Echuca cruises: Can I do a Murray River paddlesteamer tour?

Yes – it’s possible to take a paddlesteamer cruise in Echuca, Victoria. Choose from short Murray River tours on the PS Alexander Arbuthnot, PS Canberra, Pride of the Murray and PS Pevensey, or Echuca dinner cruises on the PS Emmylou. Longer three day Murray River cruises are also available.

The Victorian town of Echuca rose to prominence as the nearest town on the Murray River to Melbourne. Historically, Echuca is hugely important, as you can discover at the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre or on an after dark tour around the town’s much-storied pubs.

Murray River cruises in Echuca

But the reason most people visit Echuca is to enjoy a Murray River cruise, one of the best river activities in Australia. The paddlesteamers of Echuca were originally used to carry wool and timber along the Murray River, but those that remain are now used for tourism.

If you want to go the whole hog, then three day cruises aboard the PS Emmylou chug up and down the Murray River. Travelling for 160km past the Barmah National Park, Murray River National Park and Murray Farm Gate Trail, the PS Emmylou cruises come with private cabins and en-suite showers. The $1,350 price tag will be off-putting for most, however.

Echuca cruises on the PS Emmylou and PS Canberra

The PS Emmylou is part of the Murray River Paddlesteamers fleet. Others include the PS Canberra and the Pride of the Murray. They set off from Echuca Wharf on a series of Murray River cruises. The basic one hour tours cost from $25, although longer lunch and Echuca dinner cruises are also available.

Rival paddlesteamer cruise operator Echuca Paddlesteamers also offers short boat trips from the Echuca Wharf. These depart on the PS Pevensey and PS Alexander Arbuthnot, both of which still have their original steam engines.

The rescue of the PS Alexander Arbuthnot

The story of the PS Alexander Arbuthnot, the last paddlesteamer built on the Murray River as a working boat, is particularly interesting. It was launched in 1916 as a barge to carry timber, then had its superstructure and engine fitted in 1923.

On board are some photos of the PS Alexander Arbuthnot in action, towing barges laden with redgum logs. The paddlesteamer was sold again in 1943, then lay idle until 1947, when it sunk at its moorings near Yeilima. A volunteer group raised the stricken steamer from the river bed in 1972 and commenced restoration. In 1989, Echuca City Council bought the PS Alexander Arbuthnot for $127,000. It was transported by road to Port of Echuca, refurbished, then finally recommissioned in December 1994.

Prices for the Echuca Paddlesteamers cruises, one of the best quirky tours and activities in Australia, start at $10. The drive from Melbourne to Echuca takes around two-and-a-half-hours.

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