WITH A huff of steam and a shrill of whistle, one man's boyhood dream was realised on the Nambucca River at Macksville on Sunday as longtime residents recalled life on the estuary as it once was.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The occasion was the launch of a steam-powered river cruiser - hand-built from scratch by retired marine engineer Peter Lucas, of Girralong.
Named in honour of his wife, 'SL (Steam Launch) Annie M' is an 18-foot craft modelled along the lines of the craft seen in the old Bogart movie African Queen.
Peter, 74, and wife Annie, took the maiden voyage on Sunday, chuffing about the Macksville Bridge, where dozens of locals had gathered for the launch.
The beautifully constructed timber ship is a throwback to the days when much of the cartage in the Nambucca Valley was by ship, with boast able to travel as far upstream as Bowraville.
We hope you enoy the photo gallery of the launch and look for the full report in this week's Guardian on Thursday.
