Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

THE MURRAY RIVER 577
children. You can also take the paddleboat to the Golden River Zoo (see below)
during school holiday periods leaving Mildura Wharf at 9:50am on Wednesday
morning (returning at 3pm). The trip costs A$32 (US$21) for adults and A$16
(US$10) for children 5 to 14, including zoo entry.
On dry land, the Golden River Zoo, Flora Avenue, Mildura (& 03/5023
5540; www.goldenriverzoo.com.au), is a pleasant place to see native animals.
The zoo fronts onto the river 4km (2 1 ⁄2 miles) from the city center down 11th
Street. The animals here virtually follow you around (on the lookout for food)
as you walk through their large enclosures. Admission is A$12 (US$7.80) for
adults and A$6 (US$3.90) for children, including a free barbecue lunch at noon
and a free tractor-train ride down to the river at 1:30pm and an animal show.
The zoo is open daily, except Christmas Day, from 10am to 5pm.
IN ECHUCA In Echuca, another paddle steamer is the Emmylou (& 03/
5480 2237; fax 03/5480 2927; www.emmylou.com.au). A 2-day/2-night cruise
leaves the Port of Echuca Wednesday at 6pm and returns at noon on Friday
(check sailings beforehand). The cruise includes a visit to the Barmah, an area
famous for its wetlands and the largest red gum trees in the world, or depending
on river levels, a stop at Perricoota Station. The trip costs A$415 to A$435
(US$270–US$283) per person, depending on cabin. Children 4 to 14 receive a
25% discount. An overnight trip leaves on Saturday at 6pm and returns at 10am
on Sunday. It costs A$195 to A$210 (US$127–US$137) per person including
breakfast; dinner is extra. The Emmylou also offers day trips costing A$15
(US$9.75) for adults and A$7.50 (US$4.90) for kids for 1 hour, and A$18
(US$12) for adults and A$9 (US$5.90) for kids for 1 1 ⁄2 hours.
The Port of Echuca (& 03/5482 4248; www.portofechuca.org.au) is definitely
worth a look. The three-level red gum wharf was built in 1865 and is still
used by paddle steamers. The Port owns the PS Adelaide, the oldest operating
wooden-hulled paddle steamer in the world (1866), the PS Pevensey (1911), and
the PS Alexander Arbuthnot (1923). One-hour cruises on the latter two are
offered daily at 10:15, 11:30am, 1, 2:15, and 3:30pm for A$15 (US$9.90) for
adults and A$6.50 (US$4.20) for children. You can take a look around the wharf
on a guided tour, priced at A$10 (US$6.50) for adults and A$6.50 (US$4.20) for
children. Ask about combined and family prices. Outside the Port, in the Echuca
Port Precinct, there are various things to do, including carriage rides and old
penny arcade machines in Sharpes Magic Movies, in an old riverboat warehouse.
TRIPS INTO THE OUTBACK If you want to get out into the Outback,
then trips from Mildura with Mallee Outback Experiences, P.O. Box 82,
Nichols Point, VIC 3501 (&/fax 03/5021 1621, or 0418/521 0030), are worth
the effort. The company offers two trips. The first goes to Mungo National
Park , famous for its red sand dunes and shifting sands; I highly recommend
you go and see. The second is to Hattah National Park, which has some gorgeous
river plains, Murray River lakes, pine forests, and more mallee scrub. The
Mungo trip leaves every Wednesday and Saturday, and the Hattah National Park
trip every Friday. All trips cost A$55 (US$36) for adults, A$33 (US$21) for children,
and A$132 (US$86) for a family of five.
You can get to these two national parks on your own, but it’s best to have a
4WD vehicle—even better if you go with an experienced guide. Mungo
National Park is a unique, arid region 110km (68 miles) northeast of Mildura,
off the Sturt Highway. People come here to see the Walls of China, a moonscape
of intricately weathered red sand. The walls edge onto Lake Mungo, a