VICTORIA'S
GREATEST DRIVING TOURS AND HERITAGE TOWNS
Historic...
ECHUCA
The old inland port of Echuca has undergone a very
defining facelift in recent years. Down by the paddlesteamer wharves
on the Murray, a tourist precinct has been established -and it’s
as much removed from those bustling days a century ago as it is
from recent decades, when the port lay silent.
Today it has become a destination in its own right. Paddlesteamers
now carry tourists instead of wool, and with their wooden hulls
and venerable steam-powered machinery restored, they survive from
an era when the Murray-Darling river system was a vital transport
artery for the growing colonies of Victoria, New South Wales and
South Australia.
And around the corner in High Street many 150 year-old two storey
shops and pubs have been saved from the redeveloper’s jackhammer.
With their broad corrugated-iron verandahs and ornate supporting
posts, they evoke images of a bygone era. Shopkeepers have retained
the age-old values of serving weary travellers with good food
and drink, and when you stroll past coffee shops and patisseries
a little indulgence is hard to resist
Behind these shops is the old port brothel a small wooden building
that no doubt saw many enthusiast visitors in the past. These
days, as a museum with limited opening times, it still receives
paying customers.
Echuca’s wharf area, situated in the historic part of town
a short distance from contemporary shopping and residential areas,
is the perfect place to explore on foot so park the car and put
your walking shoes on.
From vintage paddlesteamer trips on the Murray to beautiful green
golf courses, Echuca makes a good regional base. You can hire
a smal boat, explore the boarwalk at Horseshoe Lagoon, the weekend
minature train ride at Moama, or picnic by the river. In the historic
wharf area you can watch a blacksmith at work, woodturners, furniture
makers, enjoy Devonshire tea at the Star Hotel - or dinner at
Oscar W's. Kids will love the horse and cart ride, trained cockatoos,
and Sharp's Penny Arcade. A paddlesteamer ride on the Murray is
not to be missed.
Getting there: Echuca is 210 km north of Melbourne on the Hume
Freeway/Northern Highway – about 2½ hours drive.
STAY THE WEEKEND AT:
River Gallery Inn B&B, near the paddlesteamer wharf.
Elinike Guest Cottages, a few k's out of town, in bush near river.
COPYRIGHT PETER ROBINSON 2007
see my images at www.australianplaces.net
For the past
25 years Peter Robinson has travelled far and wide but Australia,
being home, is his first love. As an experienced travel writer
and professional photographer, his wealth of knowledge is revealed
in travel and accommodation reviews that have freelance integrity
and honesty. The main focus of this site is to present brief reviews
of a select group of places to stay for the weekend. Each place
has been visited at least once and evaluated for high standards
before inclusion - and after reviewing over 600 places Peter has
done the hard work so you can enjoy Great
Weekends Away.
