Today we are off to Echuca for New years eve. We though we would spend new years up there, and enjoy a paddle boat ride,  but have had trouble finding accomodation (first time in the trip), so are staying at a camp ground on the river about 15 kms from town. We were lucky and managed to get  a powered site, as the aircondtioning works only on power, and it is supposed to be damn hot.

We dropped the van off, and headed back into town. Luckily were able to get on the PS Canberra, a steam powered paddle steamer. So we finally got to do our paddle steaming on the Murray River. The boat was cool, but the river was much narrower than I imagined. In places I am sure there was barely enough room for two large boats to pass one another. Addtionally there was heaps of small boats, large boats, jet skis, etc all over the place, zipping in and out, all a bit busy for the slow, wide, peaceful Murray that I had pictured in my mind!

After returning to shore, we had a wander around the old Jetty and Port. The port was all done up as in the old style, but I could not help feeling I was back in a tourist trap as the place was just tacky.

Finally we drove around the town and a track around the river to see some more of the river. It was quite cool as it seemed you could just stop on the side of the river and spend your day there, whether you were travelling on the river in a house boat, or driving on the rivers edge in a car.

For new years, just spent the night watching videos till midnight, as the local parties seemed very local at this park! I was the only one to make it to midnight , all others flagged at various stages of the night! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!