Echuca

Echuca sits where the Campaspe and Goulburn rivers meet the Murray, the closest point on the river to Melbourne, and in the 1870s and 1880s it was the busiest inland port in Australia, transferring wool and timber between paddle steamers and the railway. The wharf, built of local red gum on three levels to cope with the river's changing height, still stands and forms the centre of a preserved port precinct with a working blacksmith, cooper and historic vessels. Echuca has the largest collection of operating paddle steamers in the world, several of which run cruises, including the Adelaide of 1866, among the oldest wooden-hulled paddle steamers still operating anywhere.

What you actually see

• The red gum wharf - the three-level timber wharf built for a changing river.
• The paddle steamer fleet - the largest working collection in the world.
• The port precinct - restored buildings, workshops and vessels.
• The Murray River - cruises and river red gum forest along the banks.

When to go

September to May for river cruises and warm weather; summer is hot but the river makes it bearable. Steam-up events and the Riverboats music festival fall in February. Low river levels occasionally restrict cruising.

Honest expectations

The port precinct is a paid attraction and cruises are charged separately. Summer temperatures regularly pass thirty-five degrees. The modern town around the historic precinct is ordinary, and the preserved area is small.

Nearby

Moama is across the river in New South Wales; Bendigo lies south.