We arrived at Tocumwal Town Beach in the early afternoon and what a surprise greeted us. I had read on WikiCamps that the camp had been closed for quite a few months last year for renovations but what a sight greeted us.

The old dirt track to the beach has gone and in its place is a good gravel road. Bollards have been placed all along the beach and each site is marked with green bollards. Each site on the beachfront has a potable water tap and a sullage point. There is now an amenities block with toilets (BYO toilet paper) and cold showers. A library exchange is on shelves just inside the door. A dump point is located alongside the amenities. There are rows of rubbish bins so there’s no excuse for campers to leave rubbish behind. It is a dog friendly camp but dogs are to be kept on leash. Fire pits are allowed too. BYO wood.

You now have to pay to stay and it’s a simple process of scanning the QR code on the entry sign and following the prompts to pay for your site. The sites are not numbered and it’s first in best dressed. The fee is $7.50 per person per night. We thought this was a bargain

If I remember correctly I think a few of the large River Red Gums have been removed so that the beachside camping is all safe and not under any of those ‘widow- makers’. Some of the spots at the back along the fence are under some big trees but they also have grass to camp on. Some of those have water taps but no sullage.

There are no powered sites. I read that there are 65 sites all up and that first night I think they were all full.

We managed to find a spot right at the end of the beach. Not water tap or sullage point for us but that didn’t really matter. We had plenty of water on board and our grey water tank was empty. It was also a little bit separate from the other camps and we preferred that anyway.

Richard cooked sausages and steak on our Biji-BBQ which he placed over our Kings Adventure fire pit. We spent a pleasant evening around the fire until it started to rain and we were forced inside.

It rained overnight and i just love the sound of rain on the roof while you are snug in bed. How good is that noise?

The rain continued most of the morning and we stayed inside and watched lots of campers pack up and leave. We were in no hurry so decided to stay put while it was raining.

The rain finally stopped around noon so we donned our hats and took the walk into town. The 900m walking track takes you alongside the river back into town. It’s a lovely walk with information boards along the way letting you know what flora and fauna are common in the area.

We had a wander around the shops. There are a number of lovely boutiques, an antique and coffee shop, a large IGA supermarket, 3 pubs, a couple of restaurants, a bakery, chemist, newsagent and butcher. I’m sure they all do well with all the campers spending their dollars in the town.

We stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant called The Bend. It is set high above the river bank and has great views up and down the river from its deck. We sat outside and enjoyed our fish & chips and burger washed down with a couple of beers.

Of course we had to stop in front of the Big Murray Cod for a selfie!
Further along the river bank is a splash park which I imagine is very popular with kids. The river bank is beautifully kept with seating and picnic tables for people to use and enjoy the views.

After lunch we wandered back to camp and were again surprised to see that while we’d been out more campers had arrived and there were no free spots left. Richard got chatting with a man in a big A class motorhome and they planned on staying for a month. 4 consecutive weeks is the maximum stay.

We booked online for another night and while Rich settled in with a book I went for a dip in the river. It was cool and refreshing but the current is very strong. It would be fabulous paddling downstream but coming back would be hard work!

Later in the afternoon a fellow wearing a Tocumwal Foreshore work shirt stopped by to check we had booked in online and wanted to know how we found the process. I told him we found it very easy to do and congratulated them on the great work they are doing providing this camp to visitors. He said that all the money raised goes back into maintaining the foreshore including the campground.