Euroa, Vic, Oct 2024

Day 5 Wednesday 9/10/2024 Euroa, 3 – 19 sunny and improving.

How good it is to stand in the doorway in the sun feeding ducks.

We celebrate Elle’s birthday over morning tea. Joining us is a menagerie of birds and the cheeky devils are chasing our crumbs. Pacific Black ducks, Maned ducks with a family of web-footed puff balls, Red Wattlebirds, Blue Faced Honeyeaters, and the usual galahs, cockies and magpies.

The caravan park is roughly in the centre of an 80-minute river loop walk known as the Apex Trail. At various times we all take in sections of it through town and the bushlands, parks and gardens. I follow the old Hume Highway past what was the Euroa Inn of 1857 and now a private home. Picking up the trail I walk into town in the search for another historic home ‘Vega’ on Railway Street. Who should I meet but Woody and we sit in the sun while he eats lunch, and I sketch the weir.

Back at camp Toothless’ Missus narrowly avoids disaster when the candles on Elle’s birthday cake almost set fire to her bosom (oh boy, that is not going to be forgotten). With a little time to spare and energy to burn, I walk the bushy eastern end of the Trail. At times the river almost disappears in reeds then pops up again trickling over boulders and around sandbars. Up by the freeway there’s a metal swing bridge announcing the return walk on the other side that wanders through parklands bordered by some rather appealing homes in manicured gardens. Aren’t all the gardens in this town manicured? Crimson rosellas flash through the trees, swallows dip in the river and raven-like currawongs are easily identified by the white flash on their tail feathers. I arrive back to find happy hour well underway.

A quick scrub up and we cross the little bridge to our old favourite the Seven Creeks Hotel, and I say favourite because we’ve dined here at least 5 times and each meal has been better than the last. Tonight, it’s Steak Nite, offering a nice Porterhouse with a glass of Shiraz for 30 bucks. How could you not choose that? Well Woody tackles the Beef Cheeks and reckons that he’s the winner! We’re seated in the main dining room, a summery sun is shining through the wooden blinds, a chunky old sideboard is beside us, a grand piano across the room, gilded mirrors and intriguing paintings. Dinner is spiced with loud conversation and cheers to the birthday girl. On the riverbank we say our farewells because tomorrow we’ll head off in different directions.

Accom: $ 49.50