April 26: Swan Hill Vicinity

We began the last day of the long weekend by enjoying an outdoor breakfast at " Spoons Riverside Restaurant", complete with a million dollar view on the banks of the Murray River !

Now we don't usually take pictures of washrooms, but we really thought that the mirrors at this restaurant were very uniquely and appropriately decorated. Guess which mirror was in which bathroom?

We savoured our homeward trek, making leisurely stops along the way at different points of interest in the Swan Hill region. We first drove further up north to the Nyah Vinifera State Forest, along the banks of a more rugged section of the Murray River. The Murray River is Australia's largest river, travelling more than 2756 kilometres from its source to its meeting with the sea. From Swan Hill to Nyah are 10 kilometres of beautiful Red Gum and Box tree forests, in an unspoilt natural setting along its banks. We had been told that Aborigine sites could be found throughout the forest, but all we saw were trees and more trees! The riverbank at Nyah has three large posts painted up to represent characters from the colourful past riverboat era. Originally these posts were used by riverboats to tie up when in port. There amongst the trees we discovered Pearl Wallace, first female captain, standing above the spot where her boat, the Kookaburra, finally came to rest. Nearby was an Aboriginal female shearer, putting her blades into the golden fleece - the riverboat cargo that made all the Australians rich. Beside her was a woodcutter who supplied the fuel to keep the steam pouring out of the paddlesteamers.

Our next stop was a visit to the pioneer Tyntynder Homestead. Tyntynder Homestead, built in 1846, is set in delightful old world gardens, and houses a unique collection of aboriginal artifacts found on the property. It has a sad history. The name Tyntynder means "Song of Birds", which was the name given by the Aborigines to describe the place where the homestead now stands on the banks of the Murray River. Originally this area of land was the home of an Aborigine tribe. Two Scottish settlers trekked across the land from Melbourne and staked a claim to a vast expanse of land. They built a log cabin

and thus claimed the land for their own homestead. Misunderstanding between the Aborigines and the settlers resulted in the spearing death of one of the settlers. His grave is still on the homestead property. In 1879 other pioneer owners of the property erected a brick home on the property, making this place one of the first brick veneer homesteads in Australia.

We next stopped at the Ibis Rookery which had a blind for bird watching. As it was the middle of the day, however, there was not a single ibis to be found on either the First Reedy Lake or the Middle Reedy Lake. We did, however, watch a hawk soaring overhead, and caught him landing on a nearby tree, watching the sights below from his high perch..

Along the lakes, we enjoyed an Aboriginal cultural walk which consisted of different indigenous sights of significance. The Reedy Lake region was inhabited originally by the Brapa Brapa people. First we found rare surviving examples of old Aboriginal Ring Trees.

The branches of a young tree had been tied together in such a way as to force it to grow in the form of a ring. Today the large trees stand alone about 10 metres in height. Next we came upon a Scar Tree. This Red Gum tree was created as a result of a sheet of bark being removed. The removal of the bark did not kill the tree, but a scar formed where the bark was taken. The bark was used to to make canoes, shields and containers. Scar trees usually exceed 200 years of age and indicate where Aborigines used to live. Most interesting was the Earth Midden, which really looked just like a pile of sand. Aborigine people often cooked their food underground in earth ovens, which were like giant pits. Over time, debris from cooking and other domestic activities combined with natural sediment to form a mound known as an Earth Midden. Mounds could contain charcoal, burnt clay, stone heat retainers, food remains such as animal bones, stone tools and even human skeletal remains. Because this area was considered sacred, mounds were often used as burial sites.

The Swan Hill region is the ideal location for the growing of quality produce, because of its Mediterranean-like climate and rich soils. The fruit-growing area hugs the Murray River. We drove past numerous orchards on our way home. These crops are under the threat of fruit fly infestations from other parts of Australia, and consequently controls have been put into place over the entry of any fresh fruit and vegetables into the area.

Our last stop was at an expansive but shallow reedy lake named Lake Boga, home to many pelicans, as the sign indicates. Lake Boga was made famous for its role in World War II as Australia's principal flying boat base. Now Rick and I had never seen or heard about a flying boat before, so a stop here was a must. The museum houses a Catalina flying boat which is in the process of being reconstructed, piece by piece and bolt by bolt.

Although not yet totally refurbished, it is indeed a marvel to behold. The flying boat is really a giant airplane with neither wheels nor pontoons. The boat simply landed on its belly in the waters of the lake. The Air Force built a bunker and an entire settlement that was classified as "Top Secret" in the war. After the war, everything was dismantled, including all the flying boats. Only the bunker remained. We saw a fascinating film in the bunker with authentic footage of the flying boats in operation - just amazing! The bunker had a low and domed ceiling, creating a rather stifling atmosphere. It also housed a whole collection of aviation history, but alas the time was hastening and regretfully we turned our sights next home to Melbourne.