Part 2.......A day trip...........

 Blanchetown and Lock 1

The next day (Sunday) was a free day so we decided to be tourists while we were in the area. On the following map you can see how the Murray River changes direction at Morgan. We were staying at Waikerie which is not actually marked on this map, but about mid point between the 2 purple dots t othe left of Barmera. We drove across country to Blanchetown and Lock 1..............

First there is a bit of history about the locks and weirs on the river which I have copied for a website...................and as a bit of trivia, Barry and the Randell family are on the same family tree.

After the establishment of the River Murray Commission in 1917, regulating structures including weirs and locks were constructed along the River Murray.

By 1922, the first Lock and Weir was completed at Blanchetown and was officially known as Lock and Weir 1, but was named the William R Randell Lock, after Captain William Richard Randell, the first river boat captain to navigate the Murray River in 1853. It was also the Murray’s longest weir at 168.5 metres long while the last one to be completed was at Euston in 1937 near Robinvale in New South Wales, while the last weir to be completed without a lock was at Yarrawonga in 1939.

The purpose of the weirs is to:

• Store water for consumptive use and to regulate river flow downstream.
• Provide a raised river level upstream of the weir to improve the navigability of the river (vessels can navigate through the weir via its lock).

The weirs and their weir pools – the water stored behind the weir – provide bodies of water at higher levels than would otherwise be present. This allows water to be diverted for agricultural, domestic and industrial use. The weir pools and locks also enable recreational activities.

There are 14 weirs along the River Murray – all except Yarrawonga Weir include a navigation lock. The weirs at Mildura, Torrumbarry and Yarrawonga were constructed primarily for water supply, rather than navigation. 

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This is Lock 1, at Blanchetown.

..and the bridge over the river at Blanchetown...........

We drove along the river at Blanchetown and noted the damage from the floods of 2022/2023 when all this area was under water. It was so sad to see some of the shacks that seem to be abandoned, although we noted a lot of rebuilding and repairs also.............

...........you can see how high the water came by the water marks on this garage...........

.....and this brick house where the walls are crumbling.........

I love the cliffs along the river, and would love to actually see these from on the water.......something on my bucket list!

The next stop was at Morgan, and we crossed the ferry to get to the town.......

The town of Morgan is rich with history...........

Our next port of call was Lock 2.............

This map was interesting to actually see the total area and other river systems that feed into the Murray river...

We were headed next to Lock 3, and along the way is the Overland Corner hotel, and if you zoom in the photo below you can see the 2023 flood level mark on the wall!!!

All this area was underwater also............

Here is Lock 3...........

Just further on from Lock 3 we came across Lake Bonney....... 

........and the camp sites along the water's edge, which we noted for future trips.........

From Lake Bonney we drove into Barmera, and came across the icecream van!! Note, there were many 'big' kids lining up for icecreams, and not the little ones!!

As we drove back into Waikerie we turned into a lookout and saw people camped down below......

This area was called Holder Bend and is a free camp area and a first come, best spot basis....................

Then it was back into Waikerie and we stopped for pics of the painted silos..........

At the quilting day I had met up with Nicky, who used to live in Bordertown. That evening we had a lovely catchup with her and enjoyed another meal at the Waikerie Hotel.

This post covers Lock 1, 2 and 3. We have visited at Lock 4 and 10 last year, so perhaps we might check out the remaining locks in future trips?? I love the river, it seems so peaceful, although those who saw it in flood and the damage it brought, probably wouldn't agree with me.

That's all for this posts, will be back soon with a report of our trip back home.

Blessings, From Jude