Day 3: Wet start, lunch on the Murray and a dry finish

At the Murray in Tocumwal

Yesterday (Day 3) we left the caravan park in Braybrook between showers, or so we thought. Actually, the weather was just pausing to gather strength for a real onslaught. This caught us on the Ring Road in peak-hour traffic and it was not much fun. However we struggled manfully and womanfully onward, made it to the Hume Highway and took off up north, hoping to out-distance the elements and their liquid fury. No such luck until we got to Seymour, so we slithered and slid and aquaplaned along until the turn-off to Shepparton. Gradually the weather improved, and the sun made an appearance. This encouraged us to take a break at Tocumwal on the banks of the Murray, just inside NSW. We had lunch (soup and rolls) there on the banks of the Murray, listening to the corellas screeching on the other side of the river and generally enjoying ourselves.

Joke at lunch - note the soup bowls

Murray River at Tocumwal

Then we took off up the Newell Highway, which was going to guide us on our journey for the next 1200 kms or so. We passed Finley, our planned stopping place and proceeded to Narrandera, where we took a site in a cheap caravan park which was rebuilding itself after the Murrumbidgee floods of 3-4 months ago. The park had been under about 170 cms under water, just above my head! We decided against free camping because we needed the power to run our little heater, thereby making life bearable.