The historic paddlesteamer Melbourne comes through the Torrumbarry Weir. Photo: Craig Vale
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The historic paddlesteamer Melbourne is making its way back to Echuca-Moama after a successful stint operating in Koondrook, where hundreds of passengers climbed aboard during the school holidays.
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Owner and skipper Adam Auditori said rising Murray River levels had finally given him the chance to bring his beloved vessel back home.
“We took the opportunity with the high flow rates in the river,” he said.
“To get through Torrumbarry Lock you need about 8300 megalitres a day.
‘’Once rainfall pushed flows to about 14,000 megalitres, we headed downstream, knowing there would be enough follow-up flow for a couple of weeks to get home again.”
The Melbourne set off from Koondrook this week, with the two-day journey to Torrumbarry Lock just the first leg of its much-anticipated return home.
The departure came just after a special milestone for the vessel, with July 18 marking the 113th anniversary of its launch at Koondrook in 1913.
During its stay in Koondrook, the Melbourne ran two cruises a day through the final week of the school holidays and into the following weekend, welcoming an average of around 100 passengers each day.
Adam Auditori’s passion lies with paddlesteamers. He shared his story with Rochester community members recently.
Photo by
Daniel Harvey
Mr Auditori said the community had embraced the vessel.
“The community loved it. Many people came out two or three times and were eager for us to stay full-time,” he said.
“We make an effort to get back once or twice a year.”
The visit gave local businesses a welcome lift too, with one cafe reporting an extra $500 a day in trade while the paddlesteamer was in town.
Passengers also travelled from across Victoria and interstate, including visitors from Mildura and Adelaide.
Once back in Echuca-Moama, the Melbourne will undergo its annual boiler inspection and be removed from the water for two to three weeks before returning to service for the September school holidays.
The Melbourne heading for home. Photo: Craig Vale
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Supplied
Mr Auditori said the vessel would then resume its popular five-hour Golden River cruises, featuring a catered lunch and gourmet barbecue on board.
He said heritage paddlesteamers continued to play an irreplaceable role in the region's tourism story.
“Saving the wharf and establishing the port museum helped turn Echuca from a quiet town into a tourism hub with employment opportunities,” he said.
As the sole remaining family-owned private passenger paddlesteamer on the Echuca-Moama stretch of the Murray, Mr Auditori said his commitmentto keeping the Melbourne running was unwavering.
“The Melbourne is the last family-owned private passenger paddlesteamer operating there. As long as I can keep that going, I will,” he said.
PS Melbourne near the Port of Echuca, carrying passengers along the river earlier in the year.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
