The Murray River

Picture this: the sun is going down and there is a tug on the fishing rod. You put down your drink, reel a Murray cod onto the deck of your houseboat, and then prepare it for the frying pan. It's time to open the bottle of Victorian wine bought from a riverfront winery visited earlier in the day. The sky is turning on a light show - gold, then pink, then mauve - and an old paddlesteamer chugs by. This is possibly the most peaceful place in Australia to be at sundown.

Renting a houseboat is the ideal way to explore the many picturesque sections of the Murray, the third-longest navigable river in the world, behind the Nile and the Amazon. From its genesis in the hills beyond Corryong in north-eastern Victoria to its mouth at Encounter Bay, South Australia, it stretches about 2,560 kilometres.

Along its banks, amid the red-gum forests, townships sprang up. A thriving modern city with a leisurely country style, Albury Wodonga is a charming mix of stately heritage buildings, established parks and gardens and tree-lined streets. Further along the Murray, enterprising winemakers have been taking advantage of the fertile land and mild climate around Rutherglen since the early 1800s, making this one of the oldest wine-growing areas in Australia.

The twin towns of Yarrawonga-Mulwala, separated by the Murray River, boast a large and beautiful man-made lake and attract holidaymakers, golfers, anglers, tennis players, aquatic sports fanatics, bushwalkers and campers from all over the world.

Located two-and-a-half hours north of Melbourne, Echuca was Australia's largest inland port in its heyday, when paddlesteamers plied their trade up and down the river, carting wool and wood downstream returning with provisions and farm equipment. Nowadays, the Port of Echuca has been completely refurbished, creating a stunning tourist precinct.

Mother nature is also a star attraction, with the Mungo National Park offering striking, sand, salt and clay formations. Mungo National Park is unforgettable, as is the Murray and the towns which surround it.

Go to Visit Victoria (The Murray) for further information.