We slept late this morning, even later if you take into account the changeover to daylight savings. Lyn and Allan popped over to say their final farewells, the last of many we have made over the past week finding ourselves yet again with them. They had braved the cold last night and taken advantage of the entertainment laid on down at the wharf precinct. We heard the fireworks and thought it quite impressive; seeing it in person was apparently even more so. John Waters did a commentary on the riverboats as they sailed (or paddled) upstream and then offered himself for photo opportunities. It was not until later today I realised the significance of all that. He and Sigourney Weaver starred in the television series called “All the Rivers Run” thirty years ago, set here on the river and making good use of the paddle steamers about. I have a hazy memory of the programme name but it was not until I saw a thirty year old poster today I recalled what a gorgeous hunk he had been in those days. If he has aged well, what a photo opportunity I missed last night!
So Allan and Lyn left Echuca with excellent memories
to carry into their dotage, but then for us, every day offers those. They set
off for Deniliqin, New South Wales, coincidentally our next destination,
however they will be long gone on toward their home in Queensland before we get
there.
The rain had passed leaving huge puddles everywhere
and happy gardeners and farmers. We were happy to see the sun even if it was
still struggling to provide much warmth, and set off on foot along the river
into the port precinct and heritage part of the city. Today with the improved
weather conditions the crowds were out and the whole place was buzzing with
activity; face painting for the tinies, remote control paddle steamers, classic
and vintage cars and chugging steam engine pumps for the old men, freshly spun
wool for the crafty women, candy floss for the sugar addicts, horse drawn coach
tours for families, gifts and so much more for everyone.
The Port of Echuca Revitalisation Project has been
underway since 2010, and includes a $6.5 million investment to ensure the
preservation of the Echuca Wharf. A further $4 million is being invested to
develop a new visitor centre and interpretative displays. Because of the flood
events since August 2010 and the prolonged high water levels, there have been
delays however I think they are doing very well.
We have read much about the Murray River and the
whole system and I have recorded much of that in this blog here and there. The statistics
continue to impress me and at the risk of repeating myself I will note here
that the river runs 2,756 kilometres from where it rises in the Australian
Alps, 1,986 kilometres of it being continuously navigable. This makes it the
third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and the Nile. It
is no wonder that the riverboats are such a big part of the tourist draw in
this part of the country.
The cafes and bars in the area were all full with
hungry people; hungry for either ambiance or food or a caffeine fix. We walked
down through all of this and on to the Information Centre to see if there was
anything we had missed, and then returned back to camp in time for lunch. We
still had the rest of our sourdough bread to feast upon, and it was delicious.
After lunch we set off in the landcruiser driving
about Echuca and then across the river to Moama before heading to the Coles
supermarket back in Echuca to do a big shop.
We both agreed that Echuca had exceeded our
expectations and that it was an excellent destination worthy of more than a
fleeting visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment