at the quaint old riverside town of Morgan, where a gorgeous little bakery beckoned us to have morning tea beside the river. Another couple in a caravan had the same idea, and we struck up a conversation. They were from Paynesville in Victoria's lakes district, and were quite amazed by the fact that we were in our 6th year of travel around Australia! With true Aussie, the guy enquired "ïs there blood on the walls in there? There would be in ours!!" We assured him there wasn't, and returned to our travels. The next little town we passed through was Burra, which looked really quaint and begged a future visit. It was then onto Peterborough, another great little town, this one with railway history from years gone by, where the town was a key part of the rail network bringing minerals from Broken hill to Port Augusta.

Orrorro Pub.

Entry to Rawnsley Park.

Further along the road was Orroroo, another little village full of old homes. By now, we were well into sheep and wheat country, and far from the irrigated flats of the Murray. The rolling plains and hills were treeless with not a blade of green grass in sight. Hawker is the gateway to the Flinders Ranges, and from here it was on to Rawnsley Park Station, our destination for the next five days. For caravans and camping there are three options in the Flinders Ranges. Firstly you can stay at Wilpena Resort Caravan Park right in the National Park. This had been our first option, but to our surprise, it was full, or all large caravan sites were full. The second option was free camping within the national park, but that wasn't for us, so we took the third option which was staying  at the privately owned Rawnsley Park Station, about 20kms south of the national park. All the sites are gravel, and tiered into the rolling hills and down along the dry creek bed, but it is a great spot with excellent facilities. Our site was huge! I reckon it was the biggest site we've ever had! We gathered up all the brochures and spent happy hour planning the days ahead.

Welcome to Wilpena.

One of many lookouts.

Next morning we headed up to the national park and the Wilpena Visitor Centre. This is a first rate centre, with many indigenous guides and staff working there. It is set among lots of trees, so different to the surrounding area.There is the information centre plus a good café and gift shop. This is the destination from which most of the parks hiking trails start. It is also home to the Wilpena Pound Resort and caravan park. We took a drive through the caravan park, and it did look pretty full! Armed with some more brochures, we headed back out to the main road and turned north looking for the turnoff for the Brachina Gorge Scenic Drive. We found the turnoff and headed bush on a well graded dirt road. The Flinders ranges received good rain in February, but apart from a slightly green tinge in some paddocks and the healthy gum trees you would not know it. Much of the road follows dry creek beds and there is hardly a puddle to be found. We stopped at all the lookouts and took in the incredible vistas of this spectacular landscape. On the way back we drove up to the top of Stokes Lookout, one of the highest points around. The views from the lookout were amazing and oh so quiet. It was just us, a few sheep, an emu or two and an odd kangaroo!!

Lunch at the Prairie Hotel.

Kangaroo, Emu & Camel Yummo!

Next day we decided to have lunch at the iconic Prairie Hotel. We took another scenic route, the Moralana Scenic Drive, through the hills and across a sheep station, and it was a nice drive. We love our famous outback pubs!!! This one, has been serving drinks since 1876. The current clientele arrives in masses, driving the latest top end 4WD or alighting from their APT and Outback Spirit Luxury air conditioned coaches, resplendent in the latest R M Williams gear, a far cry from the dusty, smelly prospectors, drovers and stockmen of last century. The pub still oozes character, but now has luxury accommodation out the back, and a top class chef in the kitchen. The famous food is Feral, but there are lots of not so feral choices as well. I went Feral, with the Feral Mixed Grill, while Carol went safe with the King George Whiting. My mixed grill was Kangaroo Fillet, an Emu Mignon, and a Camel Sausage, and it was excellent, though at $38.00 it was pricey, given that the ingredients can be picked up along the road on the way in!! Only kidding, I hope!! They have their own beer on tap, who doesn't these days! It is Fargher (owner's name) Lager, and not bad. The place was packed, but there were two bus groups in, who just get a quick stop, with a Feral Tasting plate, a beer a quick run through the gift shop, and back on the bus!

Nicely restored building.

On the way to Blinman.

