Australian Star - 4 Night Explorer Cruise

  • Weekly departures from Echuca – Monday 4pm
  • Enjoy return complimentary V/Line Train fare from Melbourne to Echuca
  • All Meals included onboard including Morning and Afternoon Tea
  • 2026 Offer:  Secure your 2026 adventure on the PS Australian Star now and enjoy a discount of $700 per couple on any departure! Plus, with our new Deposit Protection option, your deposit is safeguarded if your plans change. 
  • Book by 31st December using Promo Code AS42026

From $3,210 per person with discount

Deposit $400 Per Person

Australian Star - 4 Night Explorer Cruise

4 Night Murray River Explorer Cruise

  • Weekly departures from Echuca Monday 4pm
  • Enjoy a complimentary V/Line Train fare from Melbourne to Echuca
  • All Meals included onboard including Morning and Afternoon Tea
  • Opening Sale Now On: Save 10% on any departure from 1st September 2025 to 31st May 2026. Book by 31st March 2024 using Promo Code OPENINGSTAR
  • From $3204 per person with discount

Embark on a captivating 4-night Murray River Explorer Cruise aboard the PS Australian Star Explorer Cruise, a voyage designed to unlock the secrets of Australia’s picturesque waterways. This immersive journey seamlessly blends luxury with exploration, promising an unforgettable experience.

Step into a world of refined elegance as you board the Australian Star. The Explorer Cruise introduces you to an extended itinerary, allowing for a deeper dive into the region’s treasures. Indulge in the comfort of thoughtfully appointed cabins, each featuring ensuite facilities and ensuring a peaceful retreat after each day’s exploration.

Throughout the 4-night voyage, savor a culinary odyssey with exquisite meals that showcase the diversity of local flavors. The itinerary is meticulously crafted to provide a perfect balance of relaxation and discovery. Engage in enriching on-shore excursions that unveil the hidden gems of the landscape, from cultural landmarks to breathtaking natural wonders.

Whether you’re absorbing panoramic views from the deck, participating in immersive shore activities, or enjoying the camaraderie of fellow travelers, the PS Australian Star Explorer Cruise invites you to create lasting memories. Immerse yourself in the magic of Australia’s waterways during this extended adventure, where each day unfolds a new chapter of exploration and wonder.

Highlights

  • Guided tour of Restdown Winery & wetlands, followed by a delicious lunch
  • Explore Perricoota Station’s enchanting gardens, the location for the iconic Australian television series, All the Rivers Run.
  • Narrated town coach tour of historical Echuca sites
  • Cruise aboard the venerable 110-year-old PS Canberra, sipping on traditional morning tea.
  • Riverside BBQ dining under the stars, campfire and live entertainment  
  • Torrumbarry Weir and its surroundings
  • Experience all-day cruising with a historical commentary
  • Passenger lift to all decks and accommodation

Inclusions

  • Luxury air-conditioned Stateroom or Suite with private ensuite
  • All onboard meals including morning and afternoon teas
  • Regionally-inspired meals prepared by onboard chef
  • Limited edition Complimentary gift
  • Complimentary selected wine & beer with dinner service
  • Uniquely crafted onshore guided tours
  • Complimentary transfer to/from PS Australian Star in Echuca
  • Espresso coffee, tea, soft drink & bottled water
  • Complimentary WIFI throughout the ship and in your Stateroom

Available Departures

Day 1 - Norris bend

As you depart Torrumbarry upstream, enjoy an afternoon Devonshire tea, take in the sights and sounds of the river, and get to know your fellow cruisers. There’s ample time to chat with the skipper in the wheelhouse to learn about PS Australian Star, and her river history or simply relax in your private cabin.

When the sun begins to set, this marks the start of ‘Happy Hour’. Enjoy a drink in the saloon before a chef-prepared welcome dinner. Listen to the river birds’ evening chorus and watch for kangaroos, wombats, and many species of birds as the stars begin to appear.

Tonight, we moor at Norris Bend where your crew will have a riverside campfire (weather-dependent) ready for you to enjoy after dinner.

Day 2 - Onshore Tour & perricoota Station

After a hearty breakfast, Australian Star cruises to the famous Perricoota Station, the property first settled by James Maiden in 1843, and famous for starring in the TV mini series “All the River Run” where our famous PS Emmylou was renamed PS Providence.

Here you will depart to Restdown Winery, producers of fine organic wines and Hereford beef. Join the property’s owners for a guided tour along a 1.4km wetlands walking trail, highlighting items of great Aboriginal significance before a gourmet lunch of local produce and wine tastings. Arriving back at Perricoota Station the skipper will invite you to walk along the historical buildings and immaculate gardens of Perricoota Station before happy hour.

Tonight enjoy a fabulous dinner aboard overlooking the famous Perricoota Station mansion. Tonight, after dinner it’s Movie Night with a special presentation of “Riverboats Remembered”, a fabulous historical presentation featuring archival footage of the paddle steamers and communities of the Murray River from the early 1900s through to the mid1970s. 

Day 3 - All Day Cruising & Layfield Lane

For early risers and keen photographers, the morning mist and wildlife around Perricoota is a sight to behold. After breakfast, Australian Star gracefully steams onwards upstream for a full day of cruising towards our riverside mooring, Layfield Lane mooring.

Today enjoy lunch on the deck or in the saloon with plenty of time to relax with a good book or just take in the river views. Tonight, enjoy a grand dinner on the riverbank – our signature Australian BBQ (weather dependent), lit up by candles on the tables and stars in the sky.

After dinner enjoy casual conversation around the campfire (weather dependent) with live entertainment before retiring for the evening.

Day 4 - Town Tour & Echuca

Start your day with a satisfying breakfast to fuel up for an exciting half-day adventure on both land and water. Your guided Henry Hopwood Town Tour tour will take you through the charming town of Echuca, uncovering hidden historical gems like Hopwood’s Punt and the pontoon bridge. This bridge, the brainchild of Echuca’s founder Henry Hopwood, marks the initial river crossing in the area.

Next, prepare to be enchanted by our 110-year-old PS Canberra featuring a red gum timber hull built in 1912 at Goolwa South Australia. Enjoy morning tea aboard. Before returning to Australian Star for lunch when your river cruise adventure continues upstream cruising past the imposing Port of Echuca Wharf once home to over 100 paddlesteamers in its heyday. 

This evening you will enjoy a farewell dinner cruising upriver of Echuca .

Day 5 - Echuca

Before breakfast, early risers can enjoy a wander along the riverbank before we say farewell. Coach transfer to Echuca Car Parking, Train Station, and Echuca CBD Hotels