We have just returned from a five day holiday in Echuca a country town in northern Victoria. It is a three hour drive from home. Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray and Campaspe rivers in Victoria Australia. Echuca was a thriving river port in the 19th century. By the 1870s Echuca had risen to prominence as Australia's largest inland port, more than a 100 paddle steamers were built there. Now the port is home to the largest Paddle Steamer Fleet in the world. The PS Emmy Lou still operates from the Port of Echuca as a daily cruise boat taking tourists along the Murray. In addition to the local paddle boats operating cruises are numerous houseboats available for day, weekend, or weekly hire. The Murray River is the longest navigable river in the world after the Amazon and Nile. The total length is 2530k (1572m) and spans three States, New South Wales Victoria and South Australia. The River rises near Mt Kosciusko in the Australian Alps and flows to the Southern ocean near Goolwa South Australia.