After lunch we drove out to Blinman, named after Robert "Peg Leg" Blinman, a one legged shepherd who found copper in the area in 1859. I guess he just pegged out his claim and hopped into the mining office to register it!! Seriously, don't you just love the characters who forged this land!! Today there isn't much left in Blinman, just a pub, a general store serving Quondong Pies and the world's most expensive Magnum ice creams - $6.00!! Who said all the bushrangers were dead!! You can also do a tour of the old mine site, which we declined. There are a couple of B&B's, I guess for people who want a true outback experience, whilst visiting the Flinders Ranges. The drive over was through some pretty rough sheep country, and we again saw quite a lot of emus and a couple of kangaroos. At one creek crossing, we even found a little water. We had been told that the Blinman Pools, which can be quite spectacular after rain, were currently dry, so we didn't head out there.

Walking the trails at Wilpena.

Made it to the top lookout.

On our third day we went back to the Wilpena Visitor Centre to do one of the main walks, and to get a good look at the famous Wilpena Pound, a huge natural amphitheatre. This walk was called the Wangara Lookout Walk totalled 7.8kms, but we shortened by 2 kms by timing our departure with a shuttle bus that takes walkers to the head of the walk departure point. First stop is the Old Homestead. It is hard to imagine that settlers once farmed Wilpena Pound, with sheep and wheat. Reading the excellent information boards, it is heart breaking to read of the hardships and struggles. Nature finally won, and now the land has been handed back to the traditional owners. From the Homestead, we started the climb up to the lookout points. The Lower Lookout was good, but it was at the Upper Lookout that we got to see the full extent of Wilpema Pound. It was truly worth the climb!!

Great drives around the Flinders,

Our last day, we just lazed around Rawnsley Park Station. The facilities are excellent except for the lousy WiFi. It was funny watching everyone huddle around the entrance to the camp kitchen, the only place where it worked, and then only spasmodically. We had also marveled at the group across from us, comprising an older couple, with a middle aged woman and a middle aged guy who was severely handicapped, and wheel chair bound. They were in tents, well equipped I might add, but they were making sure this handicapped guy got the full experience. I took my hat off to them. I love people who say we can, rather that we can't!!

So many stories to tell.

We hooked up next day and headed for Clare. We left with the temperature at a lovely 25 degrees, and stopped at Hawker for a pleasant morning tea. By the time we reached Jamestown, just 165kms south, the temperature had dropped to 13 degrees and we had some light rain. The drive down was through some drought ravaged lands badly in need of rain, but this wasn't even going to settle the dust. We passed the ruins of several old stone homesteads, and always wonder what life must have been like for these old settlers. We stopped in Jamestown and shared a delicious sweet curry for lunch at a lovely little café called Bindlestick, then were back in the saddle for the short run to Clare.

Staying at Steph & Darrin's.

The new extensions.

In Clare, we were staying with our friends Steph and Darrin, and their now 3 children, Matthew (6), Hayley (4) and Daniel (2). When last here, Hayley had just been born, with Down's Syndrome. All the kids took to us, and we had a great time getting to know this new little family. Steph was Carolyn's hairdresser when we lived in Balmain. She took her hairdressing to the high seas, working on the small luxury expedition cruise ship Orion, where she met Darrin, who was one of the expedition leaders. The rest as they say is history!. They live on 14 acres just outside Clare, and have recently completed a lovely extension to their old Australian Colonial farmhouse. They have olive trees and a few sheep. It is a delightful setting. Darrin now works for the SA Parks & Wildlife Service, and Steph still does some part time hairdressing, so Carolyn finally got her hair done!!

Steph, Carolyn & Darren.

John with Hayley & Daniel.

We had the most delightful stay, touring around this wonderful wine region by day, and sharing the evening with the family, helping cook meals and even do homework with Matthew. The kids all think our caravan is the best cubby house, and when they found the kids TV channels on Foxtel we had the perfect child minding centre. When the kids were bathed and into bed, we would just sit around and chat about our lives, and their challenges and opportunities. You can only admire how they have changed their lives to cater for the needs of little Hayley, who is doing really well with her learning skills.

Clare Valley Wine Country.

Long Lazy Lunch at Pauletts.

