September 10th

Our first challenge this morning was to cross the Murray River on the Swan Reach Ferry. From there we travelled gravel roads down to Lameroo on the Mallee Highway. We saw only one car the whole way which made it an easy drive through farmlands. Cropping and sheep seem to look very happy. The Mallee country around Pinaroo is always pretty to drive through. Some areas have had more rain than others. Both Lameroo and Pinaroo are small, very well cared for towns.

We crossed the border into Victoria, a little south of the Highway, then turned south toward the Big Desert
Wilderness Park. There were a surprising number of dunes, with deep sand, to cross. We found one track that was very muddy in one spot and generally very narrow. We turned back because 'narrow' does not suit EC. We then followed another track which was much easier to drive on. We have ended up camping in a lovely camping area called 'Red Gums'. It is a slight depression surrounded by Red Gum trees. There may even have been a lake here many years ago. This is the fourth camp site in a row where we have been amongst Red Gums.
The Big Desert Wilderness Area is immediately inside the Victorian border. It consists of many low sand dunes. The bush is thick with a variety of bushes and trees- several types of eucalypts, wattles, heaths, casuarinas and melaleucas.

Red Gum camp site