As you will probably be spending a good portion of your time in Echuca close to one of the rivers in some way, it’s worth paying attention to some of the huge trees that line the banks and flood plains alongside. The native forest around Echuca is a mixture of two main types of trees, the grey box and the river red gum. The easiest way to tell them apart is by the bark. The grey box has a rough grey brown bark, sometimes with an almost hairy texture, while the river red gum (eucalyptus camuldensis) has a smooth, multi-coloured bark, with the outer layers splitting and peeling to reveal different colours and create sometimes quite beautiful patterns. The river red gum has the unfortunate habit of dropping huge branches without warning. People will tell you that branches drop on windy days, or on hot days after long periods of no rain, or from trees that show signs of borer or termite infestation, but the truth is than not even the most experienced bushman can tell you for sure when a branch will or won’t drop.
That’s not to say though, that you should stay out of the forests or away from the rivers. Only a handful of people across Australia each year are injured or lose their lives to accidents involving falling limbs, so the chances of injury are perhaps comparable to being struck by lightning. If you have the choice, though, it’s better not to park your car beside older trees, and you should never sleep in a tent within range of a potential branch-dropper (in the same way that you wouldn’t continue a game of golf in an electrical storm).
Despite the fact that Australia has seven of the world’s ten most poisonous snakes, your chances of coming across one of them around Echuca is slim. The three poisonous snakes in the local area are the tiger snake, brown snake and red-bellied black snake. The red-bellied black is extremely timid and farmers have even been known to encourage them to stay, as they are territorial and will discourage other snakes from taking up residence. Tiger and brown snakes are more aggressive, and the brown snake is the most commonly sighted of the three. Children here are always taught not to play in long grass or around piles of timber or other material that could harbour snakes, and that’s good advice for everybody to follow. Collecting firewood from state forests is by permit only, and buying it in town before your camping or houseboat trip will also help you avoid the possibility of disturbing reptile habitat. While bushwalking, keep to open paths and tread heavily or make noise to give sunbathing snakes a warning and a chance to get out of your way. All of these snakes poison the blood rather than the nerves, so a victim has several hours to seek medical assistance.
The other poisonous critter in the area is the redback spider, and these are quite common around older houses, especially in piles of firewood or garden refuse. They are slow moving and timid, and rarely leave their web area to wander. Bites will cause irritation but are rarely fatal.
Mosquitoes are very common in the warmer months, and are most active around dusk. Barmah Forest virus and Ross River fever can both be transmitted by mosquito bite, but neither is fatal, nor especially common. Avoiding mosquito bites altogether is the best protection; long-sleeved shirts, trousers, repellent and staying indoors around dusk are all effective.
Swimmers should NEVER, EVER DIVE into the Murray or any of the other rivers in the area. The above-mentioned river red gums can drop branches or collapse completely into the rivers, where they can become invisible when submerged in the sandy waters. Particularly in the Murray River, currents are strong and submerged logs can move without any indication above the water surface, especially after a period of heavy rain. Walk into the water slowly and preferably after asking somebody with knowledge of the area for a suggested place to swim. If you find yourself caught in a strong current, don’t try to swim against it; swim at right angles to it towards the bank and walk back to your sandbar or houseboat on dry land.