The Clare Valley Wine Region is high in quality and one of our favourites. The delicious crisp Rieslings are such a nice change to the sav blanc the Australian wine industry has undergone. On the red side, the shiraz is rich and full, and there are some great GSM blends. We visited a number of small wineries, plus my favourite, Greg Cooley Wines, where I picked up an absolute bargain. He had just released a Cleanskin made from the grapes that normally make up his premium shiraz. He felt that the fruit was not quite up to standard for his top line, so made this cleanskin instead. At $10.00 a bottle it is a beauty! I wish I had a bigger truck!! At Darrin's recommendation, we also headed out to Pauletts, where they have built a new winery, with a great café that looks out over the hills of Clare. We lingered over a lazy lunch and tasted a few wines and wondered how it can get any better than this!! Great food, great wines, great friends and the girl of my dreams. The journey just gets better and better.

Mildura

Houseboats Galore. 

Mildura, situated right on the Murray River, was a really nice surprise for us. We rank it as one of the best inland towns in which we have stayed. With a population in excess of 60,000 people, it is a large town with heaps to do, and with our stay coinciding with Easter, town was packed, and there were plenty of events planned. It was only a short drive from Robinvale, so we arrived nice and early, and got set up at our caravan park, The Apex Riverbeach Caravan Park, which is about 3 kms from the centre of town, and right on the river. The site we were allocated was a dud, but the staff were very accommodating, and because we were staying 10 days, did some shuffling around and we finished up right on the riverfront!

Set up beside the Murray River.

Our first chore was to attend to the annual service of the caravan. We had prebooked our service at the the local Jayco dealer, and all went smoothly. Like cars, caravans need a regular service, and with ours getting so much use, we make sure it gets looked after! With the caravan serviced we were ready to look around. At the caravan park, the crowds had started to roll in for Easter. To our surprise, a huge number of people arrived towing speedboats instead of caravans! A tent city appeared, with an amazing array of fancy speedboats park beside. When the caravan park filled up, caravans were in the minority!

Water skiing was the go.

Everyone gets to drive the boat!!

Along this section of the river, and for quite a distance east and west, the system on weirs and locks means the river is wide and deep, and recreational boating, mostly in the form of waterskiing, and houseboats, is huge. There are hundreds of huge houseboats for hire. The Easter weekend draws people from all over for a carnival of speedboat, and water ski racing. You feel sorry for the poor old fishermen, trying to catch an elusive Murray Cod, as high speed boats roar up and down the river. Directly opposite our caravan park was a boat ramp, and I can't begin to describe the huge assortment of inboard and outboard powered boats, that were launched and retrieved each day.

Paddle Staemers used to transport
everything

The Sunraysia district, as this area is known, produces vast quantities of fruit & vegetables. How about this for some numbers! The area produces 75% of Australia's Table Grapes, 69% of its almonds, 48% of its Pistachios, 24% of its citrus, 20% of the national Wine crush, 13% of its carrots, and 9% of its Asparagus, and the list goes on. So, if you drive in any direction from Mildura, you are amidst cultivated fields. We have never seen so many grape vines! All of this made possible by the incredible use of irrigation from the river. In years gone by, much of the produce was moved by riverboat, and thankfully that heritage has been maintained by passionate people.

A Paddle Steamer Cruise.

Still using a wood fired boiler.

There are a number of restored Paddle Steamers that ply the river doing tourist trips, up and down the river. We hopped on board the PS Melbourne, for an afternoon cruise. It was a very informative 3 hours. We headed downstream to the only lock on the river that is not incorporated into a weir. It is in a purpose built channel that bypasses a sweeping bend in the river. Here we were lowered over 3 metres, and then continued down the river to our caravan park, where we did a U turn and headed back up through the lock and into the wharf precinct of Mildura. It was great for us seeing our caravan from the water, and the beach opposite the caravan 

Travelling through a lock.

park was packed with people and speedboats enjoying the amazing weather. The management of water flows along the river is incredible. Using the weirs along the full length of the river, water levels are maintained within an inch or two at all times, and it would only be a huge drought or a major flood event, that would cause fluctuations to occur. Water usage to farmers is increased/decreased according to the water available, and all farmers usage is measured. A farmer has his water rights which is his annual maximum amount, but he may not get it all, as allocations are made on a regular basis by the Water Authority, based on available flows. There is also the ability for farmers to buy and sell from within their allocation, making it an incredible system. In some seasons, a farmer may never sow a crop and survive well by selling his water for that year!

Where the Darling & Murray Meet.

Weir 10 at Wentworth.

