Swan Hill Region … Heart of the Murray
The Murray is Australia's greatest river and one of the longest navigable rivers in the world. The mighty Murray stretches 2,700 km from Victoria's Great Dividing Range to South Australia, passing through the beautiful Swan Hill region on its way.
Enjoy the magnificent wide-open spaces and the tranquility of Swan Hill and its surrounds while you visit an award-wining winery, play a round of golf on a championship course, or relax in one of many reserves and parks.
Discover the river at your own pace and stay overnight on a houseboat or cruise to the gracious Murray Downs Homestead on the MV Kookaburra. Nearby Lake Boga is a delightful spot to enjoy a range of water sports such as parasailing, waterskiing or watch the passing yachts.
Heritage experiences are alive and well in the Swan Hill region. Home to the first open air museum in Australia, the Pioneer Settlement Museum holds a collection of over 20,000 items that relate to rural life in the Mallee and Riverine regions. Many of these objects are of national and international significance. The Pioneer Settlement Museum offers the visitor a unique experience guaranteed to surprise the most seasoned traveller.
Swan Hill is also graced with an exceptional art gallery, the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, which opened its doors at Horseshoe Bend in 1987 after operating for years on the paddlesteamer Gem. The gallery offers the best touring exhibitions from around Australia, showing works in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking and the crafts.
A visit to the Swan Hill region would not be complete without a round of golf at the number one golf course on the Murray, the Murray Downs Golf and Country Club. The Ted Parslow-designed course is situated in the heart of historic Kidman Reid's Murray Downs Station on the northern banks of the majestic Murray River.
Celebrate the distinctive flavours of regional food and wine by visiting the diverse and exciting attractions of the Swan Hill region. Travelling through this region you will be amazed at the vast orchards, citrus groves and hundreds of hectares of vineyards and grainfields.
Many fine shops, restaurants and hotels offer a distinctive flavour of this region including fresh local produce complemented by good wine.
The wines produced in the Swan Hill region capture the earthly characteristics and relaxed ambience of one of Australia's leading developing wine regions. Plentiful sunshine and cool clear nights combine to allow the grapes an ideal, long, slow, ripening. Crisp whites and full-bodied reds are produced in the area. Visit one of the local wineries and you will find some magnificent varietal wines, with a character all of their own.
The region enjoys a Mediterranean climate with low humidity and plentiful sunlight hours, making it a favourite year-round destination
For further information go to www.visitmurray.com.au