The perfect lunch spot

Our driving route between Yankabilly Island and Echuca was mapped out to give us plenty of spectacular Murry River views. We spread the journey over two days with an overnight stop in Swan Hill. Our booking in Swan Hill was a last minute addition. With the border remaining open in the days leading up to our vacation we decided to relocate to a motel in town rather than stay at a regional golf resort in New South Wales.

This proved a savvy decision. The Augusta Motel got rave reviews online and proved to be a great choice. We had planned to visit Swan Hill’s primary attraction, the Pioneer Settlement museum. However, the day before we’d enjoyed spectacular lunch on the river that left us keen to get to Moama and board our riverboat as early as possible. As a result, we stopped at the town's giant Muarry Cod for an obligatory tourist photo, walked The Ten Steps down to the Murray, and then headed south via Lake Boga.

Our lunch spot the previous day had been a genuine stroke of luck. We followed the Murray River out of Mildura and headed east towards Boundary Bend. We’d planned to have lunch in Boundary Bend. However, upon arrival, the riverscape around the town left a lot to be desired. On a whim, we took a gravel side road on the other side of town that lead to the Passage Camp Conversation Reserve.

Much to our delight, the end of the road opened onto a stunning scenic bend in the river. We pulled out our picnic rug and enjoyed an hour of sunny solitude soaking in the most magical scene. Without a doubt, it was one of the most memorable lunch spots on our entire road trip. Click on the panorama below to enlarge it and you'll see exactly what I mean.