There is something magical about cycling over an expanse of water, particularly when it’s across a bridge that transverses different parts of the country.  Being on the Murray adds that special quality to it, making this short 11 km return trip between Barooga and Cobram something to savour.     Like the thrill a child gets going down a slide.  It’s just a bit a metal at 45 degrees a couple of metres off the ground, but the feeling of being alive is priceless.     I call these outings “milkshake rides”, because they invariably result in a milkshake and some form of pastry mid way.   Cobram is a bit sleepy on Sunday mornings, but I managed to find a bakery that was open. The return trip warranted a detour on the Victorian side to check out the local beach.  I knew the area had beaches, but this was a fair dinkum impressive piece of sand, with resident Paddle steamer and all. Thomson’s Beach is large enough to host it’s own event on the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour, which invites international wild cards.  At 8 am in the morning it was in full swing.  I would have taken some photos, but young children may see this post and besides permission would have needed to be granted!  It was a warm start to the day after all.   This is a family ride which I highly recommend.  The bridge has dedicated cycle/walk lanes, much like the Echuca/Moama bridge and affords postcard views of the river and the Old Cobram-Barooga bridge.   This is heritage listed and still used as a footbridge.  It was a bit rustic looking and didn’t look too capable of supporting walking  from where I was viewing it, but eh!    As an aside, I managed to drag family and friends back to the beach later that day to enjoy riding of a different kind.   Swimming with this river current is quite extraordinary and a terrific way to spend Australia Day.