Things to do in Swan Hill, Victoria
Things to do in Swan Hill include the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement and paddlesteamer cruises along the Murray River. But these are things done much better in Ballarat and Echuca. The Swan Hill attractions are decent if you’re in the area, but don’t make a major diversion to visit.
Swan Hill is one of several Murray River towns in Victoria that likes to trade on its heritage. On the whole, it’s a relatively pleasant place to break the journey, but Swan Hill attractions generally fit the nice but inessential bracket. After all, no-one’s going to go all this way just to see the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery or swim in Lake Boga.
The Giant Murray River Cod is one of the most impressive of Australia’s Big Things, but that’s indisputably not worth driving four hours from Melbourne for either.
Best things to do in Swan Hill
The Swan Hill attraction that does make this Victorian town more than just a pit stop is the Pioneer Settlement.
Australia’s first open air museum, the Pioneer Settlement is a collection of old buildings and machinery that show what river town life was once like. Careful reconstructions and relocations mean there’s a standard chemist, bakery and bank, but also more in keeping with the era. So you can stick your nose into a shearing shed, blacksmith’s shop, steam workshop and saddlery.
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Also available are horse and cart rides, a steel wheel tractor collection and a photographic parlour for costumed bygone era happy snaps.
Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement cruises
The Pioneer Settlement is an amiable place, but one that feels like it needs a bit of extra investment. If you really want to do the open air museum thing, then Sovereign Hill in Ballarat is both absolutely superb and considerably closer to Melbourne. Another, lesser, option is the Coal Creek living heritage museum in Korumburra, near Leongatha.
Two things that help improve a visit to the Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill are the cruises on the PS Pyap paddlesteamer, and Heartbeat of the Murray.
The latter is an early evening sound and light show. Both the cruise and the show are enjoyable, but they only happen once a day, and essentially require an overnight stop in Swan Hill.
Tick off 9 Australian bucket list experiences
- Take Blue Mountains day tour from Sydney – with kangaroo-feeding at a wildlife park, Scenic World tickets and a Parramatta River cruise.
- Snorkel or dive on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.
- Do Australia’s most spectacular drive on a Great Ocean Road day tour from Melbourne.
- Drive along the beach on a 4WD day tour of Fraser Island, the world’s biggest sand island.
- Have a dune-top barbecue dinner and stargazing session in the shadow of Uluru.
- See penguins on Phillip Island – and more native wildlife at the Moonlit Sanctuary – on a day trip from Melbourne.
- Go snorkelling, sandboarding and kayaking on Moreton Island from Brisbane.
- Meet gloriously cute quokkas on Rottnest Island near Perth with a ferry and bike hire package.
- Kayak with dolphins in Byron Bay.
If you’ve got plenty of time, then staying in Swan Hill is no bad thing. But it’s by no means an essential stop on an Australian road trip. If it’s a paddlesteamer cruise you’re really after, then Echuca to the south-east has a bigger variety, and is a more engaging place to stay. Echuca is also closer to Melbourne.
Melbourne to Swan Hill
The drive from Melbourne to Swan Hill is 339km long, meaning a Melbourne to Swan Hill driving time of three hours and 46 minutes. The Echuca to Swan Hill drive is 155km in distance – that’s an Echuca to Swan Hill driving time of around one hour and 48 minutes.
If coming from the south, it’s 197km from Bendigo to Swan Hill. That’s roughly two hours and 20 minutes for the Bendigo to Swan Hill drive, traffic permitting.
Find the best Swan Hill accommodation
The best Swan Hill accommodation choices are:
- For families – with a pool and water park: Big4 Swan Hill holiday park.
- For a solid, cheap motel – with a pool and great reviews: Murray River Motel.
- For central location and convenience: Jane Eliza Motor Inn.
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