22nd Oct
The drive to Echuca was trouble-free and we reminisced about the many times we drove the same stretch as far as the Kyabram turnoff when we went to either Maryborough for Smith family occasions or to visit Bendigo. We also visited Echuca regularly as the port history, in particular, makes it a very picturesque town. There always seemed to be something on; the Jazz and Blues festival for instance.
Our caravan park is right on the banks of the Murray and we are backed onto the boundary fence so we have a fabulous outlook from the shade of the awning. The shade is important as the temperature is rising. Tomorrow is expected to reach 30 deg.
Over the next five days we saw plenty of birds here in the later afternoons and mornings. I'm going to list just the ones that we don't see in our Darwin environs. If you are not interested just skip to the next paragraph. The list is comprised of: Aust. Magpie, Long-billed Corella, Little Corella, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-browed Finch, Little Friarbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crimson Galah, White-winged Triller, White-winged Chough, Red Wattlebird, Cicadabird, Dusky Woodswallow, White-throated Gerygone, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Aust. Raven, White-plumed Honeyeater, Aust. Wood and Pacific Black Ducks, Grey Fantail, White-throated Treecreeper and Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo. Who needs to go any further than our 2 km stretch of the riverbank?
Wednesday
Sometimes I need to write what day it is or I can't keep track!
It was so good to have my sister Jude and husband Rog come to stay overnight with us. They drove up in the morning and we had a game of golf at Rich River in the afternoon. Eric played well, but the rest of us wilted in the heat. That's my excuse anyway.
There was another distraction to my game; I got to drive one of those carts! It was good fun once I got the hang of it. Didn't tip Judy out and didn't carve up the greens. In the back of my mind the whole time though, was the memory of a game we played on a resort course in Johore Bahru where another member of our Morris Allen Teaching staff managed to roll a cart into the monnie drain. How embarrassing it must have been for them to go and report it to the ground staff!
These are some of the local eucalypts I got up too closer and personal with during the round. Lucky I love their bark patterns and textures.
It was just great to be able to share the time, catch up on the family news and laugh at ourselves once again. We shared a bbq dinner back at our park, as they had a cabin, and then left the next morning.
We had the car serviced at Ford today as it is still under warranty. While that was being done we wandered around the old port area. Below are some typical images you would expect to see in Echuca.
It is a picturesque place with many well preserved buildings. The whistle of the PS Alexander Arbuthnot, as she returned to port, was a subtle reminder of slower times. The passenger station in the top left was actually moved from Strathmerton as Echuca only had goods trains in the day.
And below are a couple of images you might not expect to see in Echuca.
Making themselves heard loud and clear at a busy intersection were a flock of escapee guinea fowl, about 8 in total. I'm not sure if this is a rare sighting or everyday occurrence, but they were very amusing. Next we came to a local branch of the famous Beechworth Bakery and it brought back memories of seeing our son Adrian, as a young schoolboy on excursion to Beechworth, scoffing into one of their fabulous beestings, his face dusted in icing sugar.
By the time the car was ready we had walked almost all the way back into town, despite the 34 deg heat, so they collected us there and we came home. I had a swim in the outdoor pool (there is also a heated one in this campground) but I have to admit it was terribly hard to get into. Our pool in Darwin is much warmer.
Fri 25th
It was still pretty hot when we went to bed but overnight the change blew-in and thrashed our awning, blowing it to bits. Well not exactly, one end did separate and an arm fell; on the car unfortunately. A small dint and scratch, what's done is done, can't be helped. At 4:20am we were outside in the gale trying to fit the arm back together so we could roll the awning up. Not the best night's sleep.
The long awaited reunion with Peter Scarrott, our Principal in Singapore, eventually took place today. He had promised to bring a mystery visitor with him and Eric and I had bets on who it might be. Neither of us expected to see Maggie. We all met Maggie for the first time in Kathmandu while preparing to leave on the Annapurna trek 6 years ago. There were 5 Chinese friends on the trek, 2 of which Peter knew well. Maggie had joined them because she was keen to improve her English and travel. At the time we were impressed by her fitness but not by her behavior. I now understand I completely misjudged her. She was just trying to fit in the only way she knew how, and underneath her apparent ease of trekking she was hurting like the rest of us but determined not to let anyone know. It is a shame I didn't try harder to connect with her as she is a lovely woman. Peter has kept in touch with her all along and now she is on a visa here which they hope can be extended. Peter is happy and looks well. The morning was cool so we checked out an interesting antiques and collectables store and an art gallery then went over the river to Morrisons Winery for lunch, by that time the weather had improved.
