Travelling With Sleep Apnoea

So,,, in 2014 I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnoea. It wasn’t unexpected because my snoring was deep, I was struggling to stay awake while driving and constantly nodding off at work for short periods.

The diagnosis wasn’t what I wanted to hear but sleep tests confirmed it beyond doubt so the best course of action was to accept it and start using CPAP therapy; something I will have to do for the rest of my life. With that said, in hindsight, it’s not the worst thing in the world and does not really impact that much other than having to wear a mask whilst sleeping at night.

When I first started with CPAP I bought a ResMed S9 machine that sits on my bedside table and is a bit bigger than a box of Weet Bix. To get the full benefit of CPAP therapy you need to use the machine at least five nights a week for at least five hours. This isn’t too difficult to achieve, when you’re at home, but travelling is a different matter. Although the ResMed S9 packs into a travel bag it is bulky. So much so that I elected not to take it with me on our two month Alaska, Canada & U.S. trip. I did not want to be lugging something that size around with me in addition to every thing else. I made it through the trip fine but resolved that I would need to work something out in the future when travelling around Australia in a caravan.

After we got our caravan I took the Resmed S9 on a weekend trip. It worked fine but:

  • it took up a lot of space in my cupboard; and
  • only runs on 240V so can only work on a powered site.

We intend doing a bit of free camping as we travel around Australia so it would be desirable to have a CPAP machine that is both compact and can run on 240V and 12V DC (without drawing a huge amount of current).

So a few years ago ResMed, Philips and few other manufacturers starting releasing their compact travel CPAP machines. Since Medibank provides a rebate every five years for CPAP machines I decided it was time I to look into getting a travel CPAP machine.

I narrowed the selection down to ResMed and Philips. The two respective machines were the:

The world’s smallest CPAP machine.

The best compact CPAP machine from a design perspective.

Both these machines were significantly smaller than my Resmed S9 and each had its good and bad features as summarised below:

DeviceResMed Air MiniPhilips Dreamstation Go
Pros240 V and 12 V DC.
Smallest Size.

240 V and 12 V DC1.
Can use water humidifier2.
Technically better design.
Can use non-Philips tubes.
ConsOnly uses ResMed tubes.
Does not use water humidifier3.
Does not have a 12 V plug.
Size increases with battery and water humidifier.
1. 12 V option only with large rechargeable battery.
2. Additional component doubles the size of the unit.
3. Uses HumidX tablets, which cost extra ongoing.

After weighing up all the various attributes of each machine I ended up buying the ResMed Air Mini. Although I considered the Philips Dreamstation Go a better machine, the deal breaker was that it couldn’t operate on 12V DC without the added bulk of an external battery; and if I wanted a humidifier then that increased the size again. Ultimately the Philips machine, with battery and humidifier, would be almost three times the size of the ResMed machine, which I could directly plug into a socket in the caravan.

The biggest drawback of the ResMed Air Mini is the lack of a humidifier and the use of costly HumidX tablets ($10/month). In the end I don’t bother using the HumidX tablets and have had no problems with mouth/throat dryness while sleeping.

I took the ResMed Air Mini on our Shake Down Trip and it performed perfectly in all conditions under both AC and DC operation. I slept well and comfortably every night. The machine is whisper quiet however it does have a slightly annoying hum/whistle when you first start breathing through the nose piece.

Shakedown Trip Stats

So… we kept records of our trip details mainly out of interest but also to help us get an idea of the costs and effort that will be involved in our Grand Tour trip later this year.

Shakedown Trip Towing Log

Details of each towing segment of our Shakedown Trip to Mungo National Park.
DateDriverFromToLeaveArriveElapsedStart OdoEnd OdoDistanceBreak AtBreak FromBreak ToDuration
2021-03-07RobRoyallaJugiong11:5714:3602:3924,86925,028159Yass Service Center13:2013:5600:36
2021-03-08RobJugiongNarrandera09:2512:2002:5525,02825,243215
2021-03-11RobNarranderaHay09:3011:2501:5525,33325,501168
2021-03-14JoHayBalaranald09:2311:2001:5725,53325,664131
2021-03-17RobBalranaldLake Mungo09:2512:4003:1525,66925,818149Mungo Visitor Center12:0512:3500:30
2021-03-20RobLake MungoMildura10:1012:0001:5025,89226,005113
2021-03-27RobMilduraRobinvale09:5011:3501:4526,21026,29787
2021-03-30RobRobinvaleLake Boga09:4512:4503:0026,31826,469151Andrew Peace Wines09:4511:0601:21
2021-04-01RobLake BogaRochester09:4512:3002:4526,50626,669163
2021-04-05RobRochesterCorowa09:1612:5003:3426,74326,944201
2021-04-08RobCorowaCraigieburn08:2711:4603:1926,98727,255268
2021-04-09RobCraigieburnTarrawingee14:1016:4002:3027,29627,519223
2021-04-10RobTarrawingeeRoyalla08:3514:4006:0527,51927,969450Gundagai11:3512:2000:45
Total distance travelled3,100 km
Total distance towed2,478 km
Average towing distance191
Towing distance - Rob2,347 km
Towing distance - Jo131 km
Total towing duration34 hours 17 minutes
Average towing duration2 hour 38 minutes

