About two and a half hours drive from Melbourne (stop off at the gold rush town of Bendigo if you want to break up the journey) lies the quant town of Echuca. It is famed for being a
paddle steamer port on the Murray River and is certainly worth a day visit.
The town is for tourists; people are dressed up in authentic 1800s dress (even when the sun is out the hats and heavy dresses are on), the houses are made from wood, the road is dusty and a horse and cart is a frequent passer-by in these here parts. The place looks like what you'd expect a Hollywood western film would be like – I'm just waiting for John Wayne to coming waddling round the corner.
As cheesy as this might sound it's actually a lot of fun and interesting. Most come to the town specifically for a ride up the Murray River on a paddleboat steamer. There are a handful of authentic paddleboats built around the 1920s that take you up and down the river. It's a leisurely cruise that lasts less than an hour, you'll get historic commentary from the captain, then you can just sit down and relax with a gentle breeze on your face and the sound of the water swishing around the paddle and birdsong from the many birds that live along the river. The history of the paddleboat in this area is an interesting one but if that fails to keep you enthralled then just watch how the boat works – you can literally see how the water creates the steam to power the boat – I promise it's fascinating!
There are a few places along the Murray where you can pick up a paddle steamer and take a cruise but I highly recommend Echuca because of its port. I also highly recommend the ice cream booth that's on the corner of the main road – delicious with an abundance of flavours – just what you need after a heavy afternoon cruising along The Murray.
