CWA latest to help reserve recovery

NEWBRIDGE Country Women’s Association branch has become the latest group to support rebuilding of the town’s recreation reserve after last October’s floods.

President Julie Ramsay on Sunday presented a cheque for $750 to reserve committee treasurer Kaye Graham.

Julie said the amount donated included $250 received from the Sutton Grange CWA branch for the recovery effort.

Kaye said the committee con- tinued to receive support as the massive recovery effort continued.

Inglewood and District Community Bank had met the cost of a new defibrillator and contributed to January’s Rock on Loddon concert while a donation had also been received from Kangaroo Flat Y Service Women.

Kaye said volunteers Phil Latter, Colleen Young and Graeme Daly had already contributed many hours to the cleanup.

Holiday scene changers lap up lake experience

VISITORS choosing a holiday destination away from the Murray River helped put Loddon caravan parks at capacity of the long weekend.

Boort Lakes’ Wendy James said the park had several new holidaymakers opting for the experience beside Little Lake Boort.

Wendy said some had previously camped along the Murray River but those spots had yet to re-open after the October floods.

“We were at capacity and turning people away who were looking for a powered site,.” she said.

“We had lots of regulars who saw that the weather forecast was for a good weekend and those who wanted to try something different with their normal destinations unavailable.”

However, Wendy said there was yet to be the return to pre-COVID levels of grey nomads touring the area.

“We used to see 20 or 30 in a week in off-peak times but the level remains a trickle compared with three years ago,” she said.

Similar bookings for the long weekend were also reported at Wedderburn and Bridgewater.

And while the campground at Newbridge remains closed, more than a dozen camp sites were set up either side of the Loddon River bridge at Newbridge and large numbers were again on site at Laanecoorie.

However, while those two Loddon River sites were popular, no activity was seen at more than 20 camp sites on Crown land along the river and nearby creeks.