Paddle Steamer Emmylou Echuca

... We were properly impressed with a logging truck made 100% out of Red Gum wood - even the wheels.

On our way out of town we stopped at a riverside park and flushed out a flock of cockatoos. They set up such a racket that you would have thought we were in an African jungle! And to add to the ambiance, we heard a steam paddle boat approaching and I half expected to see Humphrey Bogart rounding the bend in the African Queen. Instead it ...

... Swan Hill and a coffee break in Cohuna.

In Swan Hill we saw an amazing art piece - actually 33 panels taking 3 walls of the room. A depiction of the history of australia from an Aboriginal's viewpoint. I have attached one photo but does not do it justice. Showed the start when they were nomadic, then whites arriving, fighting, alcohol, religion, and so on. Including the attempts ...

... blind by the end of the day and I don't really remember getting home (classy) but Kristy and I crashed out as soon as we walked through the front door apparently and my next memory is being woken up three hours later to be told we were all going back out. I didn't think I would make it but my mega nana-nap did me the world of good and I was raring to go once I'd got changed and freshened up.

Echuca is quite a small town but the nightlife is actually pretty good ...

... for me! I had fun wondering the quaint shops around town for a while. Ended up going to 3 playgrounds today which the kids had fun playing with the other kids there. It's sad how much of our trip we look and assess the suitability of playgrounds... guess we've become a bit of an expert on the subject. Don't think many have come anywhere near the likes of the one near home at Donnybrook.

... so after setting up we headed into Echuca (we are staying about 5km out of town to save some bucks) to do some sightseeing. Started at the National Holden Museum as part of a packaged deal. The whole time there we both thought of a friend, Dion, especially when the Monaro's were around. Jeremy saw a few of his dream cars and the boys learnt a little important history.

... garlic, olives, yummy cheese, fresh turkish bread, and oranges picked the day before! This therefore demanded a picnic 30 mins drive west at the Torrumbarry weir. It was sunny, no wind, 21 degrees, and for winter felt quite warm. The local Wattle birds kept us entertained as well. Torrumbarry Weir has a great interpretive centre and we walked across the top of the weir. We found the 'fish ladder ...

... We got to go on an old paddle steamer & train & went in to the underground pub & escape route. We nearly got locked in to a café/pub because the owners didn't know we were upstairs. That would have been a bit freaky hehehe. We than went in to a Big W for the first time in weeks. There was nothing there which was a bit of a shame. We than bludged back at the motel & went & had dinner out & than went to bed. Tomorrow would be our trip on the paddle steamer.

... wenig bis keinen Schatten und dann noch die bruetende Sonne. Wir wurden nach Bins, also Kisten bezahlt, fu** einen Bin gab es 15 Dollar. Nicht viel wenn man bedenkt, dass in den recht grossen Bin viele kleine Plaumen reinmuessen. Die Bilanz des Tages war dann je 1 1/2 Bins. Zusaetzlich waren wir an Armen und Beinen total v**kratzt, weil die Buesche nicht nur dicht waren, sond**n auch ziemlich spitze Enden hatten und viele Pflaumen in d** Mitte od** ganz unten hiengen. MONTAG, 2. 02 ...

... Guy and Darcy raced off by themselves whilst Craig, Dianne and Fraser stayed together. Guy was the first to finish and answered all the questions correctly. Darcy was second to finish and also answered each question correctly. However Craig, Dianne and Fraser couldn't find Adelaide so gave up as they were getting a headache. We found the ice cream parlour in town next to the old port town. Dianne went for a bit of a walk around the old port own and bought some home made ...

... off and once I relaxed I could manage them quite naturally. We ate some delicious BBQ and I introduced them to the wonderfully sticky sweet world of S'Mores. After making a half hearted attempt at fishing, I decided it was just far too hot and not worth risking the sunburn. We saw wallabys, guanas, scorpions, HUGE spiders, parrots and bats. I saw heaps of springy kangaroos making their way to the sparse waterhole. At one ...