Swan Hill

Leaving Griffith, we drove south through the very attractive town of Jerilderie to Deniliquin and hence Swan Hill.

Deniliquin was nice too; we checked out the Road Transport Wall of Fame but it was a bit hard to talk about it over the incessant roar of the trucks going past.

And Swan Hill was great, with a long, scenic pathway along the riverfront and lots of historic spots noted.

Then there was the Pioneer Settlement, surely a standout of its genre, with historic (or, at least, old) buildings gathered from around the place, a former paddle wheeler, a steam locomotive and enough old farm equipment to power an ocean liner.

It was thoughtfully laid out and there was a huge amount of information about each exhibit. There were horse and cart rides, trips in a vintage car, blacksmithing demonstrations.

After dinner we wandered back to the Pioneer Settlement for “Heart of the Murray”, a superb - if a bit brief - depiction of the history of the river and its peoples. We sat overlooking the river and watched lasers, water and fire combine to tell the story, to a soundtrack combining the narration with the various innocent “oohs” and “ahs” of the school children in the audience. A great experience!Read more