Rochester is a small town in country Victoria, Australia and is only 30 km from Echuca and 180 km north of Melbourne with a mixture of rural and semi-rural communities on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca. The 2021 census recorded almost 3200 residents.
Named after Dr John Pearson Rowe who built a hotel here in 1854 as it was on the track north to Maidens Punt (Moama) and south to Bendigo and Melbourne. A cairn near GZ commemorates Rochesters beginnings.
Sadly, there is also the flood marker which is yet to be updated after the devastating Oct 2022 floods that was 20cm higher than the 2011 floods. All homes and businesses in town were affected to some degree.
Rochester is still in recovery, there are people who will never return after 2 major floods in 11 years.
Stealth will be required, especially during weekdays as the servo that now stands on the Rowe hotel site is frequented by hundreds of tradies putting schools, homes, the hospital and businesses back together.
The cache: A micro with log book only. BYO pen.