Aus Duck get together!

[thewharfonline]

Hey Guys!

As you may be aware of the Port of Echuca's Heritage festival is coming up and I think it's the perfect opportunity for a PD's meeting!

Firstly I know Roderick and I are trying deperately to get up there for a bit...me at least for the sail past!

So there is already two members! There's the little pond thingy next to the Info Centre with a little jetty thing that we could launch model boats on I'm sure! Not to mention the whole place is alive and buzzing with steam and heritage events for all ages!

If there's any time to be up in Echuca this is the time! It also marks one year of me working with the Port! (huzzah!) So maybe we should try to organise something, bring any models if we've got them have a little paddle on the lake and then a big paddle on the real thing and then watch the fire works!

Post interest if you have any and we'll try to organise something!

Sean

Heritage Festival dates - Friday 6th- Sunday 8th October

[thewharfonline]

Just some added information about Heritage Festival:

The Alexander Arbuthnot will make a ceremonial cruise to the Moama wharf and load some wool.

The D:26 Outrigger barge will be towed in the sail past

A 'bridge of boats' will be constructed spanning one side of the river to the other using all of the boats in Echuca. Hopefully I can get some photos of this and post them here...it will depend on if I've left Echuca yet!

A new boat has been launched at Echuca and will be participating in the sail past (I assume)

Hero now has her engines in place...will they have her finished by Heritage festival???

There is free entry to the wharf on both Saturday and Sunday

There is a river feast with some of the best riverland chefs at Oscar W's on Friday night.

The Sail Past will conclude with a fireworks display

There will be many demonstrations with not only steam but sheep shearing, old cars and tractors, horse and carts, Hopwood re-enactments and much more!

So there is a brief run through of some of the events that will be taking place at this years heritage festival!

Oh and I'm working up there! (Best exhibit ever!) Come see me!

Sean

[Walter Snowdon]

You chaps are really enthusiastic about your paddlers, thanks for all the info. I didnt know there was such a heritage in Australia. Long may it flourish. One day when I visit my brother in Australia I will try and make it coincide with one of your gatherings. Hope to meet you all and buy you a beer when that tlme comes!!! Regards, Walter.

[thewharfonline]

Here are some pics of the model boats found on the wharf including those made by local primary schools and those made by the pro's!

[Eddy Matthews]

Some very nice looking models there Sean, they look VERY large scale judging by the lady standing next to them!

[thewharfonline]

They were massive models! I was surprised how big they were. They had a Pev one on the water at one stage too!

[mjt60a]

Some very nice looking models there Sean, they look VERY large scale judging by the lady standing next to them!

Exactly what I was thinking, I imagined them to be about 3 feet long - until I saw the third picture!  :shock:

[Roderick Smith]

Hi all, here is my shot of the models in the open, before setting up was completed.  Sean was busy sweeping the decks of PS Adelaide at this stage.
This exhibitor brings the models every year.
I suspect that they are made to a standard scale (an international one for radio-controlled power boats?).

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Junction Rally would be another good place for Australian members to meet.
See http://www.junctionrally.org/
It is an interesting event in its own right, even if you don't have an RC model to bring.
With the cancellation of the Morgan - Koondrook/Barham voyage, the rally will be the event at which paddleboat people celebrate PS Ruby's centenary.  There could be 20 private-owner paddleboats from the Mildura area assembled there.
There is no specific provision for RC boats, mainly because it hasn't happened before.  However, by completing an entry form and e-mailing the organiser, I am sure that some provision could be made (I have suggested cruising in the restoration dock, but that is remote from the rally site; cruising in the river may be quite ok).
Or, the western-suburbs Melbourne club could take up a tent site, and mount a static display at the rally site (at the confluence, 1 km below the town, just above the weir).
Or the owner of the barge way welcome having it carry a display of models.
I will have Jessie II there; Michael will be attending (possibly with Bunyip floating, but unpowered).  I will use the following week to cruise up Darling River.  PV Matthew James went 70 km up the Darling only a couple of weeks ago.  The lower reach is protected by being in the pool of lock/weir 10.

I enclose the only photo of the 2004 rally on my hard drive which hasn't been posted to Paddleducks already.  There are various ones in Research (APAM threads) and in Discussion large.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[paddlesteamerman1]

I will definately be in Echuca for the Heritage Festival (again!!!) and would love to meet up and catch up with some "Aus Duckers".. as Sean said.. it is the perfect place to do so.. and is a lot of fun for everyone!!!

I will be working on the boats again this year (and it will also mark my one year with working at the Port [that technically falls in June though])

The Junction Rally I have only ever been to once, but loved every minute of it..

But either or both sound great to me and I am very interested in this, so keep me posted.. (we dont need a festival to meet though.. do we??!!   )

This is taken from the Port of Echuca website.. and is an itinery for the Heritage Festival...

Friday 6 October

 

Chefs of the Murray Dinner – Featuring Stefano de Pieri

 

Saturday 7 October

 

¨ Street of Steam - small engines, steam engines, vintage cars & tractors

¨ Horseshoe Toss

¨ Sheep Shearing

¨ Punch & Judy Show

¨ Street Theatre

¨ Model Boats

¨ Morse Code Demonstrations

¨ Adze & Cross Cut Saw demonstrations

¨ Period Costume Competition

¨ Long Paddock Project Launch

¨ Complimentary Port Tour Admission at Port of Echuca

 

Saturday Evening 7 October

River on Fire Festivities – Echuca Wharf – 6pm – 10pm

 

¨ Live Entertainment

¨ Regional Food & Wine – brought to you by Oscar W’s & Chef’s On the Murray, Cape Horn Vineyard, Star Hotel & Murray Esplanade Cellars

¨ Kid’s Activities – Jumping Castle, Entertainment & Face Painting

¨ New Paddlesteamer Sailpast Show

¨ Fireworks Spectacular

¨ Entry $7.00 per adult – Kid’s free!

¨ 2 Hour Fireworks Cruise tickets available

 

Sunday 8 October

 

¨ Cavalcade of Transport – Street parade of over a century of transport

¨ Bridge of Steam – Great Photographic Opportunity & Celebrity Appearance by Australia’s most renowned marathon swimmer Tammy Van Wisse

¨ Blessing of the World’s largest fleet of Paddlesteamers

¨ Street of Steam – small engines, steam engines, vintage cars & tractors

¨ Sheep Shearing

¨ Punch & Judy Show

¨ Model Boats

¨ Morse Code Demonstrations

¨ Street Theatre

¨ Complimentary Port Tour Admission at Port of Echuca

[paddlesteamerman1]

Pity it costs so much to charter a paddle steamer hey?? Or we could go a paddling along the river!!!

If we could get enough numbers though... :gather

Do ya reckon we could    get a discount???  :wink:

Paddlesteamer Pevensey
Maximum 100 passengers
1 Hours $ 680.00 (min. 1hr)
1.5 Hour $ 840.00
2 Hours $ 1000.00
3 Hours $ 1340.00
4 Hours $ 1680.00

Paddlesteamer Alexander Arbuthnot
Maximum 47 passengers
1 Hour $ 450.00(min. 1hr)
1.5 Hour $600.00
2 Hours $ 730.00
3 Hours $ 980.00
4 Hours $ 1230.00

Paddlesteamer Adelaide
Maximum 49 passengers
1 Hour $ 550.00(min. 1hr)
1.5 Hour $700.00
2 Hours $ 875.00
3 Hours $ 1170.00
4 Hours $ 1465.00