Shakedown Trip Fuel Log

Details of the fuel stops we made on our Shakedown Trip to Mungo National Park.
DateTimePlaceBrandOdoPrice/LActual/LDiscountQuantityCostDistanceKms/LL/100Km
2021-03-07Home24,869
2021-03-1012:50NarranderaCaltex (Tasco)25,3331.3391.33985.14114.004645.4518.35
2021-03-1313:50HayCaltex (Tasco)25,5261.3591.35941.9457.001934.6021.73
2021-03-1614:30BalranaldCaltex (Tasco)25,6651.3591.3593953.001393.5628.06
2021-03-2614:35MilduraApco26.2011.1291.12985.9297.005366.2416.03
2021-03-3114:30Lake BogaMetro26.5051.2971.29761.6880.003044.9320.29
2021-04-0715:31CorowaCaltex (Woolworths)26,9841.3391.3790.0489.92124.004795.3318.77
2021-04-0909:50CraigieburnCaltex27,2751.3491.4090.0658.9179.472914.9420.24
2021-04-1011:35GundagaiMobil27,7771.3791.37989.93124.015025.5817.91
2021-04-1109:47CalwellCaltex27,9841.3391.3990.0646.4762.232074.4522.45
Average Price per Litre (discounted)1.321
Average Price per Litre (actual)1.339
Total kms (start to last refuel)3,115km
Total Fuel Cost790.71
Cost per km$0.25
Average Distance per Refuel346 km
Average kms / L5.01 km
Average L / 100kms20.43 L

Shakedown Trip Camping Sites

A list of all the caravan parks and camping sites that we stayed at on our Shakedown trip.
FromToNightsPlaceStateCostPer NightStay
2021-03-072021-03-081JugiongNSWDonation10.00Jugiong Campground
2021-03-082021-03-113NarranderaNSW99.0033.00Narrandera Caravan Park
2021-03-112021-03-143HayNSW87.0029.00Hay Caravan Park
2021-03-142021-03-173BalranaldNSW90.0030.00Balranald Caravan Park
2021-03-172021-03-203Lake MungoNSW73.8024.60Mungo Main Campground
2021-03-202021-03-277MilduraVic280.0040.00Mildura Riverside Holiday Park
2021-03-272021-03-303RobinvaleVic102.0034.00Robinvale Riverside Caravan Park
2021-03-302021-04-012Swan HillVic74.0037.00Lake Boga Caravan Park
2021-04-012021-04-054RochesterVic116.0029.00Rochester Riverside Caravan Park
2021-04-052021-04-083RutherglenVic136.8245.61Rivergum Holiday Park
2021-04-082021-04-091CraigieburnVic121.26121.26Airport Tourist Village
2021-04-092021-04-101TarrawingeeVicFreeFreeThe Plough Inn
Total nights33
Total Accommodation Cost$1189.88
Average Cost per Night$36.12

Day 34 – Tarrawingee

So… our final night has finally arrived. After leaving the Supreme Service Center in Craigieburn (Melbourne) we decided that we would break up the long drive home from Melbourne by having an overnight stay at one of the pubs that offer free overnight camping in exchange for buying a meal at the pub. These pubs can be found on a free subscription website called Country Pub Camping.

Originally we were planning to stay at The Riverina Hotel in Holbrook (where we had stayed once before) but since we thought we wouldn’t get away from Supreme until 3:00pm we decided on staying at The Plough Inn in Tarrawingee.

Plough Inn Van Site
Plough Inn Van Site
The Plough Inn
Massive Olive Tree
The Plough Inn
Quirky art sculpture

Tarrawingee

Tarrawingee is a small town (village) of less than 500 people not too far from Wangaratta and Benalla. It was ideal for our purposes because it broke up the drive home to Royalla and wasn’t too far off the highway.

The Plough Inn

The Plough Inn

The Plough Inn is a lovely country style pub that has a large parking area out front and a very large paddock out the back. Out the back is a small stable and a large beer garden area that adjoins the paddock area where caravans and campers are permitted to stay as long they are self contained.

Plough Inn Van Site

We were allotted a space beside a tall tree in a beautiful grassy area that was relatively flat and quite level. In front of us was a massive olive tree that was bursting with fruit that were also littering the ground around it.

