Sue and Ian Moore consider themselves locals, having spent more than 35 years holidaying on the banks of the Murray River at the Victoria Park caravan park.
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“Our kids have grown up on the river, at one stage the street we have our cabin on was referred to as Moore-Brockwell St,” she said.
Brockwell is Sue’s maiden name — her brother and two sisters both followed her lead and purchased sites at the caravan park.
“After we purchased a site, my brother bought the one next door. Then one sister bought the other neighbouring site before my other sister purchased the one next to that,” Sue said.
“All of our four children have had caravans at some stage at the park, two of them still have caravans here.
“They are all breaking their neck to get back up to Echuca.”
The Moores miss Echuca and Echuca misses the Moores.
Sue said at one stage everyone knew everyone in their particular street of the caravan park.
In the ensuing years several of Sue and Ian’s family members have purchased houses at Deep Creek Marina, on the other side of the river.
Sue and Ian operate a mechanical access and scaffolding business in East Keilor, living for the past 15 years in an apartment in trendy Melbourne suburb Maribyrnong.
They have spent more time, and had more celebrations, than they can remember in Echuca and are passionate supporters of the riverside town.
For almost six months now they have been travelling the east coast of Australia with best friends, and Echuca couple, Ray and Irene Boquest.
Ian went to school with Ray and the families have been pretty much inseparable for the past 35 years, which is how long the Moores have been holidaying in Echuca.
“We both decided that getting out of Victoria was a good idea. We have been travelling with them since May 1,” Sue said.
“We left from Melbourne and they left from Echuca.”
Sue and Ian’s Echuca love affair started when they bought a caravan and a site at the Victoria Park caravan park, now NRMA Holiday Park, in the late 1970s.
“For the first 18 years we had a caravan on the site, then for the last 17 years we have had the cabin,” she said.
Sue estimated that it was 1977 that the successful Melbourne business couple chose Echuca as the future site of its “getaways”.
“We came up and holidayed for the first couple of years and I think it was 1985 we bought the caravan,” she said.
“We definitely are river people. All our kids water ski, and Ian used to as well.”
Sue and Ian have four children — Corey, Andrew, Jodi and Matthew — along with 13 grandchildren.
They have an annual tradition which has grown, and grown, as the years have passed.
Every New Year’s Day they arrive on the doorstep of Dave Connally’s Echuca Hotel, which is one of their "locals".
“We’ve had a lot of fun with David. A whole lot of us, often 50 or 60, celebrate New Year’s Day at the pub,” Sue said.
“Now all the grandkids have boyfriends and girlfriends it has gotten quite big.”
Ian, who watches from afar as people dive for cover when it comes time to pay the luncheon bill, said it often costs him a fortune.
“They all disappear when it's time to pay the bill,” he said.
Publican Dave Connally said he had probably known the couple for 18 years.
“They have been here for a lot of celebrations, but New Year’s Day is their biggest,” he said.
“They normally book out between 40 and 70 seats, but the last two years the pressure has been put on the function.
“COVID has certainly thrown a spanner in the works.”
The couple’s long history with the town lends itself to a look back on great times.
“We were there for the original opening of Oscar W's, we had our 20-year anniversary on the Hero (paddlesteamer),” Sue said.
“We were actually among the first people to stay overnight on it.”
The couple also has a close connection to the American Hotel, where fundraising functions have been held for their granddaughter Tilly — Tough Tilly Day — who suffers from a rare skin condition.
“We know Dean (Oberin) quite well and he has been very supportive,” Sue said.
The couple did have a little bit of advice for any entrepreneurs in Echuca.
“There is a vacancy for a fine dining establishment. The Cock and Bull used to be our go to for an annual dinner,” Sue said.
“There aren’t many restaurants that we haven’t been to.”
Speaking to the Riv from a sun-soaked Coloundra, the couple said coming “home” to Echuca for the holidays would be a dream come true.
And that is after spending the past few months in the likes of Noosa and Airlie Beach.
“With what was happening down south, we decided to stay in Queensland,” Sue said.
“We are toying with the idea of coming home to Echuca next week.”
The couple was enthusiastic about being back on the banks of the River, in particular, for the hustle and bustle of the summer season.
“It is like Bourke St on the water now, compared to 30 years ago,” Sue said.
“Two of our sons have done the Southern 80 a few times, so skiing is in the blood.
“The kids are very good skiiers.”
Sue and Ian said they missed Echuca terribly, as did all of their family, and judging by the few people the Riv contacted last week who know them — Echuca misses them too.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor