Buchan, Bally Hooley and Corringle Slips

Hello all
Just for something different I have been away again...............I had planned to head to Wilsons Promontory but it was still booked solid, so a backup plan was needed...........
I headed to Buchan Caves Reserve, a beautiful campground (expensive as all Victorian DSE Parks are)
$27.90 for one night is a bit rich for a campground, a good caravan park with all facilities aren't much more expensive.
Unfortunately I was not aware the Canni Creek Bush Races were on nearby and a lovely camp was ruined by loud drunk ferals carrying on till all hours.
The DSE (Department of Scorched Earth) lady in the office recommended I visit Bally Hooley, the junction of the Snowy and Buchan Rivers. The area was lovely, although the Snowy was very dirty thanks to heavy thunderstorms a day or two prior. The campground was average and a fair way from the river.

The Snowy at Bally Hooley

an old shed near Bally Hooley

 I headed off to spend a night at Lakes Entrance amongst the hordes of people. I stayed at Eastern Beach Caravan Park which was very nicely presented.

Lakes Entrance

Gippsland Lakes

 After Lakes I headed to Corringle Slips, a place I found on the Independant Camping website. http://ozcamps.net/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=29
This is a great place, especially if you are a fisherman, it has good campsites, good clean longdrops, rainwater supplied, 3G mobile coverage, and being directly across the Snowy River from Marlo at the mouth of the Snowy full TV reception (no power 12v TV only). the only negative was if you went to the beach it was a long hot slog over the sandunes, but once there you had the beach to yourself.

Boardwalk at Corringle Slips (Marlo in the background)

Pellican at Corringle Slips

the beach to yourself

The Slips

 Corringle was used as a dock and slipyard for the settlement of the Orbost area in the early days and was a bustling small port many years ago.

my camp at Corringle Slips

Marlo across the water

The next morning I woke at sunup, so grabbed the camera and went for a walk, It was beautiful looking over the water in the early morning light. Unfortunately I was still half asleep and didn't realise the noise I could hear was a dolphin frolicking in the lake until it was too far away for a photo.

Corringle Slips

Across Lake Corringle towards Marlo

1.5 metre red bellied black snake

 There is about 15k of gravel road out to Numerella and I had to stop at one stage to let some wildlife cross. A red bellied blacksnake.
I drove up to the highway bridge and headed down the other side of the river to Marlo.

where the Snowy meets the sea

While I was in the area I had a look at Cape Conran and Banksia Bluff Campground, both places I thought were fairly average, but then again maybe I have been spoiled and my expectations are high.
The fire situation in Victoria is severely restricting places to go and with the high country out of bounds people are flocking to the coastal areas.
With the weather only reliable until Aprilish I hope to include Mansfield area (fires) Licola (fires) Wilsons Promontory and the Great Ocean Road while the warm weather hold out.

until then.................

The Murray River and Mt Buffalo

Hello All,
It was time to load up again and head off on another adventure. This time it was the Murray River Beaches, yes beaches.
First port of call was Echuca, with a run through the supermarket and a stop at Beechworth Bakery. It was getting late so I headed to Barmah Lakes Camping Area, a place I knew was good camping.
The wind was howling and continued through most of the night, but the next morning warmed up pretty quickly. I have been here a few times in recent years and have been trying to remember a place we camped at many years ago. This trip I found it.
Despite school having returned there was still plenty of people around.

The Mighty Murray River

 This was the view from my campsite, it was very peaceful here listening to the Corellas, Cockatoo's and parrots intermittently drowned out by the roar of V8 powered ski boats.
I followed River Road (more like a track) along the river upstream to the Gulf. This is where I had camped many years ago.

The Gulf Camping area and boat ramp

Gulf camping area

 From the Gulf Camping Area I headed back to the Murray Valley Highway turning north again to the Murray just before Strathmerton. I was heading to Ulupna Island, an area of the Murray known for the sandy beaches. The first few beaches were full so I continued on until I found one with two other camps, both of the camps were packing up to leave.

The Murray

My Murray River Beach Camp

It was a pretty warm day so I decided to get the solar panels out and the solar shower also. The extra charge would allow me to watch a bit of television and give the battery enough charge to run the freezer through the hot day without melting my icecreams....................life is pretty hard bush camping............making sure the icecream doesn't melt and choosing somewhere you can still pick up a nearby town's TV signal.

My own beach

After a hard day doing not much I sat down and watched the news on TV, dined on a roast, had a hot shower, then desert of icecream. It is so hard roughing it.
The least said about Cobram the better, let's just say it was fruit picking season and every park, gumtree, bush, was jammed with Backpackers free camping, even if you weren't allowed to free camp there. 
I don't have a problem with Backpackers but I do have a problem with their Hygiene. It is not OK to crap everywhere and leave rubbish and toilet paper strewn everywhere, just because you are Backpackers. Bury your crap and pick up your rubbish you pigs.
I spent a night at Yarrawonga before heading over to Mt Buffalo.
I thought I had taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Germany...........German tourists everywhere.....

From the Lookout

Mt Buffalo Chalet

The Harrietville Bushfire can be seen in the top right of the first photo.
The Mt Buffalo Chalet is a magnificent building and it is such a shame to see this grand old lady empty and neglected. 

Mt Buffalo Chalet

A cool night was spent at Lake Catani Camp Ground before heading up to the Horn Lookout.

The Horn Carpark hut

With all the fires around visibility was a bit hazy, but worth the drive.

Horn carpark stone hut

the white bit in the centre  is Horn Lookout

The Hump

I had a pleasant time up on Buffalo with it's Alpine temperatures after the hot 35c days along the Murray. The next four or five days were forecast as high 30's temperatures so it was time to head home away of the bushfire risk.
I want to do quite a few more trips into the mountains, but with the fires the way they are Wilson's Prom, Buchan Caves, and maybe the Great Ocean Road have moved up the "to do soon" list.
Until then.........................bye for now.