In mid-August, News journalists Djembe Archibald and Nicola Ceccato were guests of Campaspe Shire Council.
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They had the opportunity to explore the towns of Echuca, Rochester and Kyabram over one action-packed weekend.
Here’s what they had to say about the experiences and adventures they went on.
Wharf to Winery tour, Echuca
When thinking of Echuca, you can’t help but imagine the winding Murray and the paddlesteamers that pass the wharf each day.
We were lucky enough to go one one, being able to cruise our way 30 minutes down the river to Morrison’s Winery where we hopped off for lunch and tastings before getting back on the P.S. Canberra.
The winery itself was lovely, with vineyards spanning the surrounds.
Our lunch was interrupted by a friendly kookaburra bouncing and waddling along the balcony.
The wine was perfect with a lot of different types, grapes and textures; a highlight being the muscat, which was full-bodied and sweet. It was especially nice as a frozen slushy-type drink.
Walking back to the wharf, we enjoyed a short bush walk.
The tour itself included the skipper giving a history lesson on the boats we passed, as well as on the P.S. Canberra herself.
Billabong Ranch horse tours, Echuca
Another classic of Echuca is the horse-drawn tour that passes along the main street.
We enjoyed an extra-special tour, being able to sit on the top of the carriage, just behind the driver.
We started the tour at a gentle walk, before changing to a hearty gallop as we approached High St, travelling alongside the horses of today, also known as cars.
The town looked even more beautiful with the sound of horses trotting and a cooling wind on a warm afternoon.
The driver, an experienced horse rider and handler, was wonderful to talk to.
He was also incredibly passionate about the regions and his job at the Billabong Ranch, the company that runs the tours.
The horses were gorgeous and were not left without pats for too long, being cuddled any time they weren’t out working.
Our inner children enjoyed the ride because it’s fun riding with horses; however, as adults we enjoyed the view of the town from above and chatting with our chaperone about the town and his life.
For only $10, and with no booking necessary, it was well worth it.
Geocaching, Rochester
What better way to explore Rochester than with a game of geocaching? For those who don’t know, geocaching involves hunting for a series of containers hidden by community members in various locations.
Players use the GPS co-ordinates on the geocaching app to find these containers, where you can write your name in a log book located inside. If you’re lucky, there might also be small items you can swap with something of your own.
We started off our geocaching adventure by leaving Echuca and taking back roads to Rochester where we located some geocaches on the side of the road and then in the town itself.
Exploring Rochester this way gave us a good excuse to take notice of some of the highlights in the town, with one of the major attractions being the artworks.
Rochester is home to spectacular sights such as silo art and murals from the Rochester Mural Festival.
This activity was the perfect way to see a lot of the town and take in the creativity the region has to offer.
Kyabram Fauna Park, Kyabram
A trip to Campaspe Shire wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Kyabram Fauna Park.
We spent a lot of the afternoon meandering around the park, with plenty of opportunities to interact with the animals.
Some seemed a little peckish, with cheeky cockatoos and galahs enjoying a good nibble at our shoes.
Dingoes, wombats, a wide variety of bird and reptile species — there was a bit of everything and we were thoroughly impressed with what the zoo had to offer.
We really enjoyed watching the meerkats as we ate lunch in the café by the window to their enclosure, which was good entertainment.
But our favourite part of the day had to be the koala enclosure.
We feed the koalas gum leaves and learnt more about them from the informative zookeeper who showed us around.
And at $35 each for the encounter, it was definitely worth it.