16 Best Things To Do in Echuca and Moama with Kids in 2024

The twin towns of Echuca-Moama sit on either side of the Murray River in Victoria and New South Wales. Echuca is a 3-hour drive from Melbourne which puts it just in range for a perfect long weekend. Once you're there, it's a good base to explore the region with day trips to attractions like the Silo Art Trail and the national and regional parks north of the border.

Echuca has activities for families all year round, though it's most popular on either side of the heat of the summer where the temperature averages over 30ºC.

Once you're inspired to visit Echuca – then lock in the best family-friendly accommodation in Echuca-Moama for your holiday.

16 best things to do in Echuca and Moama with kids in 2024

These are the distinctly Echuca-Moama activities that will help make your family adventure a memorable one.

1. Explore the amazing Murray River

The iconic Murray River, its brown gold coloured water and the tree-filled banks are best seen from the river itself. Fortunately, there are many ways to get on the water without having to get wet.

Paddlesteamers

The must-do and best way to get the feel of the river is to book a ride on one of the heritage paddlesteamer boats. There are several operators that run cruises on boats dating back to the 1800s that have been restored. These include:

• Murray River Paddlesteamers Echuca

• Echuca Paddlesteamers

Or if you'd prefer a tour on a modern boat, then MV Mary Ann could be the one for you.

Paddlesteamer on Murray River, Echuca (Image: Ryk Neethling/Flickr CCBY2.0)

View of Murray River from Paddlesteamer, Echuca (Image: David Maciulaitis/Flickr CCBY2.0)

MV Mary Ann on the Murray River, Echuca (Image: gérard/Flickr CCBYSA2.0)

To get to the narrowest section of the Murray River – the Barmah Choke – you'll need to book a ride on a smaller boat with Kingfisher Cruises.

Stand up paddleboarding or kayaking

Another popular way to get to the middle of the river is under your own steam on a paddleboard. You can either hire boards for your kids if they're confident enough or have them ride with you and wear life vests; all under 18s must wear a life vest either way.

The biggest operators are:

• Echuca Moama Stand Up Paddle SUP

• Emu Outdoors

• Echuca Boat Canoe Hire

Alternatively, if paddling sitting down is more your style, hire a kayak or canoe from Echuca Boat Canoe Hire.

Kayak or stand up paddleboard along the Murray River at Echuca-Moama (Image: Visit Victoria)

2. Relax on a river beach

While a beach break isn't the first thing to spring to mind when you're hundreds of kilometres away from the coast, at Moama Beach you can have just that. Cross the bridge from Echuca, and on your way there, you can enjoy a bush trail walk through the gum trees from Blair St.

Moama Beach, Echuca-Moama (Image: David Maciulaitis/Flickr CCBY2.0)

Relax and watch the paddle steamers from Moama Beach. It's the perfect picnic spot - there are picnic benches and public barbecues.

While the most popular beach spot is definitely Moama Beach, the river is generally safe to swim in and each bend often creates sandbanks and beaches, so you can go for a long walk or jump on a bike and find a beach to call your own.

The river beaches aren't patrolled, so do take care, as the river can have strong currents after big rains.

If you'd like to feel safer with a lifeguard around, then the Moama Outdoor Pool is available during the peak season; do check the opening hours as they're often limited.

3. Discover Echuca and Moama on two wheels

Echuca and Moama have many cycling trails (on and off-road) that can take you around the towns and the beautiful natural surrounds. There's free bike hire from the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre gift shop, where you can also pick up a map of the best cycle routes. You can also book a hire bike from Green Pedal Bikes.

Free bike hire from the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre (Image: Visit Victoria)

On the Moama side, there are popular trails at the Five Mile Mountain Bike Trail. Here you'll find a set of trails suitable for all skill levels and including features such as wall rides, drops and flowing bridges. Alongside the trails, there's a skills area and a pump track. The trail is located inside the Murray Valley Regional Park on the river – so it's fitting that there's a great picnic area nearby with access to a river beach and a boat launch.

4. Enjoy baked goods by the other river

Echuca is famous for being on the Murray, but it's also on the banks of another significant river. The Campaspe River is on the west of the town and joins up with the Murray.

Beechworth Bakery Echuca has a menu of freshly baked goods to satisfy most picky eating kids (and grown-ups). This bakery is in an old building with a deck around the back that overlooks the Campaspe River. It's a beautiful spot to fill your stomach and your eyes.

Beechworth Bakery Echuca (Image: John/Flickr CCBYSA2.0)

5. Learn about Port of Echuca's history

The council-owned Port of Echuca Discovery Centre is a great starting point for you and your kids to learn about the historical relationship between Echuca and the rivers around it. The centre offers guided tours with activities for children and includes an operational steam engine like the ones on the paddle steamers, as well as models of the port and historic artefacts.

