Murray River Cruise
By Ted Scull
For Australia, the mention of river cruises would probably result in blank stares from most people, leaving them in the dark. Such cruises are plentiful in Europe, North America, Asia, and to a lesser extent in South America (Amazon, Rio Negro, and the Orinoco) and Africa (Nile, Senegal, and Zambezi).
What about Australia?
With so many other draws in Australia, very few of us would come up with the idea of a river cruise.
Travelers go for the truly bizarre animals and birds (many unique to the continent), Great Barrier Reef, beaches, barbecues, and its cities led by Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
One exception just might be the Brisbane River, a waterway that slices through the coastal city of the same name.
Beginning about 40 years ago, the city’s river morphed into a huge attraction with the creation of promenades, parks, museums, waterfront with cafés and restaurants, and most creatively, establishing an excellent water transit system that binds it all together.
Murray River
Australia’s most intriguing river is the Murray forming most of the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria. Aborigines used the Murray as a source of water, fish, and transportation.
Then during the early days of Australian settlement, mostly supplied from Europe, the river was a hugely important conduit for transporting minerals, lumber, people, and even the Christian religion via a floating church that exists today.
Australia Rivers Map: Summerdrought – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org
Beginning in 1853, the Murray received its first steamboats, mostly paddle-wheel-driven, though much smaller than those found plying Mississippi, Ohio, Columbia, and Hudson rivers.
Because of the Murray’s considerable number of twists and turns (have a look at a detailed map) it manages to qualify as the world’s third longest river behind the Amazon and Nile, stretching some 2,908 kilometers or 1,558 miles.
I grew up being enchanted by maps of all sorts and especially navigable rivers, but the Murray did not assert itself until late in life.
TheMurrayRiver.com
The Murray and its River Fleet
Successors of the earlier fleets still exist, now mostly in service for day and overnight cruises. The primary port is Echuca, a river town about a 2.5-hour drive north of Melbourne. That is how my Australian wife and I first encountered this intriguing fleet.
Years later we returned to Echuca via a multi-day scenic riverside drive from Murray Bridge on the border between the states of South Australia and Victoria. When the urge arose, we crossed to the other side by one of the many free ferries, until we had reached Echuca, the grand central of the historic steamboat fleet. Cruises on offer are as short as lunch and dinner operations to overnight and multiple days up to a week.
Quirky Cruise’s current review of the Murray River fleet lists the boats taking on passengers single-digit numbers and on up to the 120-passenger Murray Princess.
Now there is a demand for more cabins by the increasing tourism from overseas as well as Australia’s own citizens.
A New Murray River Cruise Riverboat Under Construction
The funding to build the new riverboat will be split between the current fleet operator — Murray River Cruises — and the Victoria Government Regional Tourism Investment Fund.
The 38-passenger vessel, Australian Star, will be built at Mildura on the Murray River with 19 luxury double cabins opening onto verandahs and with an indoor/outdoor lounge and bar, and plenty of open-air seating including dining.
A cabin on the 38-passenger vessel, Australian Star. * Rendering: Murray River Cruises
The restaurant on the 38-passenger vessel, Australian Star. * Rendering: Murray River Cruises
In an unexpected surprise, the vessel will be powered by a 1907 wood-fired steam engine.
The boat’s completion date is expected to be June 2025 when it will begin your-round three, four and seven-day Murray River cruises. Free Wi-Fi and a TV entertainment system are provided.
With most cruises leaving from Echuca, bus transfers from Melbourne are provided. The rest of the fleet will provide its current programs, from daylight excursions to from one to seven overnighters.
What’s Seen from a Murry River Cruise Steamboat?
Be prepared to be taken in by the wondrous kaleidoscope of Australia’s birds, animals, fish, some quite elusive, and others more frequently seen along Murray’s banks such as emus, koalas, kangaroos, dragon lizards, parrots, pelicans, swan, and in the river, dolphins, catfish, herring, cod, bream, smelt, and lamprey.
The wooded scenery fringing the rivers is interrupted by historic towns along the banks, some once connected to gold mining, lumbering, and crop transportation.
Today, they showcase Australia’s outstanding success in protecting its handsome Victorian architecture with fine examples nationwide and as those historic towns seen bordering the Murray River.
RELATED: Be sure to read William Worden’s intriguing Murray River cruise story — “Two Nights in the Museum.”
Interested in a Murray River Cruise?
For more information, besides William Worden’s wonderful article, you can go directly to Murray River Cruises or Murray River Paddlesteamers to learn more about the Australian Star. And be sure to read some of the scores of reviews on the sites.
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HEIDI SARNA