Massive Olive Tree

The olive tree looked about seven metres high with a very thick trunk at the base. I didn’t ask but I hoped that they picked the olives and brined them because they looked plump and juicy.

Inside the pub was the typical front bar where the locals were gathered for a Friday afternoon drink. The great thing about The Plough Inn was that they had a good range of local craft beers on tap. The had an XPA from Beechworth Bridge Road Brewery that we had visited a couple of years ago on a prior trip to Melbourne. The standout beer though was a Weiss beer from the Two Pot Brewing Co. in Yackandandah. It was a crisp, dry beer that was perfect for a warm afternoon after the drive.

The pub bistro was good honest pub food and chock-a-block with a Friday night crowd creating lots of atmosphere. They did muck up my order but that was OK because the food was good, the beer was cold and it was a nice way to spend our last night on the road before returning home

The Drive Home

Since we didn’t have to hitch up the next morning we had a nice bacon and egg breakfast in the van to use up the last of our eggs and get us ready for the last long drive home from Tarrawingee to Royalla.

The drive itself was fairly uneventful as it is pretty much dual lane freeway all the way to Yass and then a simple drive back into Canberra, down the Tuggeranong Parkway and out through Calwell to Royalla.

The only interesting event of the drive occured when when stopped in at the Service Center near The Dog On The Tuckerbox for lunch. We decided to have KFC and Jo was lined up waiting for our order. Rob went to a coffee kiosk close by and sat down at a table. Not long after sitting down two men approached the coffee kiosk and started speaking loudly to the lady serving there. The conversation became louder and then one of the men shouted at the lady calling her a profane name.

The man then picked up a sauce bottle dispenser and shaped up to throw it at the woman. At this point Rob and two other men at two nearby tables jumped up to approach the man who then threw the sauce bottle at the women (failing to hit her).

Rob confronted the man and ordered him to leave the premises immediately and with the assistance of the other two men effectively cornered the sauce thrower giving him no option but to back down and briskly walk towards the exit. One of the other men, at the request of the coffee lady, followed the sauce thrower and took down his number plate and checked that the coffee lady was OK.

With the incident finished Rob and the other men re-took their seats and everything pretty much went back to normal as though nothing had happened. Center staff then proceeded to talk to the coffee lady and make sure that everything was under control. Quite a bizarre incident to finish our trip.

Trip over… we’re now very much looking forward to our Grand Tour – Big Trip later this year when we head off around Australia proper…

Day 33 – Craigieburn

So… an overnight detour down to Craigieburn, northern industrial area of Melbourne, where the Supreme Caravan Factory, Dealership and Service Center are located.

Original Table Leg
Nuovo-Mapa Table Leg
Locker Strut (fixed)
Locker Strut (Before)
Hose Leak (Before Fix)
Hose Leak Repair
Hose Leak Repair
Silicon Seal – Van Front
Working water levels
New Van Radio
Supreme Service Center
Supreme Service Center

Warranty Repairs

I don’t think that any caravan in history has come off the production line and not suffered some issues. Our van is not different and prior to this trip (as well as during) we had a number of warranty issues pop up. Given that a couple of the fixes could only be done by Supreme and the fact that we were in Victoria for the second half of the trip we organised to drop into the Supreme Dealership and Service Center to get our issues sorted.

We were booked into the Supreme Service Center at 3:00pm on Thursday, 8th April. So a three and a half hour drive from Corowa down to Craigieburn. We were met by our Supreme Service technician Daniel, who was a really nice young bloke who carefully went through all of the warranty items on our list and assured us that they would be complete by 3:00pm the next day. We handed over the van keys and headed off to the nights accommodation.

The following day we were called at 1:00pm and told that the van was ready, two hours ahead of schedule. Happy days! Daniel once again took us through all of the repairs and made sure that we were totally satisfied with the work that was done. He also answered a number of questions we had regarding other aspects of the van.

We are incredibly happy that we chose a Supreme caravan and cannot fault their service and support post sale. If these are the worst problems we have then we are lucky van owners…

Interior Water Leak
Silicon Seal – Van Front

When we first picked up our van in February 2019, we discovered after a heavy rainfall that water was leaking into the front right-hand cupboard. We subsequently discovered that there were a couple of holes in the silicon seal on that side of the van. This was fixed at the van’s first service by our local service center (Capital Caravan Service Center). That fixed the initial leak but we later discovered when towing through some heavy rain that water was still getting in. Our local service guy, and Supreme, said that it was likely getting under the horizontal joins in the panels at the front of the van. Silicon was run along horizontal joins and hopefully that is the end of the internal water leaks.