Then we all took a drive to Rochester to see the silo art installation of a sugar glider and sacred kingfisher, done by the same artist, Dvate, who did the barking owl and Clydesdale team in Goorambat. Once again it was very impressive.
Peter and Maggie returned to Bendigo while we took a round trip to see the street art in Tongala. The local Lions Club President is an artist and he has encouraged other artists in the town and region to join together to create or update existing murals in the town. There are now more than 30 in all. You can find an inquisitive emu and chicks, clothes drying on a windy washing line, a man and his dog by the Murray River, an old Holden and more. The church walls display the parting of the sea and Noah's rescue mission. Even the school is involved.
Many of them depict the history of the town.
This one of Edward M.Curr a first settler who arrived at his new 50-square-mile squatting run in 1841. He set up the homestead on the southern bank of the Goulburn River, about eight miles from its confluence with the Murray.
And then there are the intriguing ones. Can you find the 8 Ton..Galahs?
And then there are the walls that need no murals at all to tell their history.
By the time we got home to Echuca Peter and Maggie would have been home in Bendigo. You can tell I am pretty impressed by these public art installations. Some people are so talented and if it keeps these little towns alive then its a good thing.
You can also tell a weekend is on the way as the park has filled with families with children. On second glance the kids are all wearing soccer gear. Turns out there is a huge soccer cup on this weekend in Shepparton with over 500 players involved. All accommodation within a 70km radius is booked out. Seeing these groups of young players exploring the park and parents huddled together reminded us of tournaments we took our boys away to in Bendigo, Swan Hill and Ballarat from Cobram.
Sat 26th October
We woke to overcast skies and rain this morning so just snuggled down under the doona and contemplated all the things we can put off until later, or another day even. We cancelled the golf booking and waited until eventually the need for food dragged us out. A few hours reading, updating the blog, craft, sorting pics and drinking coffee followed. Eventually the weather improved and in the afternoon we visited Trin, a local girl who taught with us at KSA in Katherine and then later at Wanguri in Darwin. We last saw her about 17 years ago and so much has gone on in those years. The best for her are her 2 beautiful daughters.
Hoping for a brighter start to the day tomorrow as we pack up and move downstream to Cohuna.
The drive to Echuca was trouble-free and we reminisced about the many times we drove the same stretch as far as the Kyabram turnoff when we went to either Maryborough for Smith family occasions or to visit Bendigo. We also visited Echuca regularly as the port history, in particular, makes it a very picturesque town. There always seemed to be something on; the Jazz and Blues festival for instance.
Our caravan park is right on the banks of the Murray and we are backed onto the boundary fence so we have a fabulous outlook from the shade of the awning. The shade is important as the temperature is rising. Tomorrow is expected to reach 30 deg.
Over the next five days we saw plenty of birds here in the later afternoons and mornings. I'm going to list just the ones that we don't see in our Darwin environs. If you are not interested just skip to the next paragraph. The list is comprised of: Aust. Magpie, Long-billed Corella, Little Corella, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-browed Finch, Little Friarbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crimson Galah, White-winged Triller, White-winged Chough, Red Wattlebird, Cicadabird, Dusky Woodswallow, White-throated Gerygone, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Aust. Raven, White-plumed Honeyeater, Aust. Wood and Pacific Black Ducks, Grey Fantail, White-throated Treecreeper and Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo. Who needs to go any further than our 2 km stretch of the riverbank?
Wednesday
Sometimes I need to write what day it is or I can't keep track!
It was so good to have my sister Jude and husband Rog come to stay overnight with us. They drove up in the morning and we had a game of golf at Rich River in the afternoon. Eric played well, but the rest of us wilted in the heat. That's my excuse anyway.
