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Lake Mungo & Mildura July 2024
  • Naomi Pasilow
  • Naomi Pasilow

Lake Mungo & Mildura July 2024

A driving holiday with Hubby to see Lake Mungo National Park and surrounds near Mildura, Victoria Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 22, 2024
    Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    Stretch / Lunch break @Yass Maccas

    July 22, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    A short break to have lunch and switch drivers at Yass Maccas. It is not a glamorous stopover or at a local Cafe with apple pie however it keeps our tummies from growling on the way to Wagga Wagga this evening.

    Then a shirt detour to Holbrook to see Hubby's former Venturer Leader at the Australian Pottery Museum. We also visited HMAS Otway which Hubby used to work on as a civilian contractor and was a trip down memory lane. From one if my photos it appears like the submarine is sailing through the grass.

    The home stretch was driving through the vast paddocks of deep green, including sheep, cattle and horses as the sun was going down, leaning into the quiet part of the day with sof tones and growing shadows.

    We finally arrived at the Mercure Wagga Wagga which from first impressions is quite impressive. I would have liked a lift up to our room to make luggage handling easier instead of stairs. Time to rest after a long travel day with dinner at the hotel restaurant.    Read more

  • Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    Wagga to Mildura

    July 23, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The fog surrounded us first thing in the morning around the hotel. The air was fresh, cold and moist however we both felt that home felt colder. After leaving Wagga Wagga the scenery changed into vast, green paddocks on very large properties on either side of the Sturt Highway, where you couldn't see a homestead, just a long driveway leading off into the distance. It is lovely and green now, however it would be very different in times of drought.

    Hubby and I took turns driving. During my turn I travelled behind a road train truck for over an hour, watching the soil change to red and seeing grape vines and fruit trees. The animals I saw were mainly sheep and cattle, however, a few emus and kangaroos here and there. There were vast flat plains on both sides of the road. Galahs also featured eating grass seeds by the side of the road and tufts of cotton from the trucks carrying massive bails of cotton, which weren't sealed on two sides.

    We pulled into Hay for lunch at Robertson's Bakery, where we had a welcome sandwich and a drink. My Mum would have loved all the yummy cakes and pastries on offer. After a short walk down the main street to stretch our legs, then we got back into the car to get back onto the road again.

    The final leg to Mildura was better for my cramping legs because I knew now how to use the cruise control. Hubby worked it out during his previous driving leg and let me know. It made my life much easier!

    We finally arrived in Mildura and settled in for the night. Tomorrow we will be on a tour to Lake Mungo National Park, which is the first reason for our trip and the second was to give our car a good run on the roads.    Read more

  • Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    Lake Mungo National Park

    July 24, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    I had a broken sleep, woke up feeling very average, then dressed and had an early breakfast. Our tour guide Phill picked us up at 8:30am then it was a 1.5 hour drive on mostly dirt roads with many bumps and jarring cattle grates which I won't miss.The residents didn't want a sealed road in order to keep the "wrong people for dealing with heritage listed lands" driving through. We spotted sheep, kangaroos, emus, and wild goats. Commentary also included information about the 5 lake system from the last ice age, which dried up 18000 years ago. Mungo Man and Woman were dated at 42000 years old.

     We arrived to see a vast flat dry lake bed full of various saltbush plants in a blanket of blues and greens. Mungo Lake's bed east to west is 10km drive!

    We had morning tea at Mungo Lookout and also tried some bush tucker (bright red berries). Mungo is a Scottish word from the early European settlers because there were no indigenous people around to ask place names.

    We soon were walking onto the sandy, ancient lake bed, and the wind was blowing sand into my teeth and behind my sunglasses. It is an amazing place with limited wildlife, including birds and emus.

    Lunch was at the Visitor Centre and was a salad and ham for lunch made by Alison (Phill's wife), who really cared about dietary requirements. Then, after lunch was a walk through a woolshed and the visitor centre. There was a new discovery hinted, but it was yet to be made public re footprints.

    I left with a sense of awe and appreciation of this land and note to self for next time, bring lip balm to deal with windy conditions.

    We took 1.5 hours to drive back to the Mercure Hotel, and all of the passengers had a catnap or two.

