A Swamp and a “Campsite“

Today we drove past the Gum Swamp Wildlife Refuge without even being aware of it. All we noticed at first were cool-looking tree stumps galore — a very pleasant little surprise.

The biggest surprise of the day, however, was discovering the best pies ever. Drop everything and go to the Roundabout Bakery in West Wyalong. I’m not even kidding. These pies are worth the €1,000+ plane tickets, car rental costs, and petrol. Trust me.

On our way to the next campsite, we also came across a tree literally growing in the middle of the train tracks. Quite a sight.

And on we drove to a free riverside campsite north of Shepparton. The alleged campsite looked nice — however, not at all like a campsite. It was a very public, non-sheltered spot next to a river… which was next to a road. We felt awkward camping there and decided to look for a proper campsite around (or across) the river.

We did find two — both on hard gravel and not at all suitable for soft, squishy tents. (Also, getting to the campsite on the opposite side of the river gave us our first real taste of what it’s like driving on a pothole- and crack-enriched off-road track with our cute, formerly blue and shiny Suzuki Swift…)

We decided not to camp there and drove on, further south of Shepparton. It was incredibly hard to find a free campsite that day. Eventually — late at night — we ended up at “Moira Park Scout Camp.”

Yes. What can I say? That did not look like a campsite at all. It was in the middle of a park or forest, and there was exactly one campervan. But it was late, dark, and we had two kebabs in the car with our names on them — so we decided to set up camp in some high grass, in a spot very much not designed for tents. But hey. It was free. 😄

That night marked our first proper cold one. A reminder of how uncomfortable it had been sleeping in 5°C weather on the South Island of New Zealand a few months ago. Just to mention this again: back then, I had two sleeping bags, a liner, and six layers of clothing.

This time around? We shared a thin blanket and long pants.

Well — hang on. We didn’t share the pants. Would’ve been warmer, though. 😄Read more