WRITERS SEE CAPE ON TRIP TO BIG EASY

Cape Girardeau's river heritage could be a future feature story in a variety of Australian travel publications.

Four travel writers, representing several Australian publications, were in Cape Girardeau Sunday to tour the River Heritage Museum. The writers are part of a tour sponsored by the U.S. Travel and Tourism Association.

The Australian writers have been given a weeklong tour of the Lower Mississippi River Basin from St. Louis to New Orleans. Their stories will be read by more than 1.5 million households in Australia.

Saturday, the group arrived in St. Louis and spent the day touring that city.

Sunday, the group toured Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau.

"I like experiencing the small towns, " said Hilary Doling, travel editor of the Sun-Herald in Sydney. "I wish I could have stayed in a bed and breakfast in a place like Cape Girardeau."

But the writers are in the States for only a week, visiting six states during their brief tour. The group plans to spend a couple of nights in Memphis, Tenn., and New Orleans. Sunday night, the writers stayed in Paducah, Ky.

"We're fortunate to have them here," said Mary Miller, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Cape is one of three stops they made in this state."

Miller said any exposure Cape Girardeau receives abroad is welcomed.

"This interests me," Miller said, "because as professional writers, they see things in this area differently than we do."

Not all of the writers were new to the United States.

David McGonigal, a writer-photographer from Roseville, New South Wales, said he made his way through this country on a motorcycle, selling stories about his travels to make money along the way.

McGonigal said on this trip he will focus on the musical roots of the lower river basin when he sits down with his lap-top computer to write. He was looking forward to interviews scheduled with musicians in Memphis later this week.

McGonigal, toting his camera bag, said the interstate-highway system deprives Americans of good tourism opportunities.

But the Australian writers are avoiding the interstate for much of their journey. They expect to take back roads and scenic river way highways for much of their trip.

"I think several stories will come out of this," Doling said. "This is giving me a great vision, and there is still so much more to come."

The group will board their return flight to Australia Sunday in New Orleans.