Festive Jaunting

On our way to see family for the festive season, we stopped at some wonderful places in regional NSW. Our first stop was a river-side camp on the Murrumbidgee River near Narrandera. This is where the River widens and makes its leisurely journey towards the Hay Plain.

Sunrise on the Murrumbidgee River

Murrumbidgee River camp

Our stay was very peaceful, with just us, the birds, a few wandering cattle, and some grey kangaroos for most of the time. A great place to relax and avoid the summer crowds! The morning sunrise over the River was spectacular.

Thirsty Koala

Narrandera is a fabulous place to spot koalas as there is a large section of river red gums set aside for their habitat. These trees are a great source of food and the Murrumbidgee River offers a cooler location for them to sleep in the trees on hotter days. We saw quite a few koalas on a short walk beside the creek that runs into Lake Talbot on an early morning stroll. Lucky for us, we found a cute little koala just sitting on the bank of the River having a long, cool drink. He then ambled up the bank and pounced into a nearby tree before jumping across to another branch, then descending again to have another drink. It was a real treat to see an active koala in the wild! We managed to catch the action on a series of videos.

Koala Gallery

Everyone loves a koala. Here are a few photos that we managed to take of these beautiful creatures, including our thirsty little koala.

Coolah Christmas

Our next stop was the village of Coolah in central NSW to catch up with our family for Christmas. We had a spacious camping spot on the banks of the Coolaburragundy River and enjoyed several days of festivity and relaxation. The flying foxes roosting near our campsite provided some great opportunities for back-lit photography at sunset.

Wild Rivers

Our next stop was the Apsley Wild Rivers National Park near Walcha where we managed to get the last campsite in the Apsley Falls campground at this busy time of year. The River was far from wild, more like a trickle, as the spring rains were not very bountiful this year (unlike 2022, but more on that later). The elevation meant cooler weather, which was very welcome, so it was a lovely stay.

The gorge walks were great as always, despite the absence of water. A highlight was to spot a pair of peregrine falcons soaring over the magnificent chasms in search of prey. They are so fast on the wing and their colouring blends perfectly with the surrounding cliffs.

Two years ago

Back in 2022, we travelled through this same region and what a difference we experienced this year. In 2022, torrential and persistent spring rains in NSW and VIC caused widespread flooding that affected the Lachlan and Murrimbidgee Rivers, to name just two. Check out Apsley Falls in September 2022! It was just a trickle in 2024.

Apsley Falls - 2022

Likewise the koala habitat in Narrandera became a flooded red gum forest in 2022. It was totally dry in 2024. Australia certainly is a land of extremes.

Next stop...Port Macquarie