General News
25 October, 2022
Relief for 'accidental tourist'
THE trip north could have gone very pear-shaped as four people arrived from overseas for a wedding in Barham. Debbie and Steve Estlin were on their first visit to Australia from Liverpool, catching up with long-time friend Gaynor and bride daughter...
THE trip north could have gone very pear-shaped as four people arrived from overseas for a wedding in Barham.
Debbie and Steve Estlin were on their first visit to Australia from Liverpool, catching up with long-time friend Gaynor and bride daughter Amelia.
Lynn Hill had arrived from Illionois to be with Amelia’s father Kim and her brother, flying through New Zealand where she joined by mother Janet Cocklin in New Zealand.
Lynn and Janet had planned to travel north by train to Kerang, only for rail travel to be suspended on Thursday.
They joined Debbie and Steve in a car trip north, getting as far as Wedderburn when the Calder Highway was closed.
The quartet related how the owner of the town’s motel - already booked out - found room for them, only to have a knock on the door at 2am when a flood evacuation warning was issued.
They made their way to Bridgewater on Friday, only to again be hemmed in by flood waters and where they spent the night at the town’s relief centre.
“The wedding has already been put off twice by COVID,” they said.
Lynn said: “We have been just lucky that we were not struck in the middle of the road.”
Debbie said: “We tried a few alternative routes, ended up back in Wedderburn (on Friday) and then got as far as Bridgewater.”
Lynn sent the Loddon Herald an email the next Saturday afternoon to say the quartet had made it to Barham with hours to spare before the wedding.