The Murray

The Murray River is a magnificent waterway. There are a number of paddle-steamers offering cruises on the Murray, including Pevensey, which starred in the TV mini-series All The Rivers Run.

Echuca is also home to the National Holden Museum. Holden was Australia's first locally built car. The first model, the FJ, went on sale in 1948 and quickly became an icon. The FJ gave families freedom – to go on holidays or picnics and to be borrowed by strapping sons for a night at the drive-in. In fact, I believe a lot of Aussie families were started in a Holden. Echuca comes from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘meeting of the waters’ and was once Australia’s largest inland port.

Mildura's big drawcard is also river cruises. The paddle-steamers Coonawarra, Melbourne, Rothbury (built 1881) and Avoca (1877) offer a range of cruises from six-day to two-hour cruises.

More than 100 kilometres south of Mildura is Ouyen and it’s not on the Murray. I only mention it because close friends of mine, who travel from Canberra to Adelaide annually, make a point of turning off at Balranald, crossing the Murray at Tooleybuc and heading for the Mallee Root café in Ouyen. ‘Simply the best in Australia,’ they say, while their ten-year-old son says, ‘It’s cool’. In August, Ouyen hosts the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph.

More Information

For more information about Victoria:

• Events And Festivals
• Accommodation
• To See And Do
• Melbourne
• Yarra Valley, Dandenongs & Mornington
• Great Ocean Road
• Goldfields
• High Country
• Grampians
• Gippsland

Victoria Tours With Tours To Go