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Travelling
Australia with Wayne & Pam BENTLEY |
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THE DAILY
JOURNAL Thursday 19th May 2005 to Saturday 21st May 2005 |
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An earlier start today and we were packed up and driving out of the caravan park by 8:15am into a crisp 2 degree morning. Miss Bossy B. wanted to take as a different way to the one we thought we should be going, however after having an argument with her we went her way and she proved herself right again... She cut off about half an hour on the way we thought we had to go.
Once we were on the Hume Highway it was a simple matter of staying on it until we passed Seymour and Puckupunual (I remember that place well from my days there in 1968!). We then turned off the Hume highway onto the Goulburn Valley Highway and made our way North until we stopped in Nagambie to take a photograph or two near the lake on which the town is situated.
We then continued North until we came to Shepparton which we drove around and through with the caravan in tow before heading West to Mooroopna where we stopped for morning tea. While there 'One of Us' started to chat up a truck driver who was also parked in the same area whilst the 'Other One was taking a photograph or two of the 'moo' part of Mooroopna. After our cup of tea and cake, 'One of Us' tried to get some milk from one of the cows in the park, however it is a long time since we were on the farm and was not successful (Come to think of it - we didn't have cows on our farm...).
From Mooroopna we travelled the last 70 km of the journey to Echuca without any further towns to stop in and arrived at the Echuca Caravan Park at about 12:30pm. After setting up and getting organized, we walked along the river into the old port area of town, on the way seeing the Paddle Steamer 'Pevensey' steam past. This was the paddle steamer used in the movie series 'All The Rivers Run'.
Once in the port area we strolled along the shops and "one of Us' noticed a wine cellar and the 'Other One' was dragged into it before he could resist. After tasting a few wines and then more ports, we walked out of the cellar having purchased a bottle of Shiraz and some port as well. The Port was in a ten litre oak barrel on a stand and it was filled with port that sells for $20 per litre. 'One of Us' seems to think that son-in-law will want to sample it each time he visits us after we arrive home. Of course the 'Other One' had not thought of the 'One for the Road' with Son-In-Law' on those visits.
Short stop in Nagambie
A n old cow in Nagambie - and the wife
A very quiet day, starting slower than usual and getting slower as the day wore on. 'One of Us' relaxed around the caravan whilst the 'Other One' went shopping at the local Coles Store, then returned via the town centre and the St Anne's wine and port tasting centre. The port barrel had been filled with 10 litres of good port and was packed up ready to be collected. Once back at the caravan it had to come out of it's packing long enough to get a photograph or two before going back into the Patrol where it will stay for the rest of this trip.
As it was the 'Other One' shopping, he bought more than was needed (as usual) and was able to make a stir fry for lunch before 'One of Us' tried out the laundry by washing our towels and bed clothes. She met up with a fellow traveler in the laundry and they jammed a lot of information into the time they were there as they both seemed to be talking at the same time when the 'Other One' visited to see how it was going.
We booked in to the caravan park for an extra night and will depart Echuca and head toward Swan Hill on Sunday if all goes to our current plan. The rest of the day was spent quietly enjoying the sun and the scenery on the Murray River. It's tough but someone has to do it.....
The new aquisition - 10 litre port barrel
Another lazy day today, with a fairly late start with the temperature being 8° at about 8 a.m. and an overcast sky. Although it does not look like it outside at this time, it sounded like we had a small amount of rain at one stage during the night.
By about 10:40 am we manage to get organized and left the caravan park for a walk up to the Echuca port area again. Our walk took us along the river past many houseboats, some for hire and others privately owned. In the port itself we strolled through several premises such as a sawmill and a wood turning shop before we entered the port of Echuca building. Once inside this building we noticed that the paddle steamer Pevensey was about two leave for a one-hour trip down the river, so we decided to take that trip as this paddle steamer was the one named 'Philadelphia' in the TV series 'All The Rivers Run' starring John Waters and Sigrid Thornton.
Click here for more information on the Paddle Steamer Pevensey
We sat on the wool bales and enjoyed a commentary from the skipper,along the way we passed other paddle steamers such as the Adelaide, Emmy Lou and the Canberra. We turned around at a landing where some people alighted and went for lunch at the same winery that we visited last time we were in Echuca. This journey on the river lasted about an hour, then we wandered around the wharf area of the port where there were a good number of items to browse and view. Included were a video presentation on the development of the port and the Echuca area, numerous pieces of old machinery, including train and rail memorabilia, mobile steam engines and a stationary steam boiler driving a steam engine. At one stage we thought we had gone through a time warp as we met up with a couple of oldies from the past.
By this time it was about 1:30 pm and 'One of Us' was hinting (very forcefully) that she was a little hungry (or famished) and wanted to get back to the caravan of lunch and to watch a cooking show that started at 2:pm. (Note the connection - it's all about food!!!!).
We returned to the caravan park and the rest of the afternoon was spent recovering from eating while 'One of Us' tried to make up her mind which menu shown on the two hour TV program she wanted, then decided she would like them all....
At about 5:pm we walked down the street again to the Port area and the Bridge Hotel (built in 1873) where we sat outside and enjoyed a drink whilst watching the world go by. We returned along the river as the Emmy Lou left the pier on a night dinner cruise, thinking it would be great to be on it, however we had Scotch Fillet Steak and a stir fry of vegetables, along with a fine glass of wine waiting for us at the caravan. unfortunately we had to prepare it but that meant it was possibly at a fraction of the price of the paddle steamer meal.
This ends our time in Echuca this time around as we will be heading off toward Swan Hill in the morning.
Paddle Steamer Pevensey - or the
'Philadelphia' in the movie 'All The Rivers Run'.
The old wharf in the Port of Echuca
Time warp into the past