11/06/2025
Lake Albacutya Trip Report - May 30 to June 1
We struck luck with the weather this weekend as we departed Kerang around 2:45, mild and sunny we were heading due west deep into Mallee country.
Max and Margy were trip leaders for the weekend and it wasnât long before Max led us off the bitumen along every dirt road and back track for the shortest possible route to Lake Albacutya. It was actually quite nice to zoom along these quiet trackâs admiring many farms and the local terrain. Surprisingly it was also much smoother than the terrible Victorian roads.
We were a party of 3 vehicles (Max & Margy, Pieter, Trudy & kids, Rob & Bayley), stopping briefly to admire the silo art at Roseberry before rolling into the western beach campground right on dusk. Bryan & Shirley along with Russell & Dianne whom arrived earlier in the day had a fire going and it wasnât long before we were joined by Andre and Eloise. Party of 6 in total.
We settled in for a quiet evening.
The morning was a chilly 2 degrees and we were quick to reignite the fire and get the kettle on to keep warm. There wasnât any wind to speak of the entire weekend which made for frosty mornings but fabulous days. Setting off around 9:30am we headed along the tracks adjacent to outlet creek. Stopping once to admire an old limestone built farmhouse before arriving at the Lutheran church in Pella. Max had secretly arranged Malcolm to show us around the church and grounds. Malcolm played for us a number of tunes on the 498 pipe organ which was something special. It was amazing to visit a well preserved piece of history built early in the 1900âs.
We then headed to the town of Rainbow for a quick visit before going back to camp for lunch.
In the afternoon we headed into the big desert to drive some sandy tracks. This was a great opportunity for getting to know your vehicle a little better and enjoy some sandy tracks driving. Check out the video posts to catch some of the fun.
Saturday evening saw a few mallee stumps assisting to keep us warm while a few yarns were had.
Sunday morning was a repeat of Saturday, only slightly colder! Max led again on a trip around the sandy tracks of Lake Albacutya. A few sand holes but nothing too serious given the conditions being reasonably firm with a bit of moisture underneath. Visiting here during the height of summer would be a different experience.
We headed back to camp for a short lunch and pack up before hitting the road home.
Thanks to Max and Margy for leading this trip and for sharing some special places that few would even know existed.
