Echuca is a rural tourist town with a community that works hard to harness and develop its best features - its rich history, the Murray River, a generally sunny, warm climate, and an all round friendly, easy going ambience. One of the best features of this place is the relaxed, kick-back atmosphere, created by a combination of the Murray River (one of the biggest rivers in Australia) meandering through the area, and the historic paddlesteamers still chugging up and down the river as they did a century ago.

The dual nature of the town is great. It's outback Australia, but it has nurtured its own city style, and it's the closest Murray River town to Melbourne (just a two hour drive from Victoria's capital). It's quiet and calm, but the pub life, numerous restaurants and clubs create a great social atmosphere.

The Paddlesteamer, Jazz, Food and Wine Festival each February captures the best of jazz intertwined with local food, wine and climate, and the Southern 80 Ski Race that same month sees the town packed for one of the biggest water skiing races in Australia. Boats towing two skiers apiece reach speeds of up to 100 miles an hour along the twisting 80km river course.

In June Echuca hosts the Rotary Club's major fundraiser, a Steam, Horse and Vintage Rally with classic cars, working horse teams and giant steam traction engines strutting their stuff.

In October the Rich River Festival captures some of the best art and culture the region has to offer. There are lots of other events happening year-round and when there's not there simply isn't any finer entertainment than sitting by the river watching the world go by (the paddlesteamers chug by or the water skiers fly by), kicking back in a beer garden, or dining al fresco in one of the nicest climates in Australia.