Swan Hill to Cobram Wednesday 20th October 2010

 After leaving Swan Hill, we travelled towards Echuca. We had decided to overnight at Christies Beach, a campsite on the river, 20 kms from Echuca. However once again the recent floods had made the riverbank inaccessible. It seems most of these beautiful riverbank sites are dry weather only! On our way out to the beach we spied these great letterboxes and couldn't resist a picture!

Failing that campsite being available, we decided to travel on through Echuca and on to another riverside beach nearer to Cobram. On the way to Echuca we stopped at Lock 26 at Torrumbarry Weir. The original Torrumbarry Weir used 14 removable steel trestles that could be winched out of the river to allow the passage of floods.The structure operated successfully until 1992, when major damage to its foundations occured.
It was decided that a new weir structure was required, and the new Torrumbarry Weir was constructed between 1993 and 1996. The existing lock structure was retained.
The original trestle weir and lock chamber have been listed as an Historic Building in Victoria.

 

Around lunchtime we arrived at the busy river port of Echuca.  A number of paddleboats cruise along the river from this port. Steeped in history, Echuca is the home to the largest riverboat fleet in the world. Its claim to fame was as the background to the popular TV series "All the rivers run". PS Pevensey built in 1911 was seen as PS Philadelphia in this series. PS Adelaide, the world's oldest wooden hulled paddlesteamer was built in 1866, PS Canberra and PS Emmylou, the prettiest paddlesteamer on the Murray and the only wood fired paddlesteamer in the world still able to carry visitors.

The second riverside camping spot out from Echuca on the way to Cobram where we had arranged to stop was also not very good. Instead we drove into the forest at Cobram and stayed overnight at a great place right on the river's edge. Nearby were house boats and a beautiful old trestle bridge.  Another idyllic site and once again free!!