After a pretty solid run of cold mornings and winter weather, spring arrives in Mildura on Tuesday — and the temperature is going with it.
The Bureau of Meteorology has Mildura reaching around 20°C Friday, 21°C Saturday, 20°C Sunday and 22°C Monday, before spring officially kicks off on Tuesday with a forecast top of 25°C. Wednesday is currently sitting around 21°C.
And this is probably one of the best times of the year to be living in Sunraysia.
The days are getting longer, the sun has a bit of warmth in it again, but we haven't reached that stage where you're looking for shade by 10 in the morning.
For anyone who likes camping along the Murray, the next month or two is just about perfect.
You can have a nice 20-something-degree day sitting beside the river, then once the sun disappears the temperature drops enough to make sitting around a campfire pretty bloody inviting — where fires are permitted and conditions allow.
Better still, get out now and you can beat the rush.
Once the weather really warms up, the good river camps can fill pretty quickly, particularly on weekends and heading towards school holidays. At this time of year you've got a much better chance of finding one of those good spots right on the river without another camp squeezed in beside you.
And there are plenty to choose from.
The Murray-Kulkyne and Hattah-Kulkyne stretch of the Murray south of Mildura is particularly good country to explore, with bush camping right along the river. Parks Victoria lists river camping areas including Ki Bend, Firemans Bend and Jinkers Bend, with no booking or camping fee required at those river sites.
It's the sort of camping where you can pull up, set the chair out looking over the Murray, throw a line in and settle in for the night.
No 40-degree days. No freezing winter afternoons.
Just warm spring days, cool nights and a campfire beside the river.
How good is this time of year?
If you're heading into Hattah-Kulkyne or Murray-Kulkyne, check Parks Victoria before leaving. There are currently some temporary track closures and access changes associated with works in the park.