There was another distraction to my game; I got to drive one of those carts! It was good fun once I got the hang of it. Didn't tip Judy out and didn't carve up the greens. In the back of my mind the whole time though, was the memory of a game we played on a resort course in Johore Bahru where another member of our Morris Allen Teaching staff managed to roll a cart into the monnie drain. How embarrassing it must have been for them to go and report it to the ground staff!
It was just great to be able to share the time, catch up on the family news and laugh at ourselves once again. We shared a bbq dinner back at our park, as they had a cabin, and then left the next morning.
We had the car serviced at Ford today as it is still under warranty. While that was being done we wandered around the old port area. Below are some typical images you would expect to see in Echuca.
And below are a couple of images you might not expect to see in Echuca.
Making themselves heard loud and clear at a busy intersection were a flock of escapee guinea fowl, about 8 in total. I'm not sure if this is a rare sighting or everyday occurrence, but they were very amusing. Next we came to a local branch of the famous Beechworth Bakery and it brought back memories of seeing our son Adrian, as a young schoolboy on excursion to Beechworth, scoffing into one of their fabulous beestings, his face dusted in icing sugar.
By the time the car was ready we had walked almost all the way back into town, despite the 34 deg heat, so they collected us there and we came home. I had a swim in the outdoor pool (there is also a heated one in this campground) but I have to admit it was terribly hard to get into. Our pool in Darwin is much warmer.
Fri 25th
It was still pretty hot when we went to bed but overnight the change blew-in and thrashed our awning, blowing it to bits. Well not exactly, one end did separate and an arm fell; on the car unfortunately. A small dint and scratch, what's done is done, can't be helped. At 4:20am we were outside in the gale trying to fit the arm back together so we could roll the awning up. Not the best night's sleep.
The long awaited reunion with Peter Scarrott, our Principal in Singapore, eventually took place today. He had promised to bring a mystery visitor with him and Eric and I had bets on who it might be. Neither of us expected to see Maggie. We all met Maggie for the first time in Kathmandu while preparing to leave on the Annapurna trek 6 years ago. There were 5 Chinese friends on the trek, 2 of which Peter knew well. Maggie had joined them because she was keen to improve her English and travel. At the time we were impressed by her fitness but not by her behavior. I now understand I completely misjudged her. She was just trying to fit in the only way she knew how, and underneath her apparent ease of trekking she was hurting like the rest of us but determined not to let anyone know. It is a shame I didn't try harder to connect with her as she is a lovely woman. Peter has kept in touch with her all along and now she is on a visa here which they hope can be extended. Peter is happy and looks well. The morning was cool so we checked out an interesting antiques and collectables store and an art gallery then went over the river to Morrisons Winery for lunch, by that time the weather had improved.
Then we all took a drive to Rochester to see the silo art installation of a sugar glider and sacred kingfisher, done by the same artist, Dvate, who did the barking owl and Clydesdale team in Goorambat. Once again it was very impressive.
Peter and Maggie returned to Bendigo while we took a round trip to see the street art in Tongala. The local Lions Club President is an artist and he has encouraged other artists in the town and region to join together to create or update existing murals in the town. There are now more than 30 in all. You can find an inquisitive emu and chicks, clothes drying on a windy washing line, a man and his dog by the Murray River, an old Holden and more. The church walls display the parting of the sea and Noah's rescue mission. Even the school is involved.
By the time we got home to Echuca Peter and Maggie would have been home in Bendigo. You can tell I am pretty impressed by these public art installations. Some people are so talented and if it keeps these little towns alive then its a good thing.
You can also tell a weekend is on the way as the park has filled with families with children. On second glance the kids are all wearing soccer gear. Turns out there is a huge soccer cup on this weekend in Shepparton with over 500 players involved. All accommodation within a 70km radius is booked out. Seeing these groups of young players exploring the park and parents huddled together reminded us of tournaments we took our boys away to in Bendigo, Swan Hill and Ballarat from Cobram.
Sat 26th October
Hoping for a brighter start to the day tomorrow as we pack up and move downstream to Cohuna.
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