Fun kids stuff along the Murray River and in the Mallee

Kids Fun Along The Murray River

Another great thing about the Murray and Mallee is how kid friendly we all are. We love kids to come and play in our region and you'll find a host of things that will keep children entertained while they learn about our great river region.

You can also find some great budget things to do yet still have yourself a good family holiday.

This includes history walks, playgrounds, fishing (permit for NSW/VIC), camping, interactive centres and more. Kids, have fun in Mildura.

Free playgrounds along the Murray River to enjoy Well we have to start with playgrounds. Kids love to play. You'll find so many different kinds of playgrounds along the Murray that it seems non-stop...and yes they are all free. Probably the best playground is Monash in South Australia. This is a donation entrance but has a great maze, huge swings, slides and its conviently placed in the Riverland surrounded by great wineries and the orchards of Berri. Images above: Monash playground, Moama playground, Cadell Riverfront playground, Tailem Bend playground.

Great time for families to relax and enjoy being together The reason why the Murray is such a popular destination is that it is so family friendly. It's a time for families to enjoy the great outdoors and relax in a wonderful part of Australia. Parents are happy that they can leave the busy cities and explore the diversity of the Murray region. Their children can learn about the river, connect with nature, have lots of fun and as a family you can spend some quality time. Images above: Camping in the Upper Murray, family relaxing in Albury, Ready for hot air ballooning over Mildura, Resting on the jetty at Barmera.

The Murray River has so much nature to experience Get back to nature in a natural setting. You'll encounter a complete biodiversity of wonderful Australian native fauna and flora. Kangaroos, kookaburras, wombats, fish, birds. Best time of day to enjoy the wildlife is early morning or late afternoon so just stop, rest and listen to the sounds of the bush. You can also find great operators along the river who offer either eco-cruises, night nature tours or fauna parks. Images above: Joey in the Kosciuszko National Park, Giraffes feeding at Monarto Zoo - Murray Bridge, Pelican feeding at Kings Billabong - Mildura, Kookaburra at Big Bend - Swan Reach.

It wouldn't be the Murray without mentioning fun on the water The Murray is Australia's largest freshwater aquatic playground. Houseboating, paddle steamers and paddle boats , river cruises, canoeing and kayaking, skiing, wakeboarding, eco-cruises plus much more. Naturally safety is our prime concern so please always wear lifejackets around the water and never dive into the water unless you know what's under as there are often fallen logs and snags. When swimming also be careful of currents as they can be strong in some parts. Images above: Canoeing at Echuca, Kneeboarding near Tocumwal, Playing around at Blanchetown, Backwaters eco-cruise at Renmark Biosphere.

Interactive learning centres to understand the Murray and the Murray-Darling Basin All along the Murray River you'll find interactive centres to learn, touch and explore the incredibly complex eco systems of the Murray River and the Murray-Darling Basin. The centres offer different things to learn including the Snowy Hydro, Aboriginal Culture, Irrigation and National Parks. Most centres are free and a great way to appreciate this beautiful part of Australia. Images above: Murray 1 Visitor Centre for the Snowy Hydro Scheme, Mungo National Park Visitor Centre near Wentworth, Torrumbarry Weir Centre near Echuca, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park Centre in the Mallee near Mildura.

We have the largest fleet of operating paddle steamers in the world Australia is really lucky as you can still ride on an original paddle steamer and enjoy the Murray River. Paddle steamers once plyed the Murray-Darling Basin and were mostly used from 1860 to 1890 before the railroads were introduced. They helped open up regional Australia and where the main transport of the day on the Murray River. Today, however they are very limited and are cared for by passionate volunteers. The best thing about paddle steamers are you can watch the engine as its rhythmic boiler drive the boat while you feel the heat. You can also visit the captain and appreciate the difficulty of driving these boats. There are still many places along the river you can take a paddle steamer ride. It's great value and really fun. A paddle steamer is powered by fire and steam, a paddle boat's power is generated generally by diesel. Images above: PS Marion (built 1897) docked at Morgan, PS Marion paddle wheel, crew of the Oscar W (build 1908), PS Marion engine, Mannum

So much to see and do on the Murray River We've mentioned the great chance for families to have holiday but there's lots to see and do. Some things are suited to different budgets. Each town offers different attractions to make your holiday diverse, interesting and affordable. You can experience the Murray driving using one of our Discover Murray Trails or jump on a houseboat and have remove river holiday fully stocked with food, drinks and fun. Images above: Big Cod - Swan Hill, Bike riding at Lake Mulwala - Yarrawonga, Fishing off the back of a houseboat as the Emmylou sails past in Echuca, Houseboating in Mildura

Touch some of Australia's great history Some other great things to experience along the Murray River are interactive historic settlements, museums, ports and paddle steamers. There's some fantastic historic parks such as Loxton Historic Village, Tailem Town, Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement and the Historic Port of Echuca. Alternatively you can visit one of the many museums that are kid friendly in the region and see some of the items and stories that made the Murray River region so important for our lifestyle today. Did you know that Corowa was the key town for the birth of Federalisation of Australia and there was a flying base in World War 2 in Lake Boga. We've got so much to explore in our back yard. Images above: Climbing at Tailem Town - Tailem Bend, Paddle steamer cruises at the Port of Echuca, Carriage ride in Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement, Lake Boga Catalina Museum.

See a list of Murray Mallee towns to explore or download your very own Discover Murray Trail and map

For more family fun visit the Family Fun Travel Guide :
Victoria and NSW or South Australia