Swan Hill Hotels

Swan Hill is a city in the north west of Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Murray Valley Highway, on the south bank of the Murray River, downstream from the junction of the Loddon River. At the 2006 census, Swan Hill had a population of 9,684. Swan Hill gives its name to a wine region straddling the Murray River. The vines are predominantly irrigated from the river. The local train station has a giant Murray Cod out the front. The historic Pioneer Settlement is an open air museum and major tourist attraction, as are rides on the PS Pyap. Swan Hill currently holds the Guinness World Record for Biggest Fruit Salad. Made predominantly from local stonefruit, the salad was 5.7 tonnes, smashing the old record of 4.1 tonnes. The Fruit Salad was made on the 25th January 2008, and eaten the following day, Australia Day. Swan Hill was named by Major Mitchell in 1836, after he was kept awake by swans in the nearby lagoon. Today it's a major regional centre surrounded by irrigated farmlands. Although the riverside location is pleasant, Swan Hill is rather an underwhelming place. Empty shopfronts indicate that it isn't the thriving regional metropolis that Mildura and Echuca are. Other than the re-created Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement there's not a lot of reason to stop.