Table Leg
Original Table Leg

When we originally picked up the van we noticed that the table leg was square unlike the display van we had viewed, which was round. We discovered that this was a different leg to the one originally specified on the plan and was probably an automatic upgrade.

Unfortunately… the square leg only allowed the table top to move up/down, left/right and backwards/forwards. It did not allow the table top to swivel. This made it awkward getting in and out of the seating.

Nuovo-Mapa Table Leg

Given that our floor plan originally specified a Nuovo-Mapa (brand) table leg, Supreme gladly swapped it over and now the table top swivels as well. The original leg looked a bit more stylish but being able to swivel the table top makes the sitting area so much easier to use and comfortable to sit in.

Overhead Locker Strut
Locker Strut (Before)

On one of our weekends away one of the struts in the overhead lockers above the table had come loose and the plastic edge strip deformed. Rob had tried unsuccessfully to repair it previously but the deformed plastic strip kept pulling the screw out when pressure was applied.

Locker Strut (fixed)

Supreme replaced the plastic strip and strengthened the point where the screw held the strut in place. Looking new again after the repair.

Water Level Indicator
Working water levels

After a couple of weekends away we noticed that the water level indicators for the two fresh water tanks were not working. It was originally thought that the sensors needed adjusting. Supreme discovered that the battery in the indicator was flat and that there was a short circuit in the indicator. This was fixed, battery replaced and the indicator is now working perfectly.

Radio Blue Tooth Connection
New Van Radio

The van is fitted with a radio/DVD player that can also connect to our phones via Bluetooth to play music, make phone calls etc. The radio itself was working fine but the Bluetooth connection was failing.

Supreme noted that there was a known fault with this brand and installed a new replacement unit, which is now connecting without any problems.

Water Hose Line Leak
Hose Leak (Before Fix)

As noted in our post about Corowa… The day before we headed down to Supreme, serendipitously, we discovered water leaking down one of the tires. It turned out that the water line had come loose from its anchor point above the tire and had been blasted by road debris coming off the tire to the point that it was punctured and water was constantly dripping out of it. The timing for this to occur could not have been better.

Hose Leak Repair

Supreme cut out the punctured hose and replaced it with new hose, including a filter, and reattached it to the underfloor. The hose is still exposed above the tire but we will monitor it during our next few trips and if it looks like it is still being damaged then we may have a piece of checker plate installed over it.

Airport Tourist Village

Whilst the van was being repaired, we stayed overnight at the Airport Tourist Village in Attwood. No photos… but we can say that it is good value for money if you’re going to Melbourne Airport or the Craigieburn area.

It consists mostly of various relocatable style cabins (that you find in caravan parks), however we stayed in a brick apartment that had a king bed in a separate bedroom, large living area with large television, good-size kitchenette and bathroom (shower was a little squeezy though). The apartment was very clean and the air-conditioning was good.

For $121/night we can thoroughly recommend this as a good place to stay for a reasonable price in Melbourne if you’re happy to be on the northern outskirts. It is also walking distance from a cluster of cafes and supermarket.

The only downside was the people in the neighbouring apartment were quite loud and carried on until around 3:30am. Jo slept through it all but Rob had a very restless night’s sleep. Not the Village’s fault though.

This was the penultimate night of our ShakedownTrip so after picking up our van, which Supreme had given a complimentary wash, including glossing the tires as well, we felt as though we were driving away with our new van again. Very happy customers.

Off to The Plough Inn in Tarrawingee for the last night of our ShakedownTrip before heading home.

Day 30-32 – Corowa (Rutherglen District)

So… after our Easter layover in Rochester we towed on to Corowa, which is on the NSW side of the Murray but only about 10km from the Rutherglen wine district in Victoria.

About 30km from Corowa we passed through Yarrawonga, on the Victorian side, over a long bridge spanning the Yarrawonga Weir, that creates Lake Mulwala, to the town of Mulwala on the NSW side. Lake Mulwala is a man-made lake on the Murray River.

Neither of us had heard of these places and were a bit gob-smacked as we approached the bridge. It was quite reminiscent of Pambula/Merimbula or Forster/Tuncurry except that it was a freshwater lake but had the same sort of seaside township feel to it. We made a mental note to come back and explore it at another time (not school holidays).

