Sam Fuller, Sharni Wright, Bianca Pangrazio and Allison Whitney on their horses Moe, Reyn, Jewel and Kingy at Greens Lake.
Photo by
Ryan Bellingham
Visitors and locals took advantage of the warm weather and good water levels at Greens Lake on Friday, January 3.
Sarah and Anthony Hunter taking a break in the shade after a swim with their dog, Ollie.
Photo by
Ryan Bellingham
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Anthony Hunter from Heathcote said he had been camping at the lake with friends for the past 15 or so years, travelling to the site because it was close to home.
Mr Hunter and his wife, Sarah, had arrived the day prior with their dog, Ollie, for a short break to enjoy swimming, walking and relaxing by the water.
“I’ve got four days off. I work in aged care, so we’re very busy,” Mrs Hunter said.
The lake has been subject to a New Year’s Eve shutdown for the past decade due to its popularity, so the Hunters chose to visit a few days after to beat the crowds.
“Because it was shut new year’s, I knew everyone had to pack up and go home, so all the riff-raff would be gone,” Mr Hunter said.
Campsites along the lake’s edge were dotted with tents and caravans around 2pm, including Brett and Leanne Morgan’s light-duty truck and trailer set up shoreside.
Caravans were the most popular shelter along the southwest side of Greens Lake.
Photo by
Ryan Bellingham
Brett and Leanne Morgan hold a map of Australia showing all of the places they've travelled, marked in black, over the past three years.
Photo by
Ryan Bellingham
The pair have been travelling the country for the past three years, Mr Morgan said, with a few intervals for work back home in York, Western Australia.
“This year I just didn’t go home. I didn’t worry about it,” Mr Morgan said.
He said they came to Greens Lake for the free camping and amenities, the scenic views of the lake, and to appease their dog, Hank.
“(Hank) loves the water, so we usually try and find free camps near a river, lake or the ocean,” Mr Morgan said.
The Morgans were on their second day at the lake, and had a flexible outlook on the remainder of their stay and future plans.
“We’ll probably be here for another couple days, and then we’ll just drift off somewhere ... our plan is we don’t have a plan,” Mr Morgan said with a laugh.
The Morgans have taken their 2WD Hino 300 series truck and caravan through nearly every state in Australia.
Photo by
Ryan Bellingham
Their truck and caravan combination has journeyed to unlikely places, which has been made possible by patience and adaptability, Mr Morgan said.
Being used to working long shifts as a road train driver for grain transport, it took Mr Morgan around six months to adjust to their easygoing lifestyle, he said.
“You’ve got to go, ‘I’m finished with all of that, now I’ve got this’. And you’ve got to make this your priority now, not your job,” Mr Morgan said.
Mrs Morgan said they often got recommendations on where they should stay next from other travellers, and that Carter’s Beach in Tocumwal was a possible next stop.
Local riders capitalised on the relatively quiet day to train their horses in water and cool off.
Photo by
Ryan Bellingham
Further along the shore, a group of local horse riders were taking the opportunity to train their horses while it was quieter.
A five-knot speed limit is currently enforced across the lake due to falling storage levels, according to Goulburn-Murray Water.
Allison Whitney said the riders spent most of their time in bushland, but had to occasionally cross rivers, so the lake helped the horses to get comfortable in water.
Sam Fuller, Sharni Wright and Bianca Pangrazio said they agreed it was also a good chance for the riders to cool off and let their horses drink.
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