Murray River, May 2021
Over a few days of wandering the Murray we’ve seen quite a collection of these romantic craft, old and new. I recall back in the 70’s watching a chap restoring an old paddle steamer on the riverbank, it was little more than a hulk and we were fascinated. Since then paddle steamers have become their own tourist industry no doubt popularised by the TV series All The Rivers Run. There are hundreds of them slap slapping up and down the navigable reaches of the river. There are day trips, dinner cruises and overnighters and the cheery toot of steam whistles.
itchingforhitching 
The “bones” of the wrecks look forlorn but the timbers they were made from certainly look substantial. I think I would enjoy pottering along the river on the “Billy T”.
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Such a pretty little boat, she was moored at Barham.
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My late friend Norman would have loved this set, as do I, especially the first and last
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Romantic craft they are. The Billy T was moored near us at Barham. The Amphibious we found when wandering the river and were lucky to meet a man who was building a new mooring for her.
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I once saw one of the boats in the middle of a field on the Isle of Wight. I rang Norman, naming it and asking him if he knew where it was. He did.
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Oops, high and dry.
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A lovely selection. A couple of them look as though they were designed by shed builders!
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Aren’t they joyous boats? I’m quite sure I’ve never seen two the same. It’s even better to ride on them with all that timber and beautifully pulsing old steam engines.
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The way the timbers are shaped and bent is a work of art!
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It is indeed.
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