We left Police Paddock about 10am after an eventful night. Eventful because we had a tiny little bat inside the motorhome. We are baffled as to how it got in but got in it did. I woke in the middle of the night to a scratching noise just above my head and it seemed to be coming from behind the curtain. When I pulled the curtain away from the window a little bat flew out and then flew madly around the motorhome. It was obviously trying to find a way out of this strange place!

We opened the door and tried shooing it out the door to no avail and then it went into hiding somewhere. We searched high and low for it but had no luck finding the tiny thing. We returned to bed however I couldn’t go back to sleep. I lay on my back with eyes wide open and about half an hour later I saw it land on the air conditioner. We got back up and this time we were successful in shooing it out the door. The poor little bat must have been very frightened. Hope it survived its ordeal.

Our route took us via Corowa and then through Urana. It’s a very good road from Corowa on the Murray River through to Urana and then on to Morundah where Federation Way meets the Newell Highway. We only saw one lone emu this time. Last time we went that way we saw large mobs of emus with chicks. We wondered where they all went.

It was lunch time by the time we arrived in the tiny village of Morundah and found a big shady tree near the silos to stop for a lunch break.

We chose to take the road less traveled from Morundah and go via the Yamma Road that would take us across the Coleambally Main Canal.

Coleambally Irrigation Area is Australia’s fourth largest irrigation area supplying irrigation and drainage to nearly 500 farms via a world class gravity-fed channel system. The area covers over 400,000 hectares. Interestingly they use an online system called Total Channel Control (TCC) which is solar powered and fully automated. Farmers can order water and have the order filled within 2 hours.

The water for the system comes from the Murrumbidgee River and delivers between 200,000 and 300,000 megalitres a year to farms that produce a huge variety of crops.

Once across the Main Canal we took the Morundah Road which follows alongside the Yamma Channel. The road is a nice wide bitumen road. We saw a few farmers harvesting rice.

The township of Coleambally with its unique wine glass shaped water tower was built to house the offices of the Coleambally Irrigation Co-Operative Ltd (CICL) and is the youngest town in NSW only opening in 1968. There is a huge Bucyrus machine near the entrance to the town. These big machines were used to dig the canals and channels of the system and it stands proudly on display.

Just north of the town are the huge rice sheds where the rice grain is delivered to after harvest.

We passed huge fields of almost ripe cotton with the low bushes covered in white fluffy balls. Large walnut plantations can also be found there.

A short stop in Darlington Point to use their Dump Point and empty our rubbish and then before we knew it we were home. What a lovely few days we’d had. Just what the doctor ordered!

After another night at Tocumwal Town Beach we woke to a gorgeous day. Lots of blue sky with fluffy white clouds. That made for a change after the previous two gloomy, rainy days.

We decided over breakfast that we were both impressed with Tocumwal Town Beach and say hats off to the Foreshore Committee for all their hard work maintaining the campground. It is obviously good for the economy of the little town of some 3,000 people. Imagine how much money all those campers spend in the town. Fuel, groceries, chemist, butcher, bakery, restaurants, pubs and the club. The Tocumwal Club even provides a Courtesy Bus that will come and collect campers and bring them back again. Both nights we stayed the camp was almost full. The camp has 65 campsites.

The only real downside for us was the number of campers. We usually like to find places with not so many people however the spot we had right at the end was not as squashy as those along the beachfront.

A minor downside is the noise from the highway just on the other side of the river. When the big trucks go by the sound is amplified by the river.

Before leaving we used the dump point to empty our very full grey water tank and empty the toilet cassette. We filled our water tanks too and were ready to go.

With no real destination in mind we set off heading east along the river. We stopped in to check out Forges Beach camp and found this to be a lovely spot on a big bend in the river with lots of green grassy sites and open spaces with a lovely big beach. As it was only mid morning we continued on.

We had a look around Yarrawonga Common where we’ve camped previously and found quite a few camps set up that looked like they’d been there for a long time. Is the number of people permanently living in caravans on the rise?

