AUSTRALIA’S first five-star river vessel met the water for the first time recently, as the ship’s construction nears completion.
The brand-new Australian Star paddlesteamer is now poised to debut for Murray River Paddlesteamers next year, after meeting water for the first time last month, and cruising up the Murray River to the ship’s base near Echuca.
Final work on the $11 million vessel will now be completed over the course of two months, which will see the upper deck finished, and all staterooms and public areas fitted out.
She will then begin her program of three-, four-, and seven-night cruises from Echuca in February, with a formal christening ceremony to be held the following month.
Murray River Paddlesteamers Director Craig Burgess said Australian Star’s arrival marked a major achievement.
“Seeing Australian Star pass safely through the Torrumbarry Weir was a tremendous relief, especially given the lower-than-expected water levels,” he said.
“It marks the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year journey involving more than 80 Victorian suppliers and craftsmen who have poured their skill, passion and dedication into bringing this remarkable vessel to life.”
Burgess said the vessel represents a step-change for the local river cruising sector.
“Australians love cruising, and they love the Murray River – it’s an icon – but there has been a clear demand for a world-class, five-star experience that matches the standards of Europe’s great waterways,” he explained.
“Australian Star will deliver exactly that – she will usher in a new era of luxury river cruising and reimagine what’s possible on the Murray.”