We took a drive down the river to the historic town of Wentworth, which is where the two great rivers, The Darling & The Murray, meet. It is a lovely tree lined town with lots of grassy parkland along both rivers. Just downstream from where the rivers meet, is the next weir & lock. These weirs are quite amazing, as many of them are completely removable from the river! The pelicans and cormorants flock to the weirs to prey on the fish, mostly carp, that escape through the water being released from each weir. In addition, fish ladders have been built at most weirs to allow the fish to move up and

The old Wentworth Gaol.

downstream. We stopped for the obligatory photo at the

Pelicans frequent the weirs.

viewing area where the rivers meet. In town, there was a rowing regatta in full swing on the Darling River, which seemed quite out of place! Of course, there were still heaps of speedboats and houseboats. The Darling River is in quite a poor state at present. Too much water is taken from the river in the upper reaches of NSW, and in the feeder rivers that flow from Queensland. In these areas, crops such as cotton are grown, requiring vast amounts of water. These huge plantations build massive Turkey Nest Dams and suck megalitres from the river to store for their own use. Tragically, half of what they take evaporates, and towns downstream never get their share. Broken Hill is trucking in drinking water, and the Menindee Lake system is almost dry. It really should be better handled.

One of many grand old homes.

There are three championship golf courses in and around Mildura. I played a round in the midweek members comp at Mildura Country Club, which is a very challenging layout. I played with another visitor, Steve, from Albury and we teamed up in a Two Ball Aggregate Event.. Our combined 64 points put us in the top half of the field. It was a lovely morning, and we enjoyed the company of a father & son pairing, who moved to Mildura from Adelaide 10 years ago. They had an identical score to us, so we took heart from that, given their local knowledge!

A wonderful culinary experience.

A romantic dinner.

Our other big treat in Mildura was a culinary event. Many of you Foodies will be familiar with the Italian chef Stefano. He has appeared on many of the lifestyle & cooking shows over many years. He has lived in Mildura for most of his life, and continues to cook up a storm at his restaurant, simply called Stefanos, situated in the cellar of the old Grand Hotel. Now in his 60's, he personally cooks every night, and we can assure you he hasn't lost his touch. We enjoyed a wonderfully romantic dinner. The tables for two are situated along a long narrow passageway, with subdued lighting creating a great atmosphere. There is no menu. Each day Stefano creates a 5 course degustation menu. There is a 3 course option for the really light eaters, but his management of the portion sizes means 5 courses isn't over filling. Our 5 courses started

Tuscan cabbage pudding. Delicious!

with a Tuscan

Italian sausage with lentils
 & pickled vegetables.

Cabbage Pudding, which sounds strange but was just out of this world, served with a crusty home baked sourdough bread that came with a spreadable cheese. Second was an Italian sausage served with lentils & pickled vegetables. Again the flavours were incredible. Third course was the pasta, Oriechetto with broccoli, garlic and Parmesan. The meat dish was exceptional, Slow roasted ox tail and beef cheeks, served with polenta. The flavour in the meat & gravy was so intense, you just wanted to lick the plate! We finished with dessert, where we each got something different and shared. One was a simple filo basket filled with a light vanilla cream, and the other was a panacotta that came from cloud 9! What a wonderful night, enjoyed with delightful wines. Stefano was charming, and happy to pose for a photograph with Carolyn, and chat for moment. A truly memorable night out.

Café de Caravan.

Café de Caravan our favourite coffee spot was a shipping container down by the river! Called Cafe de Caravan, it was in a great spot and did great coffee. A few umbrellas under the trees to shade the few tables and chairs, it was simple and the setting couldn't be beaten. We loved it and went most days! Apart from that we just toured around looking at the many historic old homes, and picking up fresh fruit and veggies from the countless little fruit stalls and honesty stalls dotted along the roadways. We enjoyed a nice pub lunch at the historic old Gol Gol Hotel, to be found on the NSW side of the river. Reading the brochures you expect to be sitting by the river dangling your feet in the water, but in reality, the river is way in the distance! But the food was good!



So that was about it for Mildura. We loved it, and will be back. It had proven to be a great choice for Easter, and the Easter Bunny did find Carolyn! We slowly packed up, and quite reluctantly headed out of the caravan park and set course further west into South Australia. We had managed our fruit and veggies really well, and this time we would not be handing over anything to those fruit fly inspectors at the SA border! Not even one shriveled up bean!!!