DIARY OF AN AUSSIE WOMBAT " Police Paddocks near Rutherglen Victoria

/Greetings!.... I am sorry I haven't been making many entries of late because we have all been having fun, going for drives, playing games, swimming and fishing! So I will bring all my fans up to date...
 
Well, all I can tell you is that mum, dad and I are really glad to have left the caravan park and got back to the bush! The caravan park people were absolutely lovely and nothing was too much, the showers were nice and they had a library and a pool… but the spots assigned to people with caravans and camper trailers are small and only one or two have shade right next to the cabins… and we were all pretty well squished in next to each other. Mum and dad discussed a couple of people in the more ‘advanced’ age bracket trying to tow and turn their brand spanking new HUGE caravan. Dad reckons people who buy vans that size and have an awful lot trouble trying to turn, line up and reverse a HUGE caravan like this one need their semi-trailer licence! After seeing the drama I am inclined to agree.
 

THEN! A lot of young people dragged their sorry butts into the park at 4:30 a.m. and woke EVERYONE up in the park! Dad was not happy… I woke up, and then mum woke up but said to dad ‘don’t worry about it’… Dad said “I suppose… we were young once too”… we all went back to sleep until it was the right time to get up. As I drifted off to sleep I tried to imagine mum and dad being totally irresponsible, staggering into a packed caravan park and laughing loudly discussing how ‘fucking drunk” they were….(Sorry for the naughty word). Dad started banging things that made a hell of a racket on purpose (naughty daddy), mum just shook her head and gave me my weetbix and milk, made herself a coffee and went outside for her usual cigarette and looked up to the Heavens  and said, “hello Fred! Hello mum and dad, thank you… We’re living the dream” then she saw all the rude boys and girls were asleep in their little tents and swags so she yelled out “GOOD MORNING!” one of the boys looked up worse for wear groaned and stuck his head back under the blanket. Mum giggled and sat down behind the van and then heard a stuffy woman complaining about mum as the cigarette smoke had wafted into her new caravan (the one that was as big as a Mack truck) so she went back inside when she had finished her coffee and told dad what had happened. Dad said “Oh really? Well then, let’s get cracking!” went outside and made as much banging and other annoying noises that he could. Mum and dad might fight a bit, but they make me laugh when they close ranks!  

We finished packing and with a final toot of the horn, we headed off to the Policeman’s Paddocks in Victoria on the banks of the Murray River near the town of Rutherglen. The paddocks got their name from the Victorian Police Troopers who used to spell their horses here. The River is flowing nicely and mum fell in as the mud on the banks was very slippery! She just sat there and laughed… and as she was half way in immersed the rest of herself in… Dad was not far behind. You couldn’t see the bottom of the river but it was clear where the current started to flow and where the quiet bits were too. Mum and dad went for two swims it was so nice!

We have two more additions to the camp site. An ensuite tent and a solar hot water shower. Mum suggested we get the toilet tent and shower before we left home but dad said we didn’t need them… Then he saw the other people with them at other free camp sites and said to mum “I think we should get those they are a good idea”… Mum said something under her breath and just nodded. We are all just sitting in the annex enjoying the breeze that is blowing through from the river.  We intend to stay here until after Christmas...Happy Days!

Day 1 POLICE PADDOCKS Monday 16/12/2013

Our first full day at Police Paddocks so named because in 1880 the Victorian Police or troopers spelled their horses here. (Remember Ned Kelly was near Rutherglen!) The flies here are not as bad as other places we have stayed, but little tiny grass wasps buzz and it sounds like there is a swarm! They don't hurt humans (or wombats more importantly)...  

Dad insisted on putting up the pop up toilet tent mum told him to be careful as the name says it all, but dad being dad said, "I know what I'm doing! I can do it"... Mum made that 'hmmm' noise again and looked at the roof of the annex, she seems to do that a lot when dad says something after mum has, it's like she's looking for something but never finds it! Mum stopped making her list and waited for a bit, I didn't know what for.. then all of a sudden from outside "BOING!!" went the pop up toilet tent... "YARRRR!" went dad who got an uppercut from the BOING! Mum smiled, shook her head and went back to making her notes. Mum had to go to bed early that night she said she threw her back out... I wonder how she still cooked dinner and tucked me in without it?

Day 2 Police Paddocks Tuesday 17/12/2013

Early morning and dad had gone for a swim and let mum sleep because of her back. I stayed with mum and watched dad swimming from the window. After breakfast, mum and dad had bacon and grilled tomato, I had some grass... We played hide and seek and I found the best place ever, until dad eventually found me and the game was over. It got hot so time for a swim again, It's nifty having a campsite right next to a river! Mum and dad made sure there was a safe swimming hole as I am not a good swimmer and the current is stronger than it looks.  Mum got out by climbing on the submerged roots of the River Gum trees, dad got out 'his way'... and fell back in two times attempting to get out. Boy was I laughing inside! Mum found a large tree that had been placed across the river on purpose to help with habitat for the Murray Cod, the Murray Crayfish, and some kind of turtle. She swam right out to the edge of the current and just floated all the way down to where dad and me waited. Dad waved and called out 'Bye Bye! See you in Mildura!" I got a bit panicky "MILDURA!!?" I cried, but dad assured me he was only joking and mum was fine. I looked up to see mum swim across the current to the exit point. Then lunch and after waiting for an hour or so we had another swim... it was just so nice in the water and later dad caught his very first Murray Cod. He put it back.

 

Day 3 Police Paddocks Wednesday 18/12/2013

The weather forecast for today is just really hot! So we all drove to Rutherglen for a look around. (I ate some grass)... Dad filled up the water container while mum went into the Information Centre, (I ate some more grass) Mum and dad talked with a nice lady at the centre named Marlene and she told mum that there were many Cregans' associated with the town. Mum and dad want to find some more stuff out as we only know that Poppy Jim was born in Rutherglen in a covered wagon in 1913... (While they talked I went outside and I ate more grass) Mum and Dad renewed their fishing licences and I found more yummy grass... Dad then said it was time for lunch. I told him I wasn't hungry and I had a tummy ache.

Day 4 Police Paddocks Thursday 19/12/2013

Housekeeping, cleaning with mum sweeping everything in the annex out, dad found a killed a huge black spider that was down a deep hole and mum said it made her skin crawl, and mum isn't really that scared of spiders... I hummed 'Red Back on the Toilet Seat' dad laughed but mum didn't see the funny side.

Went for a swim again at 10:30a.m. Today is going to be hotter than yesterday. Forecast 36!

We spent most of the day in the river as the van and even the annex was too hot... as the sun went down we all went fishing.. and I think mum must have caught a whale. It took the hook, and the rod bent all the way over and the reel just screamed out about 100 meters of fishing line and it ended ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE RIVER! Dad said whatever it was, it was huge! Mum got all cranky pants because she didn't land it. Mum also caught a Murray Crayfish but put it back... actually, it put itself back. There was a bit of a tug of war and mum tried to shake the hook and line enough to get the cray to let go... Dad went down to help and asked himself if he was brave enough to try and get the hook out by hand. Mum said "Don't do it!"... in the end, dad shook the line so hard that the Cray let go of the hook and very deliberately walked back into the river. I think he was as cranky as mum was! 

Well that's about it for now... I will write more when I can but tomorrow we will be going out into town for the entire day as the temperature will be creeping up to the 40 mark.

 

Where the Wombat is

 

The River

 

It's very nice here.. but very hot

 

Dad and me watching mum swim

 

Best hiding spot EVER!

 

Dad was shocked he caught the Murray Cod, it was way to small.

 

I ate too much grass....