The first thing people notice about the PS Oscar W is not just that it is old. It is that it still works. Timber, steam, smoke, river water, paddle wheels and volunteer crew all come together at Goolwa Wharf to keep a living piece of river history moving. Based in Goolwa, South Australia, the PS Oscar W is one of the most memorable ways to experience the lower Murray. This historic, wood-fired paddle steamer was built in 1908 in Echuca, Victoria, and still carries passengers

There are few better ways to arrive at a wooden boat festival than by water. The pace changes the moment the motor drops to a low hum, the shoreline comes into view, and the river gives you that wide, calm welcome the Fleurieu Peninsula does so well. For guests staying at Samphire on Hindmarsh Island, the experience can start right at the cabin door. Bring your own watercraft, moor out the front, and make the Wooden Boat Festival feel less like a day trip and more like a slow

Some day trips feel like transport. This one feels like stepping into a moving museum, then floating straight into a river story. On the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, it is possible to build a wonderfully old-school outing around two classics: a heritage steam train and a paddle steamer near Hindmarsh Island, also known as Kumarangk. The trip links the coast, the river port of Goolwa, and the wide, wind-ruffled waterways near the Murray Mouth. It is slow travel in th