This day I was skirting the edge of the Murray Sunset National Park. It differed from the day before, just as on my previous trip, with scrubby bush composed of sparse trees and sand. Except that everything is green since the long drought broke and the floods came.
I stopped at Brown’s Creek, which was a nothing,
then pushed on for Loxton, Berri, Renmark and the Murray River.
This area is a delta both lush and historical. I would have liked to spend a day exploring the area, but I was more eager to put further miles on the bike.
The next road was the Sturt Highway, the crossing between Perth and Sydney, and for me the crossing from Renmark to Robinvale. On the map it looks like a long boring march. And for some people that would be the case. However I love the hot, empty, dry feeling of endless space, intermixed with constantly shifting details available to those who look. I loved this road.
Mid way and 90km into this desert and suddenly…an oasis! Lake Cullulleraine.
I passed through Mildura with little interest except to see the shape of the Murray at that place. My Mum lives on the Murray at Nyah, which is Aboriginal for ‘this bend’ in the river. The forest and water at that bend are calm and peaceful. At Mildura the water is big and wild. And impersonal. At Nyah there is something intimate about the forest and the river.
The next 200km began to look more and more like the Mallee I know.
I pushed my motorcycle hard and arrived at my Mum’s a day early, and before dusk.
another nice entry matt!
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