The river cruises in Swan Hill is operated at the Pioneer Settlement 
open air museum. The cruise is on the PS Pyap, a paddlesteamer built at Mannum in South Australia in 1896, and was a floating store for the Eudunda Farmers Cooperative, selling to settlers and settlements along the Murray River before being sold for use in woodcutting and fishing.
The PS Pyap was updated by the Pioneer Settlement when they acquired it, replacing the hull with steel, updating the engine to a diesel engine, and replaced the decking with polished red gum. The updates have kept the original lines and shape of the paddlesteamer.
The cruise departs from the wharf in Pioneer Settlement at 2.30pm each day. On weekends and during the Victorian school holidays, an additional cruise departs at 10.30am, but this is only available if you have purchased entry to the Pioneer Settlement also.
The cruise goes along the Little Murray River passed the Swan Hill Caravan Park to join the Murray River. It then continues along the banks of Pental Island towards the Murray Downs Marina, and passed the Murray Downs Homestead.
The Murray Downs Homestead was built in the 1860s, and originally on a 180,000 acre property, and had up to 16 staff to run the home. The property is now 100 acres and privately owned, so it can’t be visited as a tourist, but it can be viewed from the cruise along the Murray River.
A river cruise and entry ticket is available with a discount from purchasing them individually.