At the gift shop, you can book your paddle steamer rides and complete the experience with captain hats for the little ones.

Operational Steam Engine - Echuca Discovery Centre (Image: David Maciulaitis/Flickr CCBY2.0)

Watch the working steam engine at the Echuca Discovery Centre.

Display at Echuca Discovery Centre (Image: David Maciulaitis/Flickr CCBY2.0)

Experience the history of the Murray River and the twin town of Echuca-Moama at the Echuca Discovery Centre.

6. Go horse riding

Billabong Ranch just outside of Echuca offers a huge range of equine activities, from pony rides to horse lessons (from 5 years old), to trail rides and even horse and carriage hire. If your young ones are into animals, then it's definitely worth a visit.

7. Play games at the ranch

Also at the Billabong Ranch, you'll find the Fun Park offering a huge range of activities including:

• Indoor Mini Golf

• Pedal Boats

• Bouldering Wall (Rock Climbing)

• Animal Walk with Feed Bag

Camel at Billabong Ranch, Echuca (Image: gérard/Flickr CCBYSA2.0)

Feed and ride the camels at Billabong Ranch, Echuca.

8. Get close to animals

Kyabram Fauna Park - a 30-minute drive from Echuca - is a great place to see native wildlife. At Kyabram, you can have "close encounters" with some animals facilitated by the keepers.

Kangaroo at Kyabram Fauna Park, Echuca (Image: John Englart/Flickr CCBYSA2.0)

Tawny Frog Mouth at Kyabram Fauna Park, Echuca (Image: John Englart/Flickr CCBYSA2.0)

See the kangaroos, tawny frogmouths and other beautiful Australian wildlife at Kyabram Fauna Park.

Billabong Ranch would normally have their animal nursery available for petting, however, currently, you can only ride ponies, horses and camels or have the animal walk with feed bag experience.

9. Live the luxury river lifestyle on the Murray

When holidaying on land begins to feel a little bit like "we've done that" and your accommodation budget is no limit for that special occasion, then a stay on a luxury river houseboat could be the perfect adventure for you.

Houseboat on the Murray River near Echuca-Moama (Image: Visit Victoria)

View from houseboat onto the Murray River near Echuca-Moama (Image: Visit Victoria)

You can get all of the benefits of luxury accommodation with the privacy and decadence of staying on and piloting your own boat. Complete with a full kitchen, sun lounging chairs, spas and stand up paddleboards. To make $10k for a week feel less expensive, it's worth remembering that most of the boat options sleep 8+ people.

There are three main hire companies for your personal lux hotels on the water:

• Magic Murray & Executive Houseboats

• Echuca Luxury Houseboats

• Moama on Murray Houseboats

Houseboats moored at Deep Creek Marina near Moama, on the New South Wales side of the Murray River (Image: Mattinbgn/Wikimedia CCBY3.0)

10. Indulge in locally produced chocolate

While the local grocers stock local fruit and vegetables, you can trust that the Echuca Chocolate Company – you'll find it on the High St – will provide you with a source of local chocolate indulgence.

They are famous for their chocolate liqueur, but their chocolates are also delicious!

Handmade chocolate bars at the Echuca Chocolate Company (Image: Visit Victoria)

Jars of traditional lollies at the Echuca Chocolate Company (Image: Visit Victoria)

11. Go on a tour of silo art

The trend of art on concrete silos has been popular in Victoria for a few years. Near Echuca, you can take a road trip to 4 different silos within a 30-minute drive. The nearest silos on the Australian Silo Art Trail are at Rochester, Picola, Colbinabbin and Kyabram.

Platypus mural in the Silo Art Trail at Rochester near Echuca (Image: denisbin/Flickr CCBYND2.0)

12. See all the succulents

To experience something quite out of this continent, head to Cactus Country – a cactus nursery-come-resort. The cactus garden is based on a collection of cacti acquired in 1979, which have then been propagated across more than 8 acres of land to create the largest cactus collection and farm in Australia.

Cactus Country is an hour's drive away from Echuca in Strathmerton, so either you love succulents, or you will once you get there! To make the most of your drive, there's accommodation and a cafe available on-site.

Cactus Country, Strathmerton (Image: Rani/Flickr CCBYND2.0)

13. Play in the river aqua park

Up north along the river on the Moama side of the Murray, the Aqua Island Water Park operates during the summer and into early spring. The playground in the water is located in a lagoon along the Waterfront Marina. Like most on-the-water parks, there are many obstacles to overcome on this floating island.

The minimum age is 3 years old and 3-hour session prices are $25 per person.

