Riverland Roving
15 August 2011
Holiday parks are well placed at each of the towns, with most providing easy access to the river nearby. Although the levels of the river may be low, make no mistake, the Riverland is still a great place to visit.
The caravan park at Blanchetown is nestled virtually right on the river-front. Further upstream, the Loxton Caravan Park is located a couple of kilometres away from the main town, on a scenic bend of the river in a quiet bush setting.
The Berri Caravan Park, by contrast, is located within walking distance from the main township and we have friends who stay every year. They enjoy the idyllic river location and the park is well catered for children, with movies and free school holiday activities.
Barmera has its own little caravan park on the edge of Lake Bonney – a small, quiet, sheltered lake where many of the locals enjoy a dip, a sail or just dropping in a line.
One of the most relaxing ways to see the river is on one of the many houseboats. I can just see myself sitting on the back verandah, dangling a line and spending the day pulling up callop. Who knows, maybe I might get lucky and hook up to a big cod. Apparently their numbers are improving, as the carp are slowly being removed from the river system.
Another option for getting up close and personal with the River Murray is to take a River Murray Cruise. There are a variety of options including taking an overnight (or two) stay on the Waikerie Murray River Queen or on one of the other historic paddle steamers, such as the PS Industry out of Renmark.
We did a one and a half hour cruise on a little boat called the Court Jester. This one's out of Mannum, (downstream) and we learnt a lot about the river system and were treated to one of the best homemade scones I reckon I have ever tasted. (Mum, I hope you're not reading this.)
For bird watchers, the river is a great place to visit, with bird life absolutely prolific in places. This may be in part as a result of the drought, as permanent water is sought out by our feathered friends, and they tend to congregate around those reliable water courses and not spread out as they might do if the river were fuller. The Gluepot Reserve is said to have 18 rare bird species alone, so bring your binoculars! There are 17 national parks in the Riverland including internationally listed RAMSAR sites, designed to protect Biospheres of international importance.
If you want to get in the water and you're travelling with your tinny (boat not beer), there are plenty of places to launch and in fact, virtually every town has a boat ramp. Boat ramps are often set up with excelling facilities including barbecues, shelter and spotless public loos.
The Riverland region is one of South Australia's largest wine-producing regions, and secondly, produces the bulk of South Australian fruit. Driving through the Riverland, you can't help but notice roads flanked by vineyards and fruit. There are plenty of wineries to choose from and they cater to all tastes and budgets so you're sure to find something to please.
The fruit and vegetables in this region are spot on, and there are plenty of roadside stalls where you know you're buying direct from local growers. A word of warning, though, South Australia is fruit fly free, so fruit and veggies are not, under any circumstances, to be brought into the Riverland. So when you visit this area, make sure you come ready to stock up on your fruit and veg: if you arrive already stocked up, you will need to put your interstate fruit and veg into the quarantine fruit bins provided.
I always enjoy buying fruit from roadside stalls in the Riverland, as it always tastes so much better when you can buy direct from a grower. The stone fruit tastes sweet, while citrus are juicy and tomatoes flavoursome, like they used to be in the good old days!
For those who are looking for some entertainment that's not related to the river, the Monash Playground at the small township of Monash, located about half way between Barmera and Renmark, is an absolute must for anyone with children. This playground has been around for years and was revamped a few years ago to include a huge variety of equipment for children of all ages.
Entry into the play equipment is free but a gold coin donation is appreciated. My kids could have spent all day there on the climbing nets, the cubby house, and in particular, the walk-through maze. There is plenty of shelter, clean toilets and barbecues, so it's easy to make a day of it.
For those travelling with older children (or for those wanting to revisit their childhood) the Loxton Historical Village is well worth a visit. It is a replica village, filled with bits and pieces from days gone by. You could easily spend a number of hours there, looking at old toys, kitchen items, farm implements, building materials, and blacksmithing items, to name a few.
At Berri, a disused water tower provides an excelling opportunity to look over the town. At the riverbank, there are plenty of mooring facilities for the ever-popular houseboats as Berri is also a great place to stock up on fuel and supplies, being one of the larger towns in the Riverland region.
At the small town of Cobdogla, near Barmera, there is a caravan park virtually right along the riverfront. Adjacent to the caravan park is the Irrigation and Steam Museum open roughly once per month. For steam-train, machinery and engine history buffs, this place is a real hoot.
Because of its close proximity to Adelaide (we can drive there in about two hours), we often visit the Riverland and there is always plenty to do. Regardless of the state of the River Murray, the Riverland will always be there and welcome the traveller, with open arms.
ACCOMMODATION
BERRI RIVERSIDE CARAVAN PARK
Resident Managers – Max and Kay Kubenk
Riverview Drive Berri SA 5343
Phone: (08) 8582 3723
LAKE BONNEY
Lakeside Avenue Barmera SA 5345
Phone: (08) 8588 2234 Free Call: 1800 034 828
Fax: (08) 8588 1974
E: lakebonney@discoveryparks.com.au
COBDOGLA STATION CARAVAN PARK
14 Shueard Road Cobdogla SA 5346
Phone: (08) 8588 7164
Toll Free: 1300 666 623
W: www.cobdoglacaravanpark.com.au
KINGSTON-ON-MURRAY CARAVAN PARK
Phone/Fax: (08) 8583 0209
CHEAP TREATS
ROCKY'S HALL OF FAME PIONEERS MUSEUM Entry is a $2 donation Open Wednesday – Monday 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm. Found opposite the Barmera Visitors Centre Main St, Barmera (08) 8586 1463
LOXTON HISTORICAL VILLAGE Adults $10, children $5, family $25 and concession $8 Open Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm and Saturday – Sunday 10am – 5pm Found on Allan Hoskings Drive (formerly Scenic Drive) Loxton (08) 8584 7194
MANNUM DOCK MUSEUM OF RIVER HISTORY Adult $5, family $13, child $2.50, and concession $3.50 Open 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday and 10am – 4pm Saturday – Sunday 6 Randell Street, Mannum (08) 8569 2733
FRUIT AND VEGGIE STALLS Find some of the best tasting fruit and vegies in the Riverland region. Take a drive on the Old Sturt Highway between Berri and Glossop to find some tasty treats.
BANROCK STATION WINE AND WETLANDS CENTRE Short, medium and dry bed walk is $3 and 8km long walk is $5. Children are free Open 9am – 4pm Monday – Friday and 9am – 5pm Saturday – Sunday Holmes Road, Kingston on Murray (08) 8583 0299
FREEBIES
BERRI LOOKOUT TOWER Corner Fiedler St and Vaughan Terrace, Berri Open 9am-5pm (08) 8582 5511
NAPPER'S RUINS
The site of the Lake Bonney Hotel, built in 1859 was on an important stock route. See it on the north side of Lake Bonney on Queen Elizabeth Drive.
DISAPPEARANCE OF HENRY BRYAN TRAIL
Follow the trail of Charles Sturt's ill fated expedition along the Murray River. The Morgan Visitor Information Centre and Museum (08) 8540 2643
LOVEDAY INTERNMENT CAMP
Visit the Berri Visitor Information Centre. (08) 8582 5511
OVERLAND CORNER WALKING TRAIL
This 8km trail takes you past historic sites Pop into the Overland Corner pub nearby for a brochure and a peek at the 151-year-old building. Open from 11am Old Coach Rd (off the Morgan Rd), Overland Corner (08) 8588 7021
WORDS BY PENNY JONES PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON BAYLISS, PENNY JONES & TOURISM SA
