Inland New South Wales, the Murray River and Victoria: a downward spiral

Described as "Your Oasis on the Edge of the Outback", the caravan park at Deniliquin seemed idyllic until the mosquitoes, sandflies and locusts moved in. At one stage the inside of the van was literally hopping with locusts. After Siamese Katie had pounced on a few, she left the rest for us to capture. The sandflies were not so easily dealt with as they squeezed through the insect netting and swarmed around the lights -- then as we slept, bit. At least mosquitoes give a warning wine! More insidious though was the heavily chlorinated water supply (river water) which ended up making me feel quite unwell before I realised that cause and stopped drinking it. This has made me even more appreciative of Mitchell's artesian water supply accessed from the Great Artesian Basin 1 km beneath the surface. No pollution down there; no need to add chemicals to make the water safe to drink. Aside from the insects and chlorinated water, however, stately river red gums and ash trees dotted expansive green lawns with well-kept walking tracks perfect for dog walks through dry red gum forests. The discovery of a billabong at dusk was the highlight of my day. As the forest settled itself into the mirror surface, all was calm, all was still.