Day 129

Day 129 Swan Hill

Well today we did leave Echuca this morning. As we got up it was looking reasonably sunny, but buy

Some of the hundreds of houseboats

Biggest Ibis rookery

the time we were hitched up, it was decidedly cloudy and ready to rain. We turned Trude’s head southwards and moved down the road. Swan Hill is not that far from Echuca, about 160kms so it was a leisurely drive. It did not help that the winds were high and from either the passenger’s side or dead ahead, so we were not going to break any land speed records anyway.

We hit Swan Hill and found our camp site. Girt is now surrounded by water but this time it is the

Our caravan park

Squeezing in for a boat ride

Murray river. we are right at the very edge of the river and in between typing this, I am throwing rocks from Victoria into NSW. There is a tourist park next to us that has a settlement display and a steam boat. We went for a steam boat ride up the river. I must say, I am still a bit confused as to what people see in the Murray River as it is very muddy and the banks all look eroded. I suppose there are some better bits elsewhere where there are less boats I suppose, but there are a gazillion house boats here and I would

Inside paddle boat

The paddles on the boat go round and round

hate to see what it was like in summer during the peak season. Anyhow, the steam paddle boat ride was great and tonight we are going to the sound and light show at the village at 9:30pm and then tomorrow we will do the village tour before we start off again. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny so who knows.

Skipper at work

Private paddle boat

When you compare Echuca to Swan Hill, Echuca seems to have been very steady in its growth as there are still heaps of old buildings being used and very few brand new shops. Towns that have the ups and downs tend to have old shops left idle to rot and deteriorate and then when things pick up they are bulldozed and replaced with new buildings, Swan Hill has more newer looking buildings in general. 

Murray River Downs Homestead

Paddles not going round and round

View with Girt by the rivver