Mildura and Yarrawanga
Trip Start
Nov 28, 2004
1
46
57
Trip End
Jun 11, 2005
Mildura,
Victoria,
Australia
Sunday, February 6, 2005
I chart a course for Mildura. The ribbon of tarmac divides agricultural flat lands. In a pale blue sky, there are small pink clouds over fields of vivid yellow. I make my first overnight stop on the outskirts of this town, which is actually in New South Wales. At the ' thinking tree ' , I park and cook up a can of steaming hot chili - relaxing at this quiet little spot beside the river. The sunset comes and goes. There are Pelicans on the water and possums in the trees. My radio picks up a selection of golden oldies such as crocodile rock. It's good to be sleeping in the car again with the noises of nature outside.
The B400 snakes its way along the Murray river, sometimes in Victoria, sometimes in New South Wales. I cross some historic old bridges as I pass through places like Swan Hill and Kerang. One small town is dominated by a huge white silo in the center of the high street. There are horse-drawn carts crawling along the highway and chalk boards advertising fresh fruits for sale. At Echuca, I think I may have passed Chris the brave cyclist, and pull over to wait a while. But it's somebody else. Chris must have completed his mission by now, or else he is languishing in a South Australian jail cell for refusing to wear a girly helmet.
In Yarrawanga, I find a good spot to camp on the NSW side of a huge lake. There is nobody at the reception desk, so I make myself at home regardless and begin frying up some sausages. As one does. I leave the pan unattended for a moment and catch sight of the resulting smoke that billows over to the more permanent homes of residents. I rescue my snags and tuck in. Some busy-body must have alerted the ranger. A little brusque in his manner, a chap pulls up in his ute and barks something at me. Something about not yet paying the overnight fee. I hand him his money and dispatch him with equal abruptness. The sunset adds slashes of pink to a blue sky. The water in the lake is black like ink. There are ducks and more pelicans and one other species of animal which is a surprise. There's a mouse living in my car.
The little swine keeps me awake with his rustling movements and I don't stand a chance of catching him. He lives somewhere in the gap between the outer panels of the car and the interior trim. The car's too old to begin dismantling and I begin to dream up ways of out-smarting the mischievous rodent.
Next ; Jindabayne and Cooma
