Wakool River Reserve

Location: Werai Lane, Wakool Area, NSW.

Duration: 1 night Free Camping

Distance: Travelling from Ouyen to Wakool – 215km

This camp area is 11km east of Wakool or 53km west of Deniliquin. To access this camping area you need to turn east just south of the Wakool River bridge which is on the Wakool Road. Once in, just follow the tracks to find a suitable camp spot along the river. No facilities provided so you will need to be self contained.

When we left Ouyen, we kept following the Calder Highway and going through places like Mittyack and Chinkapook when we finally arrived in Swan Hill. All roads we travelled along were in very good condition.

During the 1850’s Swan Hill was a major inland river trading port along the Murray River. When railways became the preferred method of transport, the town had to change in order to survive. And with the river for a water supply, they became a large grower of citrus farms and vineyards which extend for many kilometres to the north-west.

The GEM paddle steamer was very interesting to read about times gone by. It was built at Moana and originally launched in 1876. The GEM was largest paddle steamer of the Murray River, it was built to transport cargo and wool.

The Giant Murray Cod, is a tribute to the massive Murray Cods that have been caught in the Murray River over the years. This monument is 15 meters long, 5 meters high and 3 meters wide. It was originally built in 1991 as a prop in 1992 for the movie eight ball. It was not uncommon years gone by to catch Murray Cod of 81kg. They can grow up to 1.8meters long and weigh up to 112.5kg. Unfortunately, you don’t see sizes like that anymore.

After a walk around Swan Hill and spending time in the town we made our way to the next overnight camp spot along the Wakool River, it was a massive area and plenty of places to choose to suit your own set up. We found it very peaceful and enjoyed walking all along the tracks.