After deciding to leave the doof doof caravan park we went and restocked the fridge.
We were keen to find a camping ground right on the Murray River and after some looking online and Wikicamps we found The Willows Reserve free camp and hoped there was a spot. It happened to be a long weekend in Victoria but we were lucky and found a spot and it was perfect.
It was on the Victorian side in the small town of Wahgunyah on the southern bank of the Murray River. Across the river is Corowa which is in New South Wales and is a bigger town and where all the facilities are located. Wahgunyah is a bit of a ghost town.
That evening Steve went for a fish, using chicken for bait but had no luck. The mossies had a feast though.
The sunset across the river from the bank was stunning.
Each morning and afternoon the corellas went off. There were hundreds of them and so noisy.
Next morning we walked across the bridge into Corowa. It’s becoming a bit confusing because we keep crossing back and forth into NSW and VIC. But also very cool to walk from one state to another! It was Sunday so not much was open but the coffee shops were thriving with locals.
When we got back to camp we decided to get the bikes off and ride back into Corowa for a pub lunch. There were at least 4 pubs and only 2 still operating. In its day I’m sure they were all thriving. We found the lovely air conditioned Australian Hotel in the main street.
It was a hot day so we went back for a swim. There was a nice sandy section and the water was refreshing after a ride. There were bubbles rising up (no it wasn’t Steve) so there was something below making those bubbles so it was a quick exit for me. Steve said there was definitely something having a little nibble and sometimes a bit more of a bitey nibble! It was quick dips for me!
At dusk Steve had another fish on the Murray River hoping to catch a Murray cod. This time he tried cheese as bait, recommended for catching cod. First tasty, then havarti because it stayed on better. After some nibbles he had a big bite! He hooked it up but unfortunately wasn’t able to land it. He wasn’t happy because it felt like a big one. But he was happy that I was there to witness it. When it hooked on I nearly fell off my chair because he yelled “I’ve got one!”
The next day we rode the Rutherglen rail trail into Rutherglen. It was 9kms so the legs were definitely woken up! Being a rail trail it was a flat and a peaceful picturesque ride.
After coffee we set off to ride the wine loop.
First we rode by the big wine bottle.
There were at least 15 wineries on the trail. We were on our bikes so it was impossible to do them all! But we decided we’d give it a go.
Of course the first winery had the biggest hill and it was an unsealed road! My first comment was “This isn’t fun anymore” But after some water, aircon and of course wine it was fun again! This winery, Scion, turned out to be the winner of the day. They were a younger winery so not making wines in the traditional style. We described them as crisp and clean. They were so good a 6 pack is on its way home. Steve also put a Rose in his backpack.
We followed the loop to De Bortoli and added a Sparkling Moscato to the backpack. We decided it would be nice and fresh with ice.
Next we went to Campbells Winery. The tawny port, The Empire, was nice so we added one to the backpack. It will be great to have around a future campfire.
We realised we couldn’t really do many more wineries and we needed a stop for lunch. The lady at Campbells recommended a winery that was on the way home which had a very nice restaurant.
So we got on our bike and rode to Lake Moodemere Estate. The lunch was delicious and after a quick wine tasting we headed for home.
And, after a big lunch the ride back in the heat was very hard! (for me)
In total we rode 32kms. No wonder I was tired!
Back at camp a swim in river was sooo good!
We had the best time at The Willows Reserve, it’s such a great spot, and only costs a “donation. We hope to get back there again one day. Riding the wine loop in Rutherglen was also fun.