Page 437 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

WESTERN VIC T ORIA  435

Rio Vista, the elaborate home of irrigation expert William Chaffey, in Mildura
and wineries (see pp382–3). The tourists. Some of the log carriages, working steam
stark desert of Mungo National buildings are made of Murray engines and old-fashioned
Park is only 100 km (60 miles) to pine, a hardwood tree impene- timber mills. Tours of the area are
the northeast of town. trable to termites. The sound available, along with regular river
and light show at night (book- trips on a paddlesteamer. Visit
P Rio Vista ings essential) is particularly the Star Hotel and discover the
199 Cureton Ave. Tel (03) 5018 8330. evocative, providing a 45-minute secret tunnel that let patrons
Open 10am–5pm daily. journey through the town with leave after hours. There is also
Closed Good Fri, 25 Dec. & 7 accompanying sound effects, a paddlesteamer display
∑ milduraartscentre.com.au such as pounding hooves and a opposite the hotel.
thundering steam locomotive. Approximately 30 km
8Swan Hill P Pioneer Settlement Museum (19 miles) upstream from
Echuca is Barmah Forest, the
* 10,000. £ @ n cnr McCrae & Monash Drive, Swan Hill. Tel (03) 5036 largest red gum forest in the
Curlewis sts (03) 5032 3033. 2410. Open 9:30am–4:30pm daily. world. A drive in the forest, with
Closed 25–26 Dec. & - 7 its 300-year-old river red gums
Black Swans are noisy birds, as ∑ pioneersettlement.com.au and important Aboriginal sites,
the early explorer Major Thomas is highly recommended, as is
Mitchell discovered in 1836 the wetlands ecocruise that
when his sleep was disturbed 9Echuca operates out of Barmah.
by their early morning calls on * 14,000. £ @
the banks of the Murray River. n 2 Heygarth St (03) 5480 7555.
That’s how the vibrant river ∑ echucamoama.com
town of Swan Hill got its name,
and the black swans are still a Ex-convict and entrepreneur
prominent feature. Henry Hopwood travelled to the
One of the most popular Murray River region in 1853, at
attractions of Swan Hill is the the end of his prison sentence.
Pioneer Settlement Museum, a He seized upon the need for a
3-ha (7-acre) living and working river punt at the Echuca crossing
re-creation of a river town in the by setting up a ferry service, as
Murray-Mallee area during the well as the Bridge Hotel. How-
period from 1830 to 1930. The ever, Echuca really came into its
settlement buzzes with the own in 1864 when the railway
sound of printing presses, the from Melbourne reached the
blacksmith’s hammer, the smell port. Suddenly the town, with its
of the bakery and general daily paddlesteamers on the Murray
life. “Residents” dress in period River, became the largest inland
clothes and produce old- port in Australia. Today the Gum trees on the road to Barmah Forest,
fashioned goods to sell to port area features horse-drawn outside Echuca