The PS Canberra is a wood-fired paddle steamer built in 1912 that ran the Echuca-to-Mildura trade for decades. After restoration she now runs short cruises out of the Cobram wharf area in the high season — usually an hour upstream and back, with commentary on the river history.
Schedules vary; check at the visitor centre. The slow chuff of the engine, the smell of the wood smoke, and the river red gums sliding past at four knots are exactly what you came for.