14. Relax in the botanic gardens

The Moama Botanic Gardens are set in the Echuca Moama Recreation Reserve and were officially opened in November 2020. Given the young age of these gardens, you should expect to see quite a few young plants, rather than the really tall and old European and Asian trees you'll often see in other botanic gardens.

For more active recreation for the kids, there is a large adventure park right next to the gardens where they can play for ages.

15. Find yourself among the song of birds

Travel to Mathoura, 40 minutes drive north of Moama, to find the Murray Valley National Park. This park is part of the largest continuous red gum forest in the world with many threatened species of plants and animals.

The Murray and Edward Rivers both run through the park, so there are many places to play in the water and fish.

The Reed Beds Bird Hide Boardwalk offers an accessible way to explore the park on a 1km return walk to a bird hide. From the bird hide, you can look across the wetlands and spot many birds in their natural habitat. Make sure to bring some binoculars for you and your small people to fully enjoy the experience.

View from Reed Beds Bird Hide at Murray Valley National Park, Mathoura (Image: Daryll Bellingham/Flickr CCBYSA2.0)

16. Try or watch extreme watersports

There's nothing quite like the thrill of being pulled along the river by a fast boat. Luckily, if you and your kids are adrenaline junkies or into the technical skill required to stay upright on the water, visit Brett Sands Watersports centre – your one-stop shop for all things fast on the water for:

• Wakeboarding,

• Waterskiing,

• Barefooting,

• and Kneeboarding.

They offer gear hire and demo, as well as lessons for all skill levels and ages.

Hydrofoil on the Murray River near Echuca-Moama (Image: Visit Victoria)

For something more extreme, if you're in town on the second Sunday in February, then you can catch the Southern 80 water ski race along the Murray River. The Southern 80 runs every year along 80km of the river, finishing at Echuca and Moama. The race is a big event on the town calendar, attracting tens of thousands of spectators each year to the region.

9 free things to do in Echuca and Moama with kids

Some of the best things in Echuca-Moama cost money, but the following are awesome and free:

1. Learn about the history of Echuca and life on the Murray at the museum in the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre (this is free as of 2021).

2. Bike ride with the free bike (and helmet) hire from the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre to see the historic wharf and river banks; best routes.

3. See the horses and carts being drawn on the Murray Esplanade.

4. Swim in the Murray River and relax at Moama Beach.

5. Enjoy hours of fun at the Moama Adventure Playpark.

6. Play at the riverboat inspired Hopwood Gardens Playground.

7. Watch the Southern 80 water-ski race each year in February.

8. Enjoy the Silo Art Trail in the region.

9. Practice your skills on the Five Mile Mountain Bike Trail.

Horse coach, Echuca (Image: Chris Fithall/Flickr CCBY2.0)

Stroll along the picturesque Murray Esplanade and watch the horse coaches go past.

9 best things to do in Echuca and Moama with kids when it's raining

Echuca-Moama is known for the many sunny and hot days, but it does rain. There are lots of ways to hide out from the rain and still have fun.

1. Tour the river on a paddle steamer cruise with Murray River Paddlesteamers Echuca.

2. View The Foundry Arts Space to see works by the artists in the local community.

3. Join in the story-time at Echuca Library or choose a holiday read.

4. Hideaway at the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre and be surrounded by the history of the town and the Murray.

5. Assuming the rain's not too bad, then go on a driving tour of silo art in the region.

6. Indulge in the locally produced choc at the Echuca Chocolate Company.

7. Discover the amazing collection of succulents at Cactus Country.

8. Go fishing on either of the rivers – the iconic Murray or the Campaspe.

9. Visit the National Holden Motor Museum for a hit of nostalgia with more than 40 shiny classic cars to spy.

Frequently asked about Echuca and Moama

Is Echuca worth visiting with kids?

Echuca has a lot going for it as a family-friendly destination. Echuca's geographic location has helped it become well known for its river-related activities on the Murray River and built it renown as the paddle-steamer capital. While being a Victorian border town (with NSW), means it's a cultural hub of activity. The fact that it's only 3 hours drive away from Melbourne helps seal the deal.

See our lists of the best distinctly Echuca-Moama things to do for inspiration.

What are the best playgrounds in Echuca and Moama?

The best playgrounds are Moama Adventure Playpark and Hopwood Gardens.

Where's the main shopping centre in Echuca?

There are two main shopping areas in Echuca near each other. The most popular for cafes, restaurants and tourist shopping is the High St. While Hare St offers a selection of mainstream shops, e.g. Cotton On.

Bridge Hotel and Cafe Echuca Main Street (Image: Nick Hewson/Flickr CCBY2.0)

Stroll along the High Street at Echuca.

Things to see and do in Echuca and Moama