Exploring Echuca & Goodbye Simply 2

We spent Saturday night moored in the town of Echuca, so yesterday morning Sunday the 22nd of April, lent itself to a nice walk through town to get in some exercise.
Before long I had a phone call from Richard saying he had promised the kids pancakes in town.
We all had brekky together before setting out to explore the streets of Echuca and to get in a spot of retail therapy.
By about lunchtime we were back on the boat heading down the Murray towards the place where  we first boarded the boat.
We were hoping to get some skiing in along the way but it rained all afternoon.
So instead, we pulled up on a river bank...  the kids made some more mud slides while some of the adults ended up in the spa for the afternoon and others watched the footy...

Mum, Jack, Dad, Richard & Nina soaking in the soup

Phillip, Jack, Mum, Richard & Harry

Mum and the grandkids having a spa together

Leon decided to be Mr Mum and do the washing, adding just a little too much laundry detergent and not closing the door properly on the washing machine - good work ;-)

Soap suds galore

Everyone was happy simply relaxing and enjoying the last day on the houseboat.

Harry, Alessandro and Phillip washing the mud off in the River

The sun sets over the Murray

Nanna had cooked a big pot of pasta sauce, so dinner was pasta and left overs... Needless to say, it was a feast.

Phillip & Harry

Dad & Richard 

 This morning, Monday the 23rd of April was an early rise and packing up...

Our bedroom on Simply 2

The mess was big and deep but with everyone pitching in we managed to clear the decks before we had to be off the boat by 10.
It was sad to say goodbye to Simply Irresistible 2... we had had such beautiful and special family time together on the boat... priceless!!!

Today, we are in staying the night in cabins, in a caravan park just out of Echuca.

Our cabins at the Yarraby Holiday Park

The kids have had a ball on the blow up pillow and playing mini golf all afternoon...

Bouncing around

...so while the kids were entertained  Mum and I went and had a hot stone massage, it was blissful.
 Leon had to take Alessandro into the doctor to check a rash that had broken out all over his body, our first thought was chicken pox but thankfully it was just an attack of sand flies.

And while Mum & I were out, the big boys did some mechanical work on the Chev, it has been making a terrible noise for the last month.
A bit of tweaking here and there and voila... brand new ... Phew!! Would hate another Exmouth break down episode like last year.

Not the Chev again! Where's a reliable Nissan when you need one?

Tonight, we all went out for our final dinner together to the Moama Bowling Club.
We had to drive all the way to New South Wales to get there (over a bridge) haha... but it was beautiful. The adults got to have a nice chat while the kids went into a kids club for an hour after dinner and played all sorts of games, along with creating some art and craft, it was a win win.

All of us at dinner

I don't want to think about tomorrow yet when I will have to say goodbye to everyone... I can't believe how quickly a week has flown by.