Wahgunyah Bridge over the Murray
Leaking Van Pipe
Timber Jinker
Timber Jinker
Sleeping Beauty
Corowa Federation Museum
Murray River at Corowa
Wine on the Terrace
Lake Moodemere Dining Terrace
Lake Moodemere Estate Terrace
Lake Moodemere Tasting Room
Decisions, decisions…
Wagyu – Lake Moodemere Estate
Duck Breast – Lake Moodemere Estate
Cosmo – Lake Moodemere Estate
Lake Moodemere
Lake Moodemere
Corowa Whisky Tasting
Bathroom Wisdom
Corowa Whisky Tasting
Corowa Whisky Distilling
Corowa Whisky Cafe Ceiling
Corowa Whisky Ceiling
Corowa Van Site
Corowa Van Site
Park in Corowa
Corowa Bin Chicken

Corowa

Park in Corowa

Corowa, despite being a NSW border town, still has that Victorian river town feel to it… perhaps due to the statue of AFL players outside the Football ground by the river. Corowa is renowned as the ‘birthplace of Federation’ due to a number of important conferences held there in the years leading up to Federation. The story of Federation is told at the Corowa Federation Museum, which is a mixture of the story of Federation and historical/vintage artifacts, machinery, devices and appliances.

Murray River at Corowa

It’s another quaint border town with lots of federation era architecture and public areas. The Murray River passes by it with two bridge crossings and quite a few river front camping and picnic areas as well as boat ramps for fishing and skiing.

Rivergum Holiday Park

Corowa Van Site

Rivergum Holiday Park is located on the northern edge of Corowa and backs onto a reserve area by the Murray River. It is a large caravan/cabin park with spacious van sites, lots of cabins and quite a lot of permanent van sites that appear to be private getaways for fishing and skiing.

The park had emptied out from Easter when we arrived and we were allocated to a nice large grassy site with a concrete slab; an easy reverse beside the slab but we did have to break out the levelling ramp for the first time just to get the van sitting flat (so water drains properly and the bed is flat).

Corowa Van Site

The amenities at this park were very clean (as they had also been at every other park on this trip) and nice and close to our site, which is good for people like us with ‘pensioner bladders’. The only downside to this park was the constant bombardment by mozzies… The reserve behind the park had a couple of billabongs that were very probably mosquito breeding grounds. It meant that we didn’t spend much time outside under the awning but that’s OK because the temperatures were in the 30’s so it was nice to laze about in the van’s air conditioning for a change.

Corowa Whisky & Chocolate

Corowa Whisky Distilling

One of the main attractions in Corowa is the Corowa Whisky & Chocolate factory that has been established in the old Corowa Flour Mill. It is a magnificent building and the refurbishment is sympathetic to the past with a rustic contemporary feel and lots of wood.

We had a look around the chocolate shop, which we learned is affiliated to the Junee Chocolate Factory that we visited a few months earlier on a weekend away.

Corowa Whisky Tasting

After the chocolate shop Rob tasted six of the Corowa whisky’s made on site. They were all distinctive in their own way with one being quite peaty and reminiscent of peaty Scotch Whiskey’s Rob had tried in Northern Scotland many years ago. The tasting room was quite something with mood lighting, barrels for tables, high shelves of the product and a skylight around thirty feet high in the tallest part of the building.

Corowa Whisky Ceiling

After tasting we had lunch in the cafe, which also boasted some magnificent ceilings with with exposed beams and light fixtures made from old barrels. It was a nice place to spend the morning, taste some whisky and relax with some good food in great surroundings.

Corowa Federation Museum

Corowa Federation Museum

Corowa is known as the ‘birthplace of Federation’. The Corowa Federation Museum is an interesting place that tells the story od Federation and Corowa’s place in the important conferences held there in the lead-up to Federation and formation of the colonies into Australia. One of the first things Rob noticed in the museum was a copy of Peter Fitzsimon’s “Fromelles & Pozieres“. We often listen to Peter Fitzsimons books on audible when we’re travelling (currently listening to “Breaker Morant“) so this was a little coincidental.

Timber Jinker

The museum contains a large collection of vintage, war and pre-war items as well as the story of Federation. From washing machines and vacuum cleaners, shearing equipment, medical devices to drays and timber jinkers. IT is a somewhat eclectic collection and anyone of our vintage will see a number of familiar items that were commonplace in our parents and grandparents houses as we grew up. One standout for me was a “Flytox” pump style fly sprayer that my Grandmother would carpet bomb us as soon as a blowie entered the kitchen.

The museum is a little bit tired and could use some updating but is well worth visiting when in Corowa. It’s only $5 which supports the museum going forward.

Lake Moodemere Estate

There are a gazillion wineries in the Rutherford region and we were a bit ‘wined and whiskyed’ out so we only chose to visit one, which was Lake Moodemere Estate. This turned out to be a great choice.

Wine on the Terrace

Lake Moodemere Estate is a family owned winery (for seven generations) that is a working farm and vineyard. They’re wines are all made from their own grapes (no imports) and cover a good range of reds and whites.

We booked previously for lunch and so turned up a little earlier to do a tasting. After a few whites, a Rosé, and a ‘Shiraz & Cinsaut’, the owner/winemaker picked us in one and  remarked, “I think you’re after something with more body? People our age are generally looking for something with a bit more depth. Am I right?” He was right. Their Estate Shiraz was very good. Special mentions also go to their Sparkling Shiraz, which was very nice. The standout for us though, believe it or not, was the Rosé. So much so that we bought a few to take home.

