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 Topic: An Island Holiday (Final Report).
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27/7/2021 at 5:21am
Location: Melbourne Australia
Outfit: Windsor Rapid Off Road Van + tents
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Hi all,
We had been given directions to an historic grave close to Higgins Cutting by Eric the owner of Wompinni Station. Once told of its existence, I was very keen to see it, if it could be found.
We tied our boat up where we were told to start the search, we left the river heading north, fanning out to maximise our chances of finding it.
We struggled to find landmarks given to us, frustration started to set in.
We were told it stood out like a sore thumb! Ha!! and then in the distance I thought I could see it, perseverance had paid off.
Look closely in the next pic, that white bit in the centre is the headstone.
The grave on the right.
At one stage there was a larger fence around it but time had taken its toll. Eric had supplied and installed a newer enclosure to protect it from being damaged by animals.
The grave of Thomas Higgins, one of the original settlers of the area.
Higgins Cutting was named after him, he was the instigator of making it the main river course, bi passing a notoriously shallow section that caused a lot of trouble to the river boats when the river was low. The cutting area was a natural flow for the river when in floods, but many snags, logs and fallen timber prevented it from being navigable at most times.
He helped to de snag it, as well as using his horses and a scrape bucket to dredge it as well, on Wompinni Station that bucket can still be seen. It was a wonderful feeling to have found such an historic and remote grave, one we had put a bit of time and effort in to find. I have logged its exact location for others who may wish to visit it.
Later that day a short distance inland from our camp I took these pics, they were taken along the track to our Kulcurna Cliffs campsite.
I just love that sort of country, Victoria has so many diverse habitats and ecosystems, may that be the case, for time immemorial, although I don’t feel overly confident that that will be the case.
Our final morning on Lindsay Island dawned, another lovely day beckoned and with hot cross buns for breaky, it couldn’t get much better than this.
Leaving our camp and then crossing an open part of the Island.
The bridge over Lindsay River that allows access to and from the Island.
We now headed to Mildura to visit the original Homestead from where the town originated. Our first stop was the stations cemetery, the first in the area.
What I wanted to see was the final resting place of John Hawdon. The Hawdon name is synonymous with so much of the regions early history. Joseph Hawdon (his father) was the first to overland stock from the east, across virgin land (for Europeans) to Adelaide in the 1830s.
The Homestead itself a few hundred metres from the cemetery. So much old stuff to see and admire, boy they did it tough in the old days.
With out this, things would have been a lot worse!
Due to Covid, access inside the Homestead had been curtailed, but through the windows you could still get an appreciation of what it was like.
Don’t think the fluro light was original though!!
The stations shearing shed, such a pity we couldn’t see inside.
The blacksmiths shed had so many interesting things to see.
Even the Eucalypts around the complex caught my attention.
From there we drove south, hoping to find a decent camp spot on the Murray where we could spend the next two nights before heading home. Just near Colignan we felt we again hit the jack pot.
Our camp and a shot looking upstream from the van.
I’d chosen this particular spot for the potential of seeing some sunsets over the river, if mother nature turned it on.
Our first night wasn’t spectacular but still nice.
Another peaceful and serene evening under the stars. As this was our second last night on the road I decided to get the girls dinner. Sit back around the fire ladies and let the maestro at it.
Now most know me, although some may not. that lovely meal I claimed was my creation was not of my hands. No way could I do anything like that, plus the girls would’t allow me within cooee of the vans kitchen!!
Our last full day was spent just pottering around the bush and river near where we were. Even had our last (brief) swim for the year.
At times a great volume of water must make its way down the river, for the erosion here is well above what is the normal height of the river.
On the other side of the point of land where we camped.
As we made our way back to the van we came across these quite unique trees.
The two seperate trees had joined where their branches had rubbed against each other, eventually growing together as one.
Late in the day we cranked up the fire and waited for mother nature to hopefully put on a show for us.
Our last day of our trip/holiday had arrived, we had had some lovely reflections over our time away. Our last morning didn’t disappoint.
We took a convoluted course back to Melbourne (who would of thought I would have done that Ha!) This next pic features a horse trough, located in the main street (yes, main street!) of Chinkapook!!
Another legacy left by George.
We then stopped on the northern shores of Lake Tyrrell, ( Victorias largest salt lake) again showing the great diversity of Victorias landscapes.
Over 100,000 tonnes of salt is commercially extracted from the lake each year, mining of salt from the lake first occurred in 1896.
In Wycheproofs Centenary Park, this slab hut was on display.
It was part of a house built in 1892 located on a property just south of town. The family donated it in 1974 to be on display in the Park, so more could see and appreciate it.
All the timbers used in its construction were sourced locally and all cut by hand.
This tree behind it was worth showing you, it has quite a unique trunk and form to it.
It’s called a Salmon Gum, a species indigenous to W.A.
Back in Wedderburn we again stopped to photograph the magnificent murals that had been recently painted in town. These were in better light now than when we came through a week or so previous.
A Golden Whistler.
A Scarlet Robin.
A Superb Fairy Wren.
When we first came through town, this mural was in the planning or sketch phase. It was then good to see the finished product.
A Black Shouldered Kite, how magnificent is this mural? the detail is superb.
In flight they can hover stationary searching for prey.
The Uniting Church was now complete and free of contrasting shadows from the mobile scaffold which were cast over it when we were last there.
The bird at the top is a Yellow Tufted Honeyeater and the one below, a Purple Crowned Lorikeet.
On the left hand side of the building the Blue Faced Honeyeater has been featured along with the Variegated Wren below it.
The last photo of the trip, and this series of reports is the Churches front door, so colourful.
Hope you all enjoyed seeing what we saw and did on our week or so away.
Col, Jen and Kristie.
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The worst day above ground, is a whole lot better than the best one under it. Live life to the fullest while you can.
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