Summer Journeys - Adelaide to Albury (last leg)

The final leg was by the most mentally challenging. I was excited about following the Murray River from Adelaide back home, but I think Michelle found the landscape too bare and dry (in other words too Australian).

One bike, one river

From Adelaide we rode through a hailstorm of locusts to Murray Bridge (that is the name of the town) and then wound our way north through tiny villages such as Blanchetown and Swan's Reach heading towards the Sturt Highway.

Yeah, Blanchetown was weird

We had lunch at in a quaint little town that had general store. It was for sale and the owner's did not seem happy about owning it.

Water skiing in Renmark

We passed a place called Kingston (the 2nd one in SA) OM, where OM stands for On Murray. We stopped in Renmark for a rest and a cool down and so I could steel myself for the 130km straight that separates Yamba from Mildura.

Cool fountains: Renmark

The only highlight from this one and a bit hour journey was crossing the SA border (I like taking photos of border signs).

These photos make me think I've achieved something

We picked up eating supplies in Mildura and searched for a suitable camping place on the Murray. We found one about 30 mins after nightfall and proceeded to share our 'tent' space with approximately one million mosquitoes. I clocked up about 1 hours sleep.

Michelle with breakfast the next day. She was not pleased as heaps of mossies flew out of bag as soon as I opened it.

The next day we broke records for how quickly we could pack up camp in order get away from the mossies. I was super tired, but I loved the scenary on the drive home, sticking to the Murray Valley Highway and stopping every time I thought I might fall asleep whilst driving. We crisscrossed the NSW/Vic border multiple times before reaching Mulwala where we stopped to check out the old war machines.

Using my matrix-like abilities in Mulwala

Finally we shot through Corowa and Howlong on the way back home where was a warm bed and substantially less mossies.

Howlong is a special place with a special sign

The next day we borrowed Mum and Dad's car for the drive back to Canberra. I feel the need to point out that while the were less mossies in Albury than on our night out camping, there were still some in our bedroom.

The Murray being dammed in Albury

You see, many a mosquito hitched a ride with us inside my bike bags. Those sneaky bastards than terrorised us the following night.