Shows & Meetings

Swan Hill Run Celebrating Fifty Years 1966 to 2016

 As we set off on the first day, Saturday, we looked forward to warmer weather on the Murray. After all it was over 300 km closer to the equator. That reasoning didn’t work!

Despite the cool days it was a most enjoyable event, well organised and plenty to see and do, especially at the Swan Hill Pioneer Village.
But first it was the Spannerman that we visited on the Saturday. On a large property owned by John and Sonia Piccoli we viewed about 25 sculptures created by John made entirely of spanners. That in itself was remarka-ble, but made even more remarkable was the fact that John is confined to a motorised wheelchair, having con-tracted Polio some time ago.
He uses hoists and a block and tackle to raise the job to the height he can work from in his wheelchair.
Pioneer Village has changed over the years. From the time when customers were ferried around in a trailer for the Sound and Light Show to the modern La-ser Show with its associated sound effects along with rain and snow falling on some of the spectators.
The village has a comprehensive array of steam driven vehicles and a large variety of shops and buildings for one to wander around and through.
Most of us had lunch on the premises and after that we had a cruise on the Murray on P.S. PYAP. Where we were informed that under new laws if a tree falls into the river now it must not be removed.
All vehicles behaved themselves with only a couple of minor hiccups.
The meals were excellent, accommodation was good and the sun even came out on Monday with the promise of a warmer day which only held good until we approached Melbourne.
The Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum provided an interesting and entertaining interlude to our journey home where we were treated to a guided tour of the complex, and watched a short movie on the history of the Flying Boat repair depot.

Thank you John and Louise for an excellent weekend.