Perfect relaxation for those needing a break

By JAMES ANTHONY

Go on, 'fess up. You need a break don't you? You're fed up with work, never get to spend time with the family and are stretched to breaking point by all of the demands put upon you.

Well, there is a solution and it only takes one hard decision - that is which three days to take off.

I know it sounds like a long time away from work and things you really need to do, but if this chap can log-off his desktop computer and not even touch a laptop for four days then anyone can do it.

So, what is the James Anthony Tip for the Big Relax?

Head for Echuca, cousins, and step back in time - and let off pressure - to a lovely part of Australia that meanders along with an 18th Century ease.

While Echuca is very much a tourist spot - with all the trappings and dangers attached - it is a lovely spot to settle down for a look about the northern part of Victoria.

There are Ye Olde shops everywhere and, if you allow yourself, you can find the bank balance seriously depleted rather quickly. However, Echuca's charms are not about shopping, but about the buildings, its wharf and the mighty Murray River it is built on.

The river splits Victoria and New South Wales and just over the waterway is Moama, where you find a squillion clubs of all sorts, plenty of accommodation and at least one excellent winery.

Echuca was Australia's biggest inland port and while its massive redgum wharves are only about a third of the size they once were, they are still very impressive. From the wharf you can take rides on a host of different paddlesteamers that take visitors up and down the brown river.

We hopped aboard the Emmylou (pictured) on a calm sunny day and spent an hour and a half of the most relaxing cruising I think I have ever done. You can plonk on deck and munch into sandwiches, or get a nice lunch served up in the small dinery, and take in some amazing sights such as sunbathing turtles.

Being a bit of a nosey I went up to the captain's wheelhouse and chatted for a lot of the trip about life and work in Echuca. While it doesn't pay much, driving one of those paddleboats around seems supremely relaxing and the thought crossed my mind to pay them to let me work there.

Then it was off to get a bit of family accommodation and we settled on a motel complex overlooking the Murray River on the Moama side.

In the Moama area there are a heap of clubs to go to at night, a lot of them offer courtesy buses to pick you up and drop you off after a night out. This is an excellent service and should be employed in all tourism regions.

We tried two clubs for meals at night. The Rich River Golf Club was not as well organised for dealing with littlies - there only being paid game machines available to keep them out of your hair and the food was ... okay at best.

However, the nearby Returned Services League Club was excellent in both value, good food and it has an outside play area for the kids. This can be heartily recommended. There is also a small military museum on site.

Now if you want to do a bit of wine tasting close to the RSL then Riverview Estate is both comfortable and palate-tingling. As you would expect from such a name, the winery overlooks the Murray (on the Moama side) and has an art gallery and a restaurant.

Another JA hint is that you must try the muscat - it is one of the finest drops I've tasted.

So, need a quick break that will relax you to the max? Then check out Echuca/Moama.

If you are driving up from Melbourne then stop for a kids' break at the Elmore Miniature Railway which has about a kilometre of track - including several small bridges - to race over. The kids, and you, will love it.

Links
Guide to Wildlife Parks and Zoos in Australia
Day Trip to Kyabram Fauna Park
Emmylou Website