The morning started with a friendly catch up with a local GP called Sue. Sue was lovely enough to book us a cafe with an outdoor play area and Ruby spent her time digging holes in the sandpit and drawing on the giant chalkboard. It was a beautifully chill morning both in terms of weather and vibe, and we chatted about the crazy year that was 2020.
At quarter to nine we arrived at the dock for a beautifully restored paddlesteamer called Emmy-Lou. There are hundreds of wooden logs stacked up against the river bed ready to be carted on to the boat. Ruby was in all shapes of excitement, she squealed with exciting upon seeing the boat, and then danced around the logs, before jumping up and down and asking me to take her on the boat.
The engine was sunken into the center of the boat and was bright green and oiled up. Clearly, it was meticulously maintained as it looked like it was only built yesterday. The wood burning engine turned some gears which in turn spun two large paddles on each side of the ship. To my surprise, it was quiet. The only noise was the rhythmic thunk of the paddles against the water, which felt almost hypnotic. The heat from the woodfire was a gentle warmth against the face, and matched with the heady aroma of the wood smoke gave me goosebumps along my neck. Turns out I am quite the sentimental soul.
The boat had 3 levels. The top level was a tiny room where the captain piloted the boat with a giant wooden wheel. The second level had a few small bedrooms. The ground level had a small kitchen, the engine room, and large outdoor decks at the front and rear. Ruby and I climbed up and down the steps and explored every inch of the boat before settling down next the railing at the rear of the boat. I ordered a hot chocolate for ruby and a coffee for myself, and it came with cute little scones.
Scone in hand and coffee to my lip, I smiled at Ruby and settled back in to my chair. The beautiful river bank gracefully floated past with the gentle rhythmic rocking. At that moment, I decided that I liked river cruising very much, and a mere one hour on this boat was not nearly enough.
The boat did a wide U-turn and we head back to the dock to disembark. It was a wonderful experience. I cannot wait to do more river cruising. Turns out I am a retiree at heart.
Did you know that Echuca has a National Holden Museum. It’s essentially a private collection of all the Holden cars in history in a smallish factory building. It was surprising and rather fun place to visit. The cars are wonderfully restored and there is a little history of the car printed amateurly on an A4 paper stuck on a wooden stick. It also has the last ever Holden ute to be made in Australia. If you have any interest in cars, you should have a gander.
The afternoon was mainly rainy and cold. After having a rather disguising oily pie from the local bakery, we retired to our hotel room until early evening. We strolled along the river bank in the aftermath of the rainstorm, amongst the giant eucalypts. The scent in the air was thick with heavy humidity and deep eucalyptus aroma. I felt like I was at a day spa. Hundreds of screaming cockatoos flew overhead, the noise echoed along the river. The setting sun meekly peeked through the storm clouds in the distance, colouring the edge of the sky with a muted purple tinge. For a moment, I felt at peace. That is until Ruby dropped her bunny rabbit, and we had to get back home to wipe poor bunny clean.
Tomorrow, we are onto Yarrawonga.
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