On one of our recent visits to Metung recently, I was busily collecting some shells to 're-locate' to my garden, when MD noticed some smoke out on the water....
We realised it was the Paddle Steamer Curlip II. She'd been in Lakes Entrance for some maintenance work and was taking her last trip through the lakes area before returning home to Marlo which is at the mouth of the Snowy River.
Great excitement actually, so out came the camera. A few shouts from the hill above from some kind fellow photographers and I climbed up to join them at a good vantage point - and so the clicking began.
The steam just adds to the scene doesn't it.
It wasn't only humans who were interested to see the Curlip.....
Passing Shaving Point at Metung. The same spot where we see dolphins and seals which I've managed to photograph occasionally.
She's turning in to Metung Jetty here...
Lots of people turned out to see her. She created quite a stir.
Here's a bit of history of how she came to be.
The Paddle Steamer Curlip II is a replica of an historic paddle steamer of the Snowy River, in Far East Gippsland, Victoria.
It was a community project and her construction utilised the traditional skills of wooden boat builders and thousands of hours of volunteer labour.
Curlip II commenced operations in December 2008 and operates as a cruise vessel on the Snowy River estuary.
The original Paddle Steamer was built by Sam Richardson and his sons at their sawmill at Tabbara, a pioneering settlement on the Brodribb River, a tributary of the Snowy River. The keel was laid on 14th October 1889 and PS Curlip was launched in 1890.
The name "Curlip" is derived from the indigenous name for the area where Tabbara is located.
PS Curlip was registered in 1893 which entitled her to carry 25 passengers, and only 10 passengers when engaged in towage service. Two children under 12 years of age were reckoned as one passenger.
PS Curlip towed five barges at a time, travelling up to 20km of the mouth to collect produce to be transferred to schooners near Marlo. She towed vessels in and out through the Snowy River entrance and was also used for social functions such as Sunday School picnics. She was the main means of transport for imports and exports on the Snowy River for almost 30 years.
The Curlip era ended abruptly on Friday 28th February 1919 when a flash flood carried her and 2 barges down river and out to sea where she washed ashore at Marlo and broke up.