Hallidays Point – Nov 2019 – Tooleybuc

It’s our first big trip. We’re off to visit my (Darren’s) Dad in Hallidays Point.

For those that don’t know where that is, it’s just north of Forster on the NSW Mid North Coast. Since this trip covers a period of about 2 weeks we’ll break it down into smaller posts.

Day Zero

Our first real overnight stop was planned for Tooleybuc. However, in order to make that leg easier, we decided to head out the evening before and camp overnight at the football oval in Tailem Bend, about an hour out of Adelaide. We eventually made it out of the driveway at about 5 PM – not the best timing for traffic. We used our preferred route down South Road to Cross Road and then the bottom of the South Eastern Freeway. There is a more direct route from home to the freeway, but that involves some very twisty bits. We use it often for day trips, but as it doesn’t save a lot of time, it is best avoided with the caravan in tow. I’m sure the other drivers on that route would thank us too.

Day One

The Big Olive

Heading out of Tailem Bend in the morning we stopped by The Big Olive. This marked the second item crossed off our Big Things list. Unfortunately – or is that fortunately? – it was closed at the time, so all we could do was take some photos.

The next stop wasn’t anywhere in particular but was mandated by Megan’s need to do some work with a colleague. Internet coverage disappears between towns, so the stop was needed to get the work done. We wound up at the park in the main street of Lameroo. Here, Megan could work at the picnic table and Jack could have a good roll and run on the grass.

The Big Malley Root

Another stop, this time in Murrayville for a bite of lunch. For me this comprised the largest seafood basket I had ever seen for the money. Then it was on to Ouyen where another Big Thing could be checked off the list. This time it was The Big Malley Root, which currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest Malley Root Stump. Apparently this had been a contentious issue between Ouyen and Tooleybuc for some time.

Normally we’d also stop at the Ouyen Malley Bakery, but as we’d already had lunch we didn’t on this occasion. They make some damned delicious pies.

Tooleybuc

As already mentioned, our final destination for the day was Tooleybuc, but not the town. Instead, just before crossing the Murray River at Tooleybuc Bridge, there’s a turn off the highway to the left. It is an unsignposted, narrow dirt track with scrub close on both sides. Down here we found ourselves at Macredie Island. At least this is what Find-A-Camp calls it. Wikicamps called it Tooleybuc Bridge.

I was immediately concerned that we may not fit, or that we may not find a place to turn around. Fortunately those fears proved baseless. At one point I did have to clamber onto the top of the toolbox on the front of the van and use our freshly acquired hatchet to remove some low branches while Megan drove along very slowly. We were only a hundred metres or so from the highway, but we could have been in the middle of nowhere. These are first-come-first-serve camp sites, and although we didn’t see anyone else around, there were old camp fire remains visible in a few places. We aborted the first site we selected, as Megan found a better one, which entailed an interesting reversing manoeuvre, but slow and steady proved successful. It was stunning. We will probably return here.

Oh, and the Murray River checks off our first I’ve Been Everywhere location. Bonus.