Can not believe this post has been sitting here unfinished for months. Life gets busy but seriously not that busy.

Back in January we went on our first holiday over 2 days since 2019. Well for me, Greg was a few years more. There is so much lead up to a holiday and then you blink and your home and its a memory. As Greg works for himself in the disability sector we can only have holiday when his client goes on a holiday. January one of the hotest months however Greg had put air con in the caravan a few months before so we should be ok as long as we stay where there is power. Our solar wouldnt be able to cope in the 40 plus heat.

We were heading to Swan Hill or Lake Boga in far north Victoria for a few days as Greg’s 4WD needed a service. So off we went stopping at Shepparton Caravan park for a few days. The caravan park in Shepparton is right beside the Goulburn River and Shepparton Lake. We walked around the lake every day and the river. Its over a 4 hour drive to Lake Boga from Albury and our dog Sally wouldnt cope. She dosnt travel to good at the best of the times. Even when I use essential oils to help calm her. History of being dumped before we took her on when she was 2.

We also had purchased an annex so we could practice our darts in the evenings. We had a portable dart board and floor so we were good to go. During the day we would visit Gregs Mum at her retirement home and have a swim in the pool and we bascially just relaxed.

On the Monday the 8th January this year we drove to Lake Boga Caravan Park. We stopped at Cohuna on the way where we had a coffee and some lovely scones.

Unfortunatly we encountered some horrible birds that will try and eat your food while your eating it and they also would swoop at our dogs any chance. They are called Indian Minors and apparantly they breed all year round. My poor Sally is so scared of them. Give me a Magpie anyday.

Arrived at the caravan park and discovered everyone was packed in like sardines. Most spots would have 2-3 cars and a boat or a jet ski. Luckly we have the mover on the caravan as even reversering the van into the tight spot without hitting the tree between our us and our neighbors. However, we got it in set up the annex and went to explore. When new people arrive into a caravan park everyone else watches you argue and park the van lol. The mover we have on the van is what is called a marriage saver lol. As we had a lot of rain up there the grass was quite high and some very wet spots so even with the mover it was hard. We missed the tree and the power board though so thats good. We paid top dollar for where we were however we couldnt even see the lake. We took a walk around the lake and it seemed that the people in their vans believed that space was theirs. We didnt let that get to us so we did the walk every morning and evening. Ha Ha…

We actually found out a few days later when they finally spoke to us that it was a thing to go there every Christmas New Year for some it was 4 weeks others 3. All family and friends so we were the interloppers. We had stayed at the park when Greg picked up his new 4Wd in one of the pet friendly cabins and it actually seemed a nice place. It was May so quite empty.

On the Wednesday Greg drove into Swan Hill and dropped his Ute off for its service and came back to the park with a service car. We walked quite a lot that day around the lake and rested also under the aircon in the van, till he went and picked it up.

Every day we would drive to the other side of the lake and swim the girls swam Greg would take his boat out on the water. It was so much fun.

We went on a couple of drives to surrounding areas. Nyah and Nyah west where Gregs parents come from. Lots of country towns barely existing due to the water buy backs our stupid governments did back a few years ago. Now the farms are foreign owned mostly Chinese.

One of the spots was WoodWood on the Murray we had a few jokes about WoodWood . We stopped for a toilet break for us humans and dogs.

I took a picture of the river went to the loo. (toilet) I put my phone in its black case on the back of the 4WD which is black when I went to the loo. We got the dogs in the car and off we drove – as Greg took off on the highway I yelled my phone. It was in the middle of the road and the whole screen was smashed, it was stuffed. – Greg rang Swan Hill to see if we could get a new phone unfortunatly they didnt have anyone who sells I phones, so I had to wait till we got back to Shepparton. I thought my photos would be history! Lucky for me they transferred over to the new phone!

Another day we ventured on the Speewa Ferry which is roughly 20 kms from Swan HIll.

We also have a ferry which takes us across the Murray River near us in Albury.

Another day we drove to Kangaroo Lake to have a look around. Prime Minister of Australia Gorton came from this town.

We found a great spot to have some morning tea. It was grassy and lovely trees around it. Remember it was January in Australia which is one of our hotest months and Swan Hill and surrounds its usually very hot. Well a family arrived some in a boat and in cars. She comes up and says ” We are here every day and we take up this much room – she put her hands out as to how much room they took up. Well it was more than that, they took up the whole grassed area. So we got back in the car, in hindsight we should have stood our ground. We were on holidays and didnt want any confrontation but it did annoy us.

We found the street named after Prime Minister Gorton!

We spent hours over the other side of the lake, the girls our dogs swam, we both swam. Even though it was hot we didnt burn like a lot did. I did get a bit red on my shoulders but I used essential oils to help with that. We were using a product from Western Austraia called Avocoda Zinc- has no nasty chemicals in it.

We had also purchased the girls – dogs some water vests and I think this helped them with their swimming as they were much more boyont in the water.

Near the caravan park in Lake Boga you can see the carp they are a horrible fish and were introduced by the Europeans years ago. They hang out in the shallow waters and you see them breathing just under the water.

If you catch Carp you are not allowed to throw back in, so you will find lots of dead carp along the foreshore. Along with rater rats, yes lots of water rats. Around the back of the lake where we swam each day, the bottom is sandy and the carp dont really like it there. So you wont find many.

We cooked our breakfasts on the free bbq’s around the lake and had quick dinners in the van.

At night we played a few games of darts once it had cooled down.

We slept well and so did the dogs. Not waking up during the night and not getting up till long after 7. Life was bliss.

On the Sunday before we left Lake Boga we went and watched the yachts on the Lake.

When Greg was growing up in Swan Hill his uncle had a yacht and Greg would take it out on the lake a lot. I think he spent his school holidays on the yacht on the lake!

After 7 days we moved onto Sea Lake which is about 50 minutes away.

More on that later. I hope it dosnt take me too long to write that one!