After a short drive through Yarrawonga we crossed the bridge into Mulwala on the NSW side and drove past the famous Mulwala Water Ski Club and out to Kiffins Reserve. Kiffins Reserve is a fabulous free camp with lots of room for many RV’s and it’s only approx 3km into Mulwala along a paved bike path. We’ve stayed there a few times and it’s a very pleasant spot alongside Lake Mulwala. This time though we just stopped for a lunch break before heading back across the bridge into Yarrawonga where we did a quick stop at the bakery for fresh bread.

What a gorgeous spot is Bundalong just east of Yarrawonga with lots of very lovely homes, some of them even with the river right at their backyard. We reckoned they’d be worth a few million dollars each!

It’s a lovely drive through productive irrigated farming all along the river. Coming into Rutherglen you start to see vineyards and olive orchards. Rutherglen is one of Australia’s well known vineyard regions and many recognisable winery names such as Campbells, DeBortoli’s, All Saints, and Morris’s are there.

Using WikiCamps we found a spot not far from Rutherglen called Police Paddocks. It is situated along an anabranch of the Murray River called Murphy’s Creek. Murphy’s Creek and the Murray surround a large island and this is where the police used to keep their horses back in the 1800’s hence the name of the campground. Police Paddocks covers a large area alongside the creek with plenty of space for many campers. Finding a spot that doesn’t have River Red Gums hanging over it is a bit challenging but we managed to find a good spot and set up camp. Not long after another van came in and set up about 40 metres away.

We spent a very pleasant evening around the campfire sharing yarns with our neighbours. It was an extremely late night after partying hard and we were in bed by 8.35pm!

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.

Where did those first 3 months of 2025 go? It seems I blinked and missed them. Does anyone else feel like that?

The other day my daughter sent me a reel via Messenger. It totally resonated with me. It was a video of a fluffy Panda sitting on a beam and he just sort of slumps down until he is hanging over the beam, arms and legs on either side. It was accompanied by the text:
“Me pretending I am alright, when deep down I need another trip”

Exactly! I thought. That’s what I need. So with that in mind we set off with no real destination in mind but just to get away. I felt lighter the minute we drove out our driveway.

So what have we been doing that has made the months fly by?

We saw in the New Year at our place in the Snowy Mountains then set off in the motorhome with two of our grandsons to our annual family water ski holiday at Reflections Holiday Parks – Grabine Lakeside. We spend 9 days there every year with Richard’s family. I think the count this year was 72 people. It’s a fabulous week camped in our little home on wheels. Two of our granddaughters traveled home with us.

While there our roof air conditioner started making a strange rattle and we added that to the list of things that needed looking at once home. We were still having trouble with our water tanks. We just couldn’t seem to get both tanks full of water and the water pressure from the taps was pretty terrible. Another thing to get looked at!

Some of you may be aware we have our own little Airbnb business at home called Jen’s Garden Pods. We have two tiny houses in our large farm garden. We have been super busy this year with bookings. It seems as soon as one person checks out another is checking in!

We are also quite involved with our 7 grandchildren and enjoy being an active part of their busy lives. We’ve been to school assemblies, swimming carnivals, cross country, Catholic Education Week, and minded three whilst their parents were attending conferences. Busy busy but what a joy they all are in our lives AND there’s one more on the way!

We’ve had the motorhome water tanks fixed and now they fill quite quickly and the water pressure out of the taps is significantly better. Other little maintenance jobs were also done such as reglueing the brackets for our folding clothesline, installing a new lock on one of the outside bins and replacing a running light globe. The rattling old air conditioner needed so many parts to fix we decided to replace it. Wow these new inverter AC’s are so much quieter!

I spent a day inside the motorhome with a screwdriver tightening up all the screws and even found some that were missing. Who knows where they went! All door handles and catches and any other screws I could find have all been tightened.

So the motorhome was ready to go we just had to pack some food, clothes and get going. We had a short window of a few days with no guests booked in so off we went heading south towards the Murray River.

We camped the first night on the Yanco Creek in a rest area off the highway. It was a good overnight spot if you can put up with the noise of the trucks flying by. We do love a water view.

We had a bit of a drive around Jerilderee and spied the gorgeous old Railway Station

By the time we arrived in Finley it was time for morning tea and we just had to stop at the Finley Bakery for a coffee and their famous award winning Vanilla Slice. Delicious!

We travelled on to Tocumwal on the NSW/Victoria border and headed to Town Beach to camp for the night.