Today we took a paddle steamer cruise on the mighty Murray River. We went on the PS Emmylou and it was great. I sat out on deck with a cup of tea and a plate of scones taking in the scenery as we wandered up river for a bit before turning around and coming back to port. I think I lived up north for way too long. Every time we passed a sand bank I found myself looking for crocodiles! Of course there are no crocodiles in the Murray River, silly me.
Following that we did the guided tour of the Echuca Wharf. The gentleman guide was very informative but somewhat long winded, however it too was very interesting. All this old stuff is fascinating now, I wonder if people thought it was when they were living the real thing. The original wharf has been heritage listed and currently undergoing full restoration. At one time it was the second busiest port in Australia after the Melbourne Port owing to the amount of freight carried by paddle wheelers and barges along the Murray and Murrumbidgee River systems. The bulk of the freight was the wool clip going to market from the sheep farms in the district.
After that we strolled down to look at what remains of an old Saw Mill which is slowly being restored with a view to becoming a working mill again for tourism.
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