Arrived Corowa lunchtime and booked into the Ball Park Caravan Park on the banks of the Murray River. 99% permanent holiday caravans, and the Family Parks discount brought the daily tariff down to $22. We found a sunny and sheltered site in between two unoccupied vans on the bank overlooking the lagoon and Murray river. The photo was taken from the back of our poptop. It's a large park and we like it and the town of Corowa so we'll stay here longer than planned, at least until after the weekend. The local show is on Sunday and that should be a hoot.
Corowa Thurs 8 Oct
It didn't warm up until nearly midday. Did 3 loads of washing (it does tend to mount up) and did some odd jobs around the van. In the late afternoon we drove 5 mins to the other side of Corowa and spent a couple of hours catching up with George and Maree, a retired caravanner couple we met up at Sunseeker Village Caloundra. They have a lovely house and a lovely garden of lemon tree, black passionfruit vine, several different camelias and azalias, iris's, double lilac and out the front an absolutely gorgeous pink magnolia tree in flower.
At the caravan park we've seen some new birds, an eastern rosella and a parrot not yet identified. There are lots of sulphur-crested cockatoos and the omnipresent mobs of galahs. We hope to see a Major Mitchell cockatoo down in this area. There are also wood ducks and noisy miners, butcher birds and willy wagtails, maggies and crows. Last night around midnight we heard the rasping call of a brush-tailed possum somewhere in the trees above. To give you an idea how big this park is, B had to bike to the office this morning, struck a head wind coming back and was nearly reported missing. The permanent holiday caravan sites are very ingenious, consisting mainly of a caravan with awning attached (usually modified) and the whole site covered in a tarp and shadecloth supported by scalfolding pipe frames. Large decks, BBQ's, fridges, all the mod cons. We've put up some photos. We will be staying the weekend and travel on to either Albury/Wodonga or Tallangata Monday morning. There is a showgrounds camp at Tallangata at the bottom of Lake Hume, so that is a definite option as a base for visiting the alpine area of Mt Beauty, the Mitta Mitta and Kaiewa rivers.
Corowa Friday 9 Oct
Very cold overnight. Turned out fine and warm from midmorning. Saw another new species of Rosella (parrot) today, a crimson Rosella in the tree above the van. Unlike the pale headed Rosella of eastern Queensland, the crimson has several different calls, and is plentiful around the Murray River riverina forests. It is very pretty with a red bonnet and bright yellow and blue body.
Went for a walk around the river this afternoon, keeping a watch out for black or brown snakes which swim the river from Victoria and sunbathe on the sandy beaches.
Went to the local motorcycle shop and bought a new small L/A battery for the lights. It fits alongside the big marine 12v in a box on the drawbar of the van and can be charged from the Anderson plug.
photos at the top: River from the bridge into Victoria, and tracks along the bank
