Blogs from Tocumwal, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania

With all the Long Weekend Worriers, concerned about where to find a camp along Cobrams' Little Toms Beach on the Mighty Murray River, Morningbird and Little flower did the noble thing and offered up our prime piece of camp real estate to the lucky ducks that were eyeing off our first class riverside camp. The eager camping buzzards were circling, so we high tailed it out of our serene riverside camp and made our way back to Tocumwal at Brother Ron and Roxanne's for a weekend of family fun. It would all start late Saturday afternoon right in Tocumwal with a Hot Rod "show and shine" and a concert in the park with Elvis the King of Rock, entertaining the festive crowd in the balmy autumn sun. Brandishing deck chairs and eskys we set up camp ... read more

We awoke to the invisible frogs calling again, which was lovely. It was so cold when I got out of the nice snugly bed that I could see my breath condensing. Brrrrr! Time for a very hot coffee. After breakfast we made a beeline for Shepparton, just a few kilometres ahead, for a visit to the SPC/Ardmona Factory Outlet (this area grows a lot of fruit and SPC is a well known Aussie brand for canned fruits that has its cannery here.) We knew you could get their products by the carton or by the can, maybe slightly defective, but much cheaper than normal. We didn’t realise that they also imported goods from other countries and sold those very cheaply, too. I went in to buy a couple of cans of fruit and came out with ... read more

Somehow we resisted the urge in Mansfield to head for a country clothing store, kit ourselves in RM Williams elastic-sided boots, moleskins, shirt and Akubra hat and head for the high country. I can always see myself riding across the mountains on a sure-footed horse, sitting by the campfire reciting poems by Banjo Pattterson at night. Of course, I couldn't stay on a horse or light a fire and only know the first and second verse of some of Banjo's poems so commonsense prevailed and we continued our motor home travelling. Instead I'll aquaint myself with more of the high country life when the country comes to the city for the Easter Show. The countryside from Mansfield is very green, cattle and sheep look healthy, dams and haysheds are full. It was so pleasant being surrounded ... read more