Lake Moodemere Dining Terrace

Lunch was essentially ‘fine dining in a casual and relaxed outdoor setting’ on a terrace behind the homestead building overlooking Lake Moodemere.

We opted to have a three course lunch with matched estate wines ($95/head). Each course was served with a 100ml pour of an Estate wine chosen especially to pair with the meal chosen.  For entrée Rob chose the cured salmon (paired with a chardonnay) and Jo chose the kangaroo tail (paired with the Rosé). In hindsight I think we both enjoyed the entrées the most.

Wagyu – Lake Moodemere Estate
Duck Breast – Lake Moodemere Estate

For main Rob chose the Wagyu (paired with the Estate Shiraz) and Jo the Duck Breast (paired with Shiraz & Cinsaut). Both were superb and we were surprised how well the Shiraz cut through the fattiness of the Wagyu. Dessert for Rob was the Mille Feuille with an outstanding, but not too sweet Tara Muscat, and for Jo was a chocolate tart paired with the Grand Muscat… both superb).

Cosmo – Lake Moodemere Estate

Whilst the meal was fine dining, the atmosphere was most casual with Cosmo, the border collie, and Bailey, a Labrador cross, and the cutest (name unknown) Labrador puppy wandering from table to table trying to out cute each other for a sneaky chip, which they were not supposed to be allowed.

Lake Moodemere

Prior to entering the Estate we took a short drive down to Lake Moodemere itself and drove along the foreshore. We were surprised to find a Rowing Club in the middle of nowhere, which would have looked completely out of place had it not been for the lake itself.

Minor Van Damage

After we returned from Lake Moodemere Rob had to attend to the more mundane duty of emptying the toilet cassette. Since the park’s dump point was out of action he had to drive into the Corowa public dump point near the football oval.

Leaking Van Pipe

Upon returning and replacing the cassette back into the van he noticed a trickle of water running down one of the van tires. Closer inspection revealed that the water line above the tire had been punctured and abraded, which probably occurred on the drive to Lake Mungo or on a long stretch of graded roadworks leaving Lake Boga.

Now if there was ever a perfect time for this to occur it was now because the following day we were driving down to the Supreme Dealership at Craigieburn to have some minor warranty repairs done. We couldn’t have time this one better.

Day 26-29 – Rochester

So…We were originally going to stay in Echuca for Easter but couldn’t get a booking anywhere. Rochester is a small town 25km south of Echuca on the Campaspe River so booked in there for four nights…

Rochester Van Site
Water Towers through a tree
Rochester Water Towers
‘Stolen Apples’ playing on Easter Saturday.
Rochester Shamrock Hotel Parmi’s
Rochester Silo Art
Rochester Shire Hall
Rochester Shamrock Hotel
The ‘Red’ Railway Bridge at Rochester
The ‘Red’ Railway Bridge at Rochester
Andrew Peace – The Unexpected – Shiraz
Old Tatura Police Cells
Living Sculpture
Jo in a burnt out tree stump
Iddles Lane Mural
Rochester World Dominoes Championship
Camper Trailer Recovery
Campaspe River Walk
Campaspe River
Campaspe River Reflection
Bridge Through Trees

Rochester Riverside Holiday Park

Rochester Van Site

Rochester Riverside Holiday Park is where we laid up for Easter. It is a relatively large park but the sites were a little squeezy for a large van with the awning out and car parked beside. The amenities were very clean and new and there was also a large new camp kitchen in the centre.

Overall it was a very well run caravan park with friendly staff and managers. The only problem was that, with the park being quite full, a lot of sites wanted to have a fire-pit… Everyone loves a fire in the evening but the there was hardly a breath of wind over the four days so the smoke from the fires just hung in the still air. By 7:00pm your eyes started stinging from the smoke and stayed that way until going to bed.

‘Stolen Apples’ playing on Easter Saturday.

One unexpectedly good  thing about the stay was that the park put on some live music on the Easter Saturday night. A duo called ‘Stolen Apples‘, from Melbourne played a range of covers from 7:00pm ’til 10:00pm. They were surprisingly good, keeping true to the original songs but injecting just enough of their own sound to make them refreshingly different.

The duo were both ’20 somethings’ and it never ceases to amaze me that most cover groups, despite their age, only ever do songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s… You (or at least I) never seem to hear covers from the 90’s or after…

Rochester

Rochester Shire Hall

Rochester is small rural town with a quiet atmosphere and quaint main street. Lots of historic looking building (mostly the pubs) are evident but perhaps the most striking feature is the silo art near the railway tracks and the water towers reaching into the sky.

