PS Marion

Mannum is where the PS Marion is docked. It is one of the oldest paddle steamers and surprisely is still in use but only on special occasions.

This is the motor from one of the paddle steamers.

In 2001 there was an event and they got many of the skippers of the boats and the boats as well and they came down the Murray. It took 100 days and there was a short film about it and also the restoration of many of the boats.

We are going for a lunch cruise of this steamer on Tuesday from Murray Bridge.We couldnt get on a boat at Mannum so this is it. We drove down today to see where we could park two caravans while we are on the water. 

Hot Day

Phew! after the cool weather we have been experiencing, today was a surprise and it seemed to knock the stuffing out of us. About all we did was try to keep cool and we did some planning and booking.

We have booked a paddle steamer lucnh trip for Tuesday back in Murray Bridge, couldnt do a steamer trip from here. Also booked our next stop which is Adelaide for nine nights.

Warren tripped over a tap yesterday and luckily it moved otherwise I might have ended up driving, gulp!
He was checking out the lights on the van and stepped back onto a brick surround around a brace of taps. barked his leg up nicely, it swelled a bit but he said he was okay to drive. I did expect him to be a bit stiff today but no problems at all, thank goodness.

$50 and ferries

Today we traveled out to an aboriginal community township where this man was born and also buried. The church on the note is also there.

It was a very neat well kept community and we got a couple of waves as we drove in.

Unfortunately the gallery was not open.

Simple pleasures of feeding the seagulls before we packed up this morning.

We decided to ferry across the Murray

and had lunch in Tailem Bend watching others go across on the ferry.

Sheridan made scones in the caravan the other day and I was envious so I made muffins this afternoon, boy did they taste good.

This was the only one left but not for long.

Cheese factory museum and kite flying

Our caravan park is right alongside the Cheese factory museum and as the others missed the Warrnambool cheese factory we though this would be go to go.

It was interesting but no cheese.

A couple of old caterpiller tractors, dad had one and many a time I rode on one while dad was pushing out stumps. There was also a big blue fordson tractors that he had as well.

A cream separator that that been converted into a water fountain.

After lunch the boys flew kites, it was so windy though, almost too much wind.

A flock of pelicans have been fishing they are swimming up and down the lake and as one, they all dive down and get the fish. Unfortunately they have been too far off land to get a photo but fascinating to watch.

Robe and the Coorong

Fish for breakfast this morning again, this time I had a whole one as Warren had caught three.

We left Beachport and headed to Robe we ha been ivited to Bernie's for lunch and so Warren could return her computer. He had found it so jammed up with so much stuff that he had taken it and spent a fair bit of time cleaning it up.

We did a bit of driving around first, Warren had spent most of his summer holidays in and around Robe and there was a time when we were going to buy a business and a house there. 

The "new" lighthouse

Dennis and Maggie.

The obesik which we used to be able to walk out and around but now it has been fenced off as the rock has been eroded away from both sides and what used to be a wide pathway now is only about two metres wide. I was trying to get the splash of the waves, caught some of it but it was much higher at the peak.

The big Crayfish (or lobster) at Kingston, it used to be on top of a service station but has now been moved along a bit.

Beachport and Robe

Its funny staying at the caravan park, we have been here several times over the years but never stayed in the park. It is straight opposite the beach. The boys went fishing last night with Aidan making suggestions about fishing a few times. With daylight saving it is still light until around 8.30 pm so plenty of time to go.

They did all take jumpers and jackets. warren caught five but four had to go back and he cooked the other one for breakfast this morning, nothing like fresh cooked fish.

Even S had a go

Gary my brother dropped some nectarines from their fruit trees, oh my goodness I had forgotten what fruit picked straight from the trees tasted like! He says they cant keep up to them. I have stewed some and put them in the fridge.

I needed to get up and go for a walk to the shower block early this morning just as the sun was rising, I just had to go back and get the camera, it was so peaceful looking.

Many boats out ready to go craying.

So much for my budget!

Everything was going fine with my budget until we got a message from our house sisters that the fridge had stopped working. There had been a thunderstorm but it could have just been its age. it was twenty years old.

This is where its so great having internet and on line shopping. We checked out new fridges, had to ring house sisters back and get them to measure the alcove that the fridge fits into as the first fridge I was looking at, would not have fitted.

Anyway we ordered one over the net and arranged for it to be delivered. It was Saturday evening that we had the message from them and they just emailed to say the fridge has arrived.

With delivery, it was $900 and I think when we bought the old one which is about the same size it cost about $1500.

Some things are unpredictable. Our good friends around the corner lent the house sisters their small bar fridge so that they didn't lose any food.

Aside from the new fridge, our spend for the week has been $719.87 so pretty happy with that. We have had some cheaper caravan parks, five nights at $25 a nights and now we are here for three nights and it is $30 a night fuel is also cheaper at $1.12 a litre.