The Border

The town of Echuca sits just over 200km North of Melbourne, on the border between Victoria and New South Wales. I almost ran home from work on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon to grab some clothes, throw them into the nearest backpack and jump in the car for the lovely scenic drive.

Driving inland, the colours and scenery gradually change, from green and lush around the outer edges of Melbourne's suburbs to drier, yellow meadows and fewer trees and shrubbery. The sky was a bright shade of blue and peppered with small fluffy clouds, and the heat of the sun created a constant mirage on the road ahead. 

We stayed with a couple who have been long time friends of my aunt and uncle, in their beautiful big house with one of the nicest gardens ever and the cutest dog, Mindi. Two 'pet' parrots came, like every day apparently, to feed in one of the trees at the side of the house while we were having dinner. Seeing birds and animals that are so exotic to me is so exciting! One scrumptious barbecue, some hilarious chatting, a few glasses of wine and a little stargaze later, I hit the hay after a long deliciously warm day.

The next morning we got up and explored the town a little; Echuca is known for its port, on the banks of the Murray River. It's actually the river that serves as the border between Victoria and New South Wales, so a short detour over it into Moama, the town just across the other side, took us into the next state. It looks pretty much the same, as you'd expect, but there are some differences such as the higher wage for teachers in NSW, meaning lots of people try to live in Victoria but work across the border.

The river at Echuca is full of house boats and pleasure cruisers, which we walked to via an old, sandy street along the riverside, lined with little cafes, red gum and wood workshops. The whole town centre is pretty old, and I felt like it really suited being hot and dry; it reminded me of what I think the desert parts of America might feel like. There's a kind of feeling of stepping back in time that comes with the heat, dryness and walking through all those old places that used to be inhabited and frequented by tradesmen, wood sellers and visitors a couple of hundred years ago.