Iddles Lane Mural

Rochester is typical of many Victorian country towns. The standout feature is the silo art in the center of town and also the Ron Iddles mural in Iddles lane. Ron Iddles is a Victorian an has been dubbed Australia’s greatest detective with a 99% success rate.

River Walk

Campaspe River Reflection

Like most river towns there is a river walk along the banks of the Campaspe River. The Campaspe is a small river with no discernible current that is a bit browner than the Murray and the Murrumbidgee but still quite attractive in its own right,

The ‘Red’ Railway Bridge at Rochester

The river itself is about seven metres below the top of the banks, which are quite steep. There are lots of the ubiquitous river gums along the banks, some young, some old, some dead and decaying. The walk takes you, in one direction, down to the ‘Red’ Railway bridge, which is built on red brick pylons and quite distinctively Australian looking in it’s design.

Camper Trailer Recovery

Heading back in the opposite direction we happened to be in the right place at the right time to witness the recovery/salvaging of a shiny (new looking) camper trailer that appeared to have plunged seven metre from the top of the river bank into the river itself. A medium size tractor was struggling mightily to lift and drag the trailer away from the bank and back to the top. Upon spying us watching from the other side, the tractor operator shouted out to us, “It’s tough up here in the Kimberly…”. We shared the laugh and stayed around until he finally dragged it up to the top of the bank gushing water out all the way. Once at the top he pulled out one of the side drawers, inspected the content and shouted out, “Dry ‘za bone…”. Another good laugh…

Shamrock Hotel

Rochester Shamrock Hotel Parmi’s

We stuck to our tradition of having a pub/club meal on the last night of our stay. Rochester has a few pubs and we ended up having a couple of parmi’s at the Shamrock Hotel.

The Shamrock Hotel is a grand old pub standing proudly in the centre of town. We started with a couple of drinks in the main bar where the locals were propping up the bar t the end of the day. We both had chicken parmi’s,,, Jo had a McPaddy’s (bacon, onion rings, cheese, etc…) and I had a Bass Strait (bacon, prawns, cheese, etc…). Good honest pub fare at reasonable prices and the servings were huge. Both of us were defeated having to leave what probably would be a normal size meal on the plate after we finished.

Onwards to the Rutherglen district and Corowa (NSW) in particular…

The Big Beer
Beer Sign Wisdom
Great Aussie Beer Shed
C.U.B. Beer Wagon
Flag Ale Cans
Cold Gold KB – cans
Beer Shed Cans
Vintage Petrol Pumps
Horse Drawn Delivery Carts
Vintage Ploughs
Vintage Car Lineup
Vintage Car Lineup
Worlds Rarest Beer Can
Model T Ford Truck
Mini Minor
Horse Drawn Bakery Cart
Furphy Water Carts
Dabb & Co. Coach
Covered Wagon
Beer Shed Stuff
The Big Beer

Since Echuca  was so close we thought about spending a day there but decided that we would probably come back there at some point so elected not to. We did however find ‘The Great Aussie Beer Shed‘ just outside of Echuca.

The Great Aussie Beer Shed is a museum collection, owned and run by Neil a retired Victorian police officer (whose dad was also a Victorian police officer). Neil has amassed a huge collection of ‘stuff’ (mostly beer themed) over 45 years.

Beer Shed Cans

It is an amazingly well presented collection of stuff and is rated as the best beer museum in the country. So much so that when Carlton United Breweries decommissioned their magnificent horse drawn beer wagon they chose the The Great Aussie Beer Shed as it’s resting place.

C.U.B. Beer Wagon

The museum has beers cans, steins, bottle, paraphernalia, war memorabilia, old cars, agricultural machinery, petrol pumps, biscuit tins, poker machines all on display. The thing about it is that it is not ‘kitschy’… it is well categorised, well presented and Neil gives a ten minute verbal tour, which is funny, entertaining and also sombre as he talks about his war memorabilia. It is a must see attraction when somewhere near Echuca.

Day 24-25 – Lake Boga

So… another easy tow from Robinvale southeast past the Andrew Peace Winery, at Piangil, through Swan Hill and on to Lake Boga.

