At the end of June, Tim and I went on a road trip for a weekend in Echuca-Moama. Echuca is on the Victorian side of the border, and Moama is its sister town on the New South Wales side of the border. Both towns are on the banks of the Murray River, and Echuca was once a thriving cargo port for paddle steamers. This led to a mini series called All the Rivers Run, based on the novel by Nancy Cato, being filmed in Echuca in the early 1980s.
Echuca turned on perfect weather for us, and we went for a trip down the Murray on a paddle steamer, PS Alexander Arbuthnot. This is one of the original paddle steamers that were used for cargo that has been restored and is now used for the tourist trade. One of my favourite boats on the tour was this mini replica paddlesteamer, the Billy Tea:
The Murray River Flag flies proudly from the front of the PS Alexander Arbuthnot:
The dark blue bars represent the Murray River and each of the rivers that run into it: the Murrumbidgee, the Lachlan and the Darling. The stars each represent the five states of Australia, and the Union Jack is for the mother country, England.
We also took an educational Wharf Walk tour through the historical parts of Echuca. You can find out more details about the walk here.
In the evening, we went back to the Port of Echuca for dinner at Oscar W's (after Oscar Wilde). Oscar W's overlooks the Murray River, and we were lucky enough to score a window table.
Our meal started with lovely complimentary sour dough bread with oil:
We started with the redgum grilled flat bread served with feta, dukkah and spinach pesto ($17.50):
This was fabulous, as the local feta was spreadable, smooth and creamy, and the dukkah crunchy and nutty.
For main, Tim ordered the kangaroo with bacon, parsnip, beetroot, crostini and onion marmalade ($37.90):
I went for the harissa spiced chicken with pumpkin, date, borlotti beans and citrus yoghurt sauce ($39.90):
This dish had just the right amount of kick, with the spicy chicken contrasting with the sweetness of the dates and pumpkin. All of the diverse flavours subtly blended in with each other, so no one flavour overwhelmed the dish. I would definitely eat this again!
On the side, we ordered green beans with pine nuts and parmesan ($10), and Paris mashed potato with truffle oil ($11):
The mash was smooth and creamy, while the beans were crispy and texturally crunchy.
Despite being full, we could not resist dessert. We ordered the cheesecake with oat and raisin crumble, marshmallow icecream, frosted walnuts and carrot jam ($16.90):
As you can see, it is a deconstructed cheesecake, and it was quite wonderful. I especially loved the frosted walnuts.
If you ever get the chance to visit Echuca-Moama, I highly recommend dropping in to Oscar W's, with beautiful views, friendly service and fabulous food. You can't lose!
Oscar W's
101 Murray Esplanade
Echuca VIC 3564
Ph: (03) 5482 5133
Ph: (03) 5482 5133
