Echuca - PS Alexander Arbuthnot

Oyster Moon
Paul Foskett & Rhu Nash
Fri 21 Dec 2012 00:00
The Goulburn and Campaspe rivers join the Murray river in Echuca (pronounced echewka), which means the meeting of the rivers. There is an historic port here, at one time there were over a 100 paddle steamers sailing up the rivers collecting wool from remote sheep station and bringing it back down to Echuca and on to Melbourne. We bought a ticket that allowed access to the old wharfs, trip on a steamboat and access to the Star and Bridge hotels.
 
This gentleman gave us the tour of the wharves – I flagged as it was 42C and spent most of my time trying to find somewhere to sit down. The PS Adelaide is the oldest wooden hulled still working paddle steamer in the world.
 
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The wharf has been undergoing a major repair job. When the railway arrived in 1864 material would be off-loaded from the paddle steamers across the wharf and onto the trains to Melbourne. Not long after the arrival of the train the port started to decline.
 
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We went for a cruise on the PS Alexander Arbuthnot.
 
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The boiler being stoked and paddle wheel.
 
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A bit of firewood and look at the height of the piles on the riverbank. Just shows how high the river can flow.
 
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Stephen, Annie and a knackered me.
 
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Coming alongside.
 
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Still not told him about his hat ... maybe its his head?
 
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Tall enough to look over a fridge though..
 
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Between a rock and a hard place, no the border runs along parts of the river Murray.
 
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