Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
C2
25
Speakeasy
C2
Sights
Ask at Echuca Visitors Centre for the
Heritage Walk Echuca
brochure, which outlines a
self-guided walking itinerary taking in the town centre's historic buildings.
Historic Port of Echuca
HISTORIC SITE
( 03-5481 0500, 1300 942 737;
www.portofechuca.org.au
; 74 Murray Esplanade; adult/concession/child/family $14/
11/8/37; 9am-5pm, guided tours 11.30am & 1.30pm)
Echuca's star attraction is the historic Port of
Echuca. Everything is original - you're exploring living history as you walk along the
pedestrian-only
Murray Esplanade
, which you can wander for free.
At the northern end of Murray Esplanade, the
Port of Echuca Discovery Centre
is your gate-
way to the
Echuca Wharf
area (admission ticket required), with excellent displays (some of
them interactive) on the port's history, the paddle steamers and the riverboat trade. Guided
tours set out from the discovery centre twice daily.
In the wharf's cargo shed, there's an interesting audiovisual presentation and dioramas
depicting life on the riverboats. Walk along the various levels of the massive wharf and
onto the restored historic paddle steamers PS
Pevensey
(built in 1911) and PS
Adelaide
(1866), the oldest operating paddle steamer in the world. The wharf was built with three
tiers because of the changing river levels; there are gauges marking the highest points.
Back on the Esplanade, stop in at the Star Hotel (1867) and escape through the under-
ground tunnel, which helped drinkers avoid the police during the years when the pub was
a 'sly grog shop'.
ticket admits you to a historic upstairs gallery. The pub now operates as a restaurant and
bistro.
planade; adult/child/family $15/10/45; 9am-5pm)
has authentic and fully restored penny-arcade
machines - you're given a fist-full of pennies. Free fudge tasting is another blast from the