The Road

Up early and out of Mungo, back down through Balranald and east into the Riverina. Mostly a driving day, and the odometer felt all of it.

One fuel stop on the way east, at 289.9 cents a litre. Wentworth's 285.9 keeps the cheapest-of-trip crown.

An Ampol bowser display showing 49.06 litres for $142.22 at 289.9 cents per litre $142.22 for 49.06 litres. A long way from the 409 we saw further west, but no Wentworth.

Balranald

Lunch was at the Balranald Bakery, and it delivered: an awesome pasty and a vanilla slice, totally old-school in the best way.

The purple and white Balranald Bakery storefront on a sunny main street Old-school bakery, old-school lunch. No notes.

A large polished stainless-steel frog sculpture outside the Balranald Senior Citizens Centre Balranald's big frog, on duty outside the Senior Citizens Centre.

Clusters of small star-shaped yellow, orange and white flowers on a glossy-leafed shrub In bloom on the main street.

Whitton Malt House

Then the find of the trip home. We pulled into Whitton Malt House expecting an overnight stop on the way through, and found a cafe, a restaurant, a tasting bar, a lake, and a park full of people who were clearly in on the secret.

The white Whitton Malt House sign on a corrugated wall, with the Voyager building beside it Whitton Malt House. Expectations: low. Result: extended stay.

From Paddock To Glass

The Malt House grew out of Voyager Craft Malt, the on-farm malthouse next door. In late 2014 the Voyager team started designing and building their own malting equipment, then moved to a farm near Whitton, in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, surrounded by the grain they malt. They make small-batch, single-origin Riverina malts, good enough to take gold at the 2022 Malt Cup for the world's best pale ale malt.

During the planning, the directors realised there was nowhere to showcase what brewers and distillers were making with that malt. The Malt House is the answer: a cafe and restaurant, a whisky bar stocked with NSW whisky made from Voyager grain, local produce in the retail store, fourteen villas on Lake Hulong, catch-and-release Murray cod fishing, and aqua golf.

Sources: Voyager Craft Malt, Whitton Malt House, The Irrigator.

The Range Rover and caravan set up on gravel site 11 at the park Site 11. Booked for one night, extended to two.

Modern dark-grey cabins lining a gravel path along the reed-fringed lake The villas along Lake Hulong.

The covered outdoor terrace with rows of tables overlooking the lawn and lake The terrace, before the tasting paddles arrived.

The kids fished off the boardwalk and drove golf balls into the lake. The adults did the gin and whisky tasting paddles. Everybody won.

A child and a man fishing from a low wooden boardwalk by a small rock waterfall Fishing off the boardwalk. The cod were never in any real danger.

The same waterfall, from behind, looking back across the lake to the Malt House.

Two women at a long tasting table set with glasses, one giving a thumbs up The gin and whisky tasting paddles get the thumbs up.

Two women holding cocktails garnished with mint inside the Malt House restaurant and bar Drinks at the Malt House, inside this time.

A woman and a man at table 8 holding up tasting glasses, with flight paddles of small glasses on the table The paddles in action at table 8.

A wall mural titled "our malt journey" walking through the ten steps of malting from sowing to packaging The malt journey on the tasting room wall: sowing to packaging in ten steps.

A long curved tasting bar backed by shelves of bottles and illuminated distillery barrel heads The tasting bar. The barrel heads are NSW distilleries running Voyager malt.

Sunset On The Lake

Geometric fountains with vertical jets on the plaza at sunset, lamp globes glowing The fountains on the plaza at sunset.

Wine barrels repurposed as tables with bar stools on the terrace at sunset Sunset seating, cooperage edition.

A narrow pedestrian suspension bridge with cable railings crossing the lake at sunset The suspension bridge across Lake Hulong.

A long wooden jetty stretching across the calm lake toward the cabins at sunset The jetty at sunset.

Yellow, white and blue floating golf balls on the lily-padded pond at sunset Aqua golf: drive them into the lake and they float, which helps.

The plan was one night and then home. The plan is now two nights and then home.