Mighty Murray River

We decided on a small part of the mighty Murray River, that we had yet to explore, as our weekend camping destination.

Mark's colleges laughter followed by "You are going where?" and rumors that the river was running dry had planted a seed of doubt and I questioned if we had made the right choice.  Mark remained confident in our selection, but I was beginning to have qualms as we once again hit the road.

Our journey took us from the sea breezes to an oppressive inland heat. The bitumen that had taken us from the green gardens of Adelaide, through the orchards (citrus, olive, and grape) of the River Lands, was far behind us.  We now crossed a dry and dusty track, and once again I felt doubt begin to rise.

Suddenly the leafless and lifeless plants of the dry escarpment were replaced by low lying shrubs.  These dry land plants--tea tree, hop bush, and murray pines--were showing the benefits of the recent rains.  Among the dry branches, new tender green shoots could be detected.  As we approached the river's flood plain we found ourselves in a forest of giant red and black gum trees.  Their towering canopy provided relief from the brutal sun.

Numbered campsites appeared on the riverside of the road.  To our dismay each one was already occupied.  According to the map, we had one option left, and we kept our fingers crossed as we continued down the road.  As we turned the final bend we let out a sigh of relief when we saw that the site was empty.

As I climbed out of the car and examined the Murray River any fears of disappointment were washed away.  I knew that the idyllic setting would provide nothing but pleasure.