Wood Wood!!

We are currently in a little place with an unlikely name of Wood Wood, no reason or history behind the name!    Fascinating all the same.    

We are currently on the edge of Victoria, near the western border of New South Wales, with the intention of following the Murray River east, and hopefully getting close to the mountains from where the river begins its long and meandering journey.

We have bypassed the South Australian part of the river, as we have travelled through there.   We also thought that starting in the Victorian part of the river, we could bypass the fruit growing areas.   In order to combat the devastating fruit fly problem the South Australian Government stops vehicles when they enter the fruit growing areas and confiscates all fruit, tomatoes and capsicums.   Plus jars of honey.   We have lost lots of fruit in previous trips.    

However in Victoria and New South Wales, there are no checks or bins, which is interesting.   They must have given up on trying to eradicate fruit fly infestation here.

The first night on the road was at a caravan park on the edge of Tailem Bend, next to the huge motor sport grounds.    A massive area, and huge camping ground, but then there is plenty of spare land around there.   Flat, hot and very dry.   

We filled up with diesel at the OTR (On The Run) service station, having learnt our lesson a couple of times previously.    Country towns close for business at 1 p.m. on a Saturday.    This can mean no fuel! 

Then it was a long slow drive to our first destination of Wood Wood.   It was an interesting drive through large crop growing areas, mallee scrub and a few salt marshy lakes.    Plus interesting towns with names of Lameroo, Pinnaroo, Murrayville, Underbool, Walpeup, Ouyen, Kulwin, Manangatang, Plangil, and finally Tooleybuc.   

We thought we would stay in Tooleybuc until we saw the local camping ground, full of caravans and  a bad reputation.

Our first stop at Lameroo, was due to seeing the small IGA supermarket open.   Sunday trading in the country, most unusual.   We were short of fruit, thinking that it would be confiscated!    

 Plenty of farm vehicles around.

Grain silo art!    It has taken over the 'big things' such as the big koala, the big crayfish, the big pineapple which were popular during the 1970s and 1980s.    Now there are beautiful paintings on silos.  The one below was in Lameroo. 

Very impressive really.   The one above, in  Walpwup, was inspired by the story of the World War One Light Horseman Harold Thomas Bell.  

The beautiful mosaic art covering the wall of the toilets in Murrayville, our stop for lunch.

The old Railway Station at Murrayville, now a cafe, but of course not open as it was Sunday.

No passenger trains either, long stopped running.   However, the freight trains still come through here, mostly carrying grain I think.   Hence the grain silo in the back ground.

Murrayville's hall, and one a picture theatre too, I think.

Plus the pub!   It was open, of course.

Murrayville always remind me of 'Whoville' in the Roald Dahl book "The Grinch".   No connection at all!

Finally late in the afternoon we came to Wood Wood, and a small camping ground.    It contained cabins and units, with workers staying in them, plus one other permanent caravan and a permanent camper.  And so peaceful.   We followed the directions at the front, chose a site and set up the van, together with the sticky flies.  

I made pizzas for dinner, from the ingredients I bought at t he IGA in Lameroo.   It was meant to be a fruit shop but the temptation to buy something delicious for dinner was too great to resist.   After I prepared the pizza I cooked it in a frying pan to brown the bottom, and then put it under the grill for five minutes to cook the top part.    They were delicious.

The rural view through my bedroom window.

Piper was exhausted after a long day in the car.

This is not a flash establishment but the new owners are keen to make their mark, with flash signage, and uniforms with the same logo on the shirts.

The camping ground also has a cafe/post office at the front, and a small laundromat beside it.  And opposite it is a car/truck park and the Murray River.

This flattering photograph makes the dirty brown water look almost tempting to swim in it.

The new hot water cisterns with air conditioners in front of them.   An interesting set up.   The showers are lovely and hot.

There is a reserve behind the camping ground.   Piper and I went for a short walk tonight, but kept a look out for snakes and kangaroos.   

The resident peacock, which would not show its beautiful tail.   Now I realise that the bird noises in the night belonged to him.

It is so peaceful here which we are appreciating very much.   

It is also warm, and sunny, and after three previous trips in cold and wet weather we should be enjoying the beautiful weather.  

However, here the warm weather comes with sticky flies, hundreds of them, all trying to stick to our eyes  and mouth.      We are practising the 'Aussie Wave' when outside, but the chairs remain in the car.   

Despite the beautiful warm sunny weather we sit inside, away from the pesky flies.