    After arriving back at the hotel, we went out 30 minutes later to seek out dinner at a local schnitzel place. The meal was yummy and we walked back to the hotel for a quiet night then a well earned sleep.    Read more

  • Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    Chillin in Mildura Region

    July 25, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    There was light rain as we left the hotel and we headed to Trentham Estate Winery for a tasting. The Murray River was flowing strongly and there were lovely patterns in the water which didn't bother the pelicans as they drifted past the banks. Hubby had a coffee as the designated driver and after my free tasting of 6 wines a box of 6 were purchased. It was lovely sitting inside in the warmth on comfy couches, watching the Murray River and we saw a houseboat docking to come inside for a tasting. The rain was gentle, and we felt grateful for going to Mungo yesterday when the weather was still dry. Belinda, the tasting sales person at the winery advised that we were lucky to go yesterday and if it was today the road would have been closed.

    Locations we visited today included: Red Cliffs Lookout, the
    Salt Lake at West Merbein, Wentworth
    (where the Murray and Darling Rivers meet) and
    Old Wentworth Gaol.

    We headed back to Mildura for a late lunch at the Langtree Cafe & Bistro in town. We didn't feel we could even consider dinner tonight, after that meal.    Read more

  • Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    Renmark SA

    July 26, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We drove from Mildura, Victoria to Renmark, South Australia and we realised we had travelled in 3 states and 2 time zones within the same land mass. The drive was long with the flat landscape again, and most of the time, a dead straight Sturt Highway, with an occasional pink galah and bird of prey.

    We arrived at Renmark, and the first item was a short comfort stop, then we headed off to the information centre. We received great info, including places to have lunch.

    We left the information centre and headed across the road to the Renmark Hotel. We ate a "bougie" lunch on the terrace at the Nanya Bistro, which is part of the Renmark Hotel, looking out from our seats to across the road towards the mighty Murray River view.

    We headed first to have a whisky and brandy tastings at the 23rd St Distillery. Hubby enjoyed the whisky, however, was not really a renewed brandy fan. We made a purchase and left with a very chillax husband (it was my turn to be the designated driver today).

    Next, we drove to the Angove Winery and Distillery for Hubby to taste whisky and a tawny port. Before we arrived though, both of us "clicked" that we may still have a St Agnes Brandy at home however we would have to check. Hubby chose 1 whisky and I chose the Tawny port and he was very relaxed after the small amounts of strong alcohol all tasted within a short amount of time.

    We had one more venue left to visit however we chose to drive back to the hotel at Mildura before sundown. We weren't very hungry after getting back and we skipped dinner. Another relaxed day was over.    Read more

  • Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    Return to Wagga

    July 27, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    We started out early and had breakfast at Maccas Mildura. We started again onto the Sturt Highway and the tufts of cotton returned to our view, lining each side of the road edges.

    We stopped for lunch again at Robertson's Bakery, Hay. Note to self if I visit again, there are public toilets across the road from the Bakery. David noticed the sign for Silo Art as we entered the town and stopped to take pictures before we left.

    We continued onwards to Wagga Wagga and knew we had hit a bigger population centre when there was a golf course, large hospital and sporting grounds with AFL games. We drove into the Mercure Wagga Wagga and we had the same room as Monday night. It was nice to stop and rest for the day.    Read more

  • Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    On to Sanctuary Point

    July 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 3 °C

    Drove to Yass for fuel and a comfort stop. It was good to have a break after 2 hours and kick my "hypnosis from the central lane markings " on the highway. Yass was bitterly cold and sure woke me up.

    After a long detour we arrived for lunch at Braidwood Bakery where it was lovely and warm.

    The long drive to Sanctuary Point began and ended with a warm welcome from Nat, Aiden and the doggo, Frankie.    Read more

  • Naomi PasilowLake Mungo & Mildura July 2024Naomi Pasilow

    Overnight at Sancturay Point

    July 29, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    All of us went for a "bougie" breakfast at a cafe by Hyams Beach called the Cooked Goose on Hyam with lots of wind outside. I had a lovely french toast, and before we paid the bill, Aiden stole Nat's mini-shortbread which came with her cappuccino. This added to Nat's irritation for the morning and that Aiden continued teasing her, that her car did not have cruise control, as previously noted earlier this morning.

    As we walked back to the car, we saw out into Jervis Bay, in the windy, choppy seas there was a cruise ship which was there the previous afternoon, when we arrived. We all had ideas as to why it was there, however, no definitive answers.

    We went into Huskisson for a short, windy walk, then returned to collect our things, waved goodbye, and began our journey home. Hubby generously drove the entire way home, for which I am always grateful.    Read more

    Trip end
    July 29, 2024