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Published: January 5th 2014
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Tuesday 31
st We drive a short distance to Albury/Wodonga and pull in at Australia Park by the Murray River. We take a walk along the bank and then return for lunch.
We then drive to Dennis and Robyn’s house in Wodonga for New Year. We meet them and a few minutes later Tom and Dawn, Dennis’ cousin and wife arrive and we spend some time talking before their daughter and family arrive and we all take to the pool.
Early evening and about 10 more people arrive and then the BBQ is started up. We talk to many of them and have a long chat to a couple, Frank and Pat who are English and moved here 45 years ago. All goes well and we only have our legs pulled a few times about the Test result !
We eat and drink until we can’t take anymore and then New Year arrives to Champagne and poppers. It’s been a long enjoyable night !
Wednesday 1
st A slow start to the morning and we sit around talking for a while. We then drive up the road to see Frank and Pat for morning coffee. They own
a small place of 100 acres mostly used for cattle grazing with a small area cultivated into a formal English garden around the house. They are really nice gentle people.
We then drive further up the road to see Chris and Jenny. He shows us around his workshop where he’s working on a 1930’s truck. He’s into serious big boy DIY ! he also shows us a few motor bikes that he’s done up.
After lunch we take a drive out into the country and get shown Lake Hume and the Dam and the war Memorial at Albury. We stop off for a drink in a pub.
After dinner we sit around talking until early evening when most of us are fairly tired and we have an early night.
Thursday 2
nd Another gentle start to the day and then Dennis shows us a film of off road treks into the outback, similar to treks that they make to places where hardly anybody goes. It’s real Crocodile Dundee stuff. He tries to persuade us to come back to do one with them. We’re interested but have to finish this adventure first !
We then drive
out to Yackandandah for lunch and then drive around several small townships before heading over to Dennis and Robyn’s daughter’s for a cup of tea.
In the evening 10 of us go to an Indian restaurant and have dinner. It’s great fun and there’s lots of laughter, mainly at my expense ! We then drive off to MacDonald’s for ice creams.
Friday 3
rd After breakfast we collect our things together and sadly say goodbye to our new friends. We have had 3 great days and they have been unbelievably generous hosts, particularly as we have only met them once for two hours !
We drive through Wodonga and Albury and onto Lake Mulwala. It’s a very unusual lake with thousands of dead trees in it. We have a good look but a part from the lake there’s not much to see so we continue on to Echuca.
It’s a very pretty town with lots of historic buildings and river water front. There’s quite a few original 1800’s paddle steamers going up and down.
The camp site’s packed with teenagers, some worse for drink and others “playing” guitars and thinking they can sing. It could
be a noisy night !
Saturday 4
th This morning we walk along to the Heritage Port and book a short cruise on the PS Pevensey a timber paddle steamer built in 1901 and still run by a steam engine. There’s lots of boats to choose from but some are imitation and run by diesel.
The boat’s in good order and runs really quietly at a gentle speed up the river and passes many houseboats. The river’s not that interesting but the ride’s ok !
After the cruise we stop to refuel at a nearby coffee shop before returning to the port for a heritage walking tour. The guide looks like Catweasel but is interesting as he was a young boy when the paddle steamers were still running and he gives us a good insight and information about the port and the boats.
Afterwards we stop off for a big ice cream from an ice cream parlour on the way back to our site. It’s good stuff.
We spend the rest of the afternoon sitting on the river bank with our kindles watching the boats go past. Well I watch some until I fall asleep.
Sunday 5
th We drive about 60 miles this morning to Bendigo to meet our friends Berne and Peter who we met in Sabah in September. It’s great to see them again.
We arrive in time for coffee and a chat before walking into town for lunch. Along the way they point out a number of historic buildings from the 1870’s.
We have a nice lunch in a favourite Italian restaurant before walking back for a cup of tea before sadly leaving. It’s nice to meet people whilst travelling but a bit sad to think you may never see them again.
We set off south towards Melbourne and our next destination. There doesn’t seem to be any campsites on the way and the wind starts to get up and we have gusts greater than anywhere before. The van’s difficult to keep straight and then it starts to rain ! In desperation we turn off for Lancefield only a short distance from the motorway that turns out to be 15 miles.
Luckily we find the only campsite open and stop for the night. I think we’re in the middle of no where but still glad to
be here !
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Jeff Jane
non-member comment
Aborigines
Glad your still enjoying the trip, sounds like New Year was good fun. Have you seen anything of the Aborigines and their ancient sites? All well in UK apart from awful weather, wet and windy for weeks. Will be retiring end of Feb and then looking for a little part time job. Take care and keep writing, interesting to read of you adventures. Will Skype again soon.