Article by Club Marine, Australia’s Leading Marine Lifestyle Magazine
The Murray River is Australia’s longest, most iconic river, and one of the best ways to explore it is by houseboat.
Last year, National Geographic named the mighty Murray one of the top 25 places in the world to visit. I’ve explored the river’s Victorian reach but wanted to discover the amazing landscapes as it weaves its way south toward the sea – and there’s no better place to begin that journey than the historic town of Renmark in South Australia’s Riverland region.
The locals believe they live along the most beautiful stretch of the Murray River and it’s not hard to see why. Here, the river meets the steep multi-coloured limestone banks of Headings Cliff in a display of striking colours with vibrant yellows and deep oranges, burnt browns and rust reds, all contrasting against the blue sky.
Houseboats cater for everyone, whether couples, families or big groups of friends
The banks are lined with the iconic river red gums that provide hollows for wildlife, as well as weeping willows and coolabah trees. You might spot goannas, emus, koalas and various birds, including pelicans, kingfishers, swans, and water hens.
As the sun rises, the landscape casts amazing mirror silhouettes across the water. And as it sets, the cliffs and the river come to life even more as the colours descend across the water. This time is known as golden hour and it’s simply magical.
The busiest season on the water is from mid-December through to the April school holidays, while in the cooler months, visitors enjoy cosy campfires and peaceful, misty mornings.
Renmark boasts 13 houseboat operators, the largest fleet in the state, making it a popular destination for this style of holiday.
Houseboats cater for couples, families and groups of friends, and they’re the perfect base for waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing or paddling as you can bring your boat, jetski, boards and canoes along. Many houseboat operators are pet-friendly, so your pooch can join in the fun, too.
When planning a houseboat adventure, consider how many people will be staying aboard, how many bathrooms you’ll need, and the living areas required to accommodate everyone comfortably. On offer are affordable family options right through to luxurious set-ups complete with top-deck spas and entertaining areas, from two to 12 berths.
Our choice for a four-night journey was Dixie, a four-bedroom model from Renmark Houseboats that sleeps up to 10 people and includes a well-appointed kitchen (with a pod coffee machine), a good-sized bathroom and a second toilet. With three couples and a labradoodle aboard, we had plenty of room.
Renmark Houseboats provide lots of helpful information in the lead-up to the big day, including the best places to pick up groceries, meats and beverages. And if you don’t have time, delivery to the houseboat is also available so everything’s onboard for your arrival.
River Murray Houseboats at Paringa is another local operator – like Renmark Houseboats, and their vessels head upstream to enjoy the excitement of going under the Paringa Bridge, one of the oldest vertical lift bridges in Australia that turns 100 next year. The bridge lifts at 9.30am and 2.30pm, perfect timing for houseboat arrivals and departures.
Our houseboating holiday landed in the middle of a longer road trip from Queensland, so we had our Isuzu D-Max with a slide-on Palomino camper and our 5m Stacer Crossfire with us.
Renmark Houseboats offered us secure on-site storage for our rigs, and pointed us to the boat ramp just 100m away to launch the Stacer.
affordable family options right through to luxurious set-ups
With everyone onboard, we were keen to head off on our Murray adventure – but first Chappo and Jody of Renmark Houseboats gave us the rundown on how to handle the houseboat, steering tips, instructions on how to moor the boat, and general river etiquette.
Experienced boaties will find it pretty easy to steer but mooring can be a bit tricky, particularly when wind and currents work against you. It’s best to have a couple of extra deckhands at the ready.
You need a standard car licence to drive a houseboat, and don’t forget that drink-driving laws also apply on the river. There are maps onboard with destinations and travel times to various landmarks upstream, and signs every 2km to guide you.
A big bonus (make sure you ask) was an early check-in mid-morning, which meant extra time on the water on our first day. With our Stacer tethered to the side, we headed off confidently upstream.
Our journey took us from Renmark past Whirlpool Corner to Headings Cliff, then onward to the Woolshed Brewery at Wilkadene. Most days we cruised along for three or four hours before looking for our next mooring, which gave us the afternoon to relax or fire up the barbecue on the front deck and take in the scenic views from the top-deck shaded entertaining area.
There are plenty of mooring spots with room between houseboats, and you’ll often find a campfire already set up. There’s nothing better than stoking the fire as the sun sets over the water – drink in hand, chatting to good friends and simply soaking up the atmosphere. The riverbanks are also the perfect spot for pups to enjoy a walk and
a swim.
climb into the hills to take in the breathtaking views
At Headings Cliff, we moored on the opposite side and took our boat across to the Murtho Forest Landing campsite and boat ramp from where there’s a 2.5km walk to the Headings Cliff lookout. We didn’t venture the whole way but climbed high enough into the hills to take in the breathtaking views.
Woolshed Brewery was a highlight. It’s housed in the 100-year-old shearing sheds of Wilkadene Station and there’s plenty of space to moor your houseboat overnight in the designated area below.
It was so relaxing, sitting on the deck, looking down at the other houseboats. The beer selection was tempting so we sampled two paddles, including the stand-out Firehouse Coffee Stout – Woolshed Brewery’