Reedy Lake Ibis Rookery, Kerang, Victoria

Kerang Bird Hide, Victoria

Our holiday in Victoria

September 2007

From Gisborne we travelled north to Bendigo. This is a beautiful city in the gold fields region of Victoria. There are many historic buildings and places in this rural city, but we had only enough time to visit a native plant nursery – my wife’s passion – and to have lunch in one of the parks.

The historic heritage of this city and the natural beauty of the area deserve more than just a quick drive through. It deserves a week or two of exploration, camera in hand. We did have an extended holiday there many years ago. I must have some photographic slides of the city that will be worth digging out and showing here sometime.

As we drove north from Bendigo we were stunned by how the drought had affected the northern parts of the state. A few kilometres out of Bendigo it was as if someone had drawn a line across the road. The rain stopped at that line. Vegetation in the paddocks north of there were bare of feed for the sheep and cattle, despite it being the middle of spring. The fields should have been lush with pasture.

Just out of the town of Kerang we stopped for a half hour to visit the Reedy Lake Ibis Rookery. Every time we use this road I make a point of stopping here for a cuppa and a spot of birding.

Reedy Lake Ibis Rookery, Kerang, Victoria