Mannum Dock Discovery Centre & PW Mayflower Cruise | Review

Step back in time, steer a paddle wheeler down the river and learn about Mannum’s historic river port!

Review by Angelica-Hazel Toutounji

If you have children who enjoy history, boats and interactive learning, you have to add the Mannum Dock Museum to your must-visit list. Opened in 2001, it’s right on Mannum’s main street, on the banks of the River Murray and it’s more than meets the eye!

We were warmly welcomed by the museum staff, who showed us how to make the most of our visit. With children, you can follow a seek-and-find trail that encourages them to spot historical details throughout the museum. Complete it and they can earn free entry to ride on the PW Mayflower, South Australia’s oldest paddle wheeler!

We visited with our five- and eight-year-old girls, and they really got into the treasure hunt. The museum is compact, but there’s lots to see and interact with across the different rooms. There’s an interactive wheelhouse, a collection of wooden model boats (the largest in SA!), shipwreck remnants, a Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal display and more. We spent just over an hour exploring inside and out, finding clues and learning about the area’s maritime history.

After completing the seek-and-find, we joined a group aboard the PW Mayflower and it was such a highlight! The peaceful cruise took us past the majestic Ponde Cliffs, with stunning scenery and plenty of flora and fauna to spot. The boat was fully booked on the day we visited, but there was still plenty of room to enjoy the cruise, with indoor and outdoor seating. We also took turns sitting upstairs and soaking up the serenity.

The captain shared stories about the river’s history along the way, and the crew offered complimentary tea and coffee. We spent the 90-minute cruise moving between the indoor and outdoor areas, breathing in the fresh river air, watching the paddle wheels and enjoying the ride.

We’d recommend this experience for families with children aged seven and up. Both our girls enjoyed it, but depending on how active your child is, they might find it tricky to stay entertained for the whole cruise. The museum and cruise also pair really well with a stop at Mary Ann Reserve for a run around on the grass and a play on the playground.

All in all, we loved our visit to the Dock Museum and our cruise on the PW Mayflower. It was educational, interesting and a lovely way to spend half a day. Next time you’re in the Murraylands, make sure you call in and remember to prebook your paddle wheeler cruise!

What we liked about it:

• We loved how interactive it was.
• We loved that it felt like stepping back in time.
• We loved the combination of searching through the museum and then ending with a relaxing river cruise .

Things to consider:

• The river cruises book out so best to contact the museum directly as they can deals combining the museum and cruise.
• make sure you slip, slop, slap for the cruise, especially if it’s sunny.
• There are two paddle wheelers that operate at different times, the PW Mayflower and the PS Marion.

Our favourite nearby coffee spots/cafes:

• We ate and had coffee from the bakery on the Main Street, we also had a good meal at the Pretoria Hotel.

Location:

6 Randell Street, Mannum

For more information and all enquiries please visit the Explore Mid Murray website.

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).

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