Somewhere between Robinvale and Andrew Peace Winery a pair of feral cats decided to dash out of the scrub across the road in front of us. One made it across and the other left it too late and is no more. It’s never pleasant to run over over an animal but the death was instant and, being a feral cat, I’m not feeling any remorse about it…

Andrew Peace Winery Courtyard
Lake Boga Van Site
Andrew Peace Winery Dam
Lake Boga Setup
Lake Boga Parklands
Lake Boga Site View
Lake Boga Sunset
Lake Boga Sunset #1
Lake Boga Sunset #2
Lake Boga Sunset #3
Lake Boga Sunset #4
Lake Boga Moon Rise
Memorial Flying Boat Anchor
Flying Boat Museum
Catalina Tail View
Catalina Side View
Catalina Nose View
Swan Hill Big Cod
WW2 Bunker
WW2 Bunker Generator
WW2 Caterpillar Tractor
WW2 Jeep
WW2 Motorbike

Andrew Peace Winery

Andrew Peace Winery Dam

We bought two Andrew Peace ‘Masterpeace’ Pinot Grigios and one Shiraz on special back in Balranald. We were so impressed with them that we resolved to stop in at his winery, which is on the way from Robinvale to Swan Hill and Lake Boga. The winery has a cellar door and features a public BBQ area that also has some antique machinery beside it.

After the obligatory wine tasting we ended up purchasing a mixed dozen of our choosing, to be couriered home, plus two whites and two reds for the van. Whilst walking back to car we had a hurried discussion and decided to go back in and order a second dozen to be couriered home as well. Each dozen cost $100 and included a complimentary Moscato.

The ‘Masterpeace’ label is an easy drinking range of whites and reds that aren’t overly complex but are perfectly suited to lazy afternoons/evenings with or without food. Andrew Peace is our new favourite wine maker.

Lake Boga

Lake Boga Parklands

After Andrew Peace Winery we headed on through Swan Hill for another 14km to Lake Boga, which during World War 2 became an inland flying boat base for the maintenance and repair of amphibious aircraft like the Catalina.

The town itself is a small ‘strip’ style town that is surrounded by agricultural holdings like most towns along the Murray corridor. The lake is the central feature of the town and is a mecca for fishing, skiing and sailing. It is relatively shallow and is also a water storage for the area. The level rises and falls with use and is kept topped up by pumping water in from the Murray river.

Lake Boga Caravan Park

Lake Boga Setup

The Lake Boga Caravan Park is perfectly located along the shore of the lake and yet another perfect place to pull up, set up on the water’s edge and soak in the view. especially with a ‘Masterpeace’ Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. The atmosphere in the park is very relaxed and the amenities are fairly new looking and spotless.

Lake Boga Sunset #4

Not too many campers were in while we there but I expect that it will be bursting over the Easter long weekend. The weather was perfect for our two night stay with warm days, cool nights and perfect sunsets and moon rises.

Lake Boga Moon Rise

At dusk the fish start rising with some jumping fully out of the water. The lake has four species of fish, being Murray Cod, Yellow Belly, Red Fin and, unfortunately, Carp. If you can’t relax here then you’re beyond help or already dead.

Flying Boat Museum

Catalina Nose View

The Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum is on the shores of Lake Boga and where the original No. 1 Flying Boat Repair & Service Depot was located during World War 2. The museum is housed in a large metal shed and also has the original communications bunker on the site underground. Entry to the museum is $15/adult and is well worth the price of admission, which includes a 23 minute video that is very professionally done in a small room with vintage theatre seats that were salvaged from a theatre some years ago.

WW2 Jeep

The centrepiece of the museum is a complete PBY5 Catalina Flying Boat (above) that stands proud amongst the other exhibits of machinery, models, clothes and memorabilia. The Catalina is quite majestic in the way that pelicans look cumbersome on the ground but absolutely magnificent in the air and on water. Other exhibits include a jeep, caterpillar tractor, various restored engines; including a Rolls Royce V12 Merlin engine (the type used in Spitfires).

WW2 Bunker

The communications bunker is equally interesting giving a glimpse into the life of the officers and staff that manned the radios sending and receiving secret information day and night. The exhibits include all manner of period equipment including a small telephone exchange switchboard (similar to the ones the Rob’s Mum operated in her younger days).

Swan Hill

Swan Hill Big Cod

Swan Hill is only 14km from Lake Boga and is a relatively large town with a long shopping strip shopping centre near the river and railway lines. We dropped in for lunch just to have a poke around and take a break from relaxing by Lake Boga.

Swan Hill has a ‘big Murray Cod’ in one of the parks, which despite being a bit kitschy is actually well built and decorated although it looks a bit lonely with nothing else other than a carpark around it… There is also re-creation pioneer settlement attraction by the river but we weren’t feeling particularly touristy that day so we passed it by in favour of returning to Lake Boga for an afternoon of ‘doing nothing’ by the lake.

Back at Lake Boga the afternoon’s camping excitement consisted of a young lady who was camped near us with a jet ski losing her keys to jet ski. Presumably she dropped them in the water but even though they were on a floating lanyard they were nowhere to be found. She handled it well but must have been very disappointed with her lovely little SeaDoo sitting in the water and no way to start it.

A leisurely pack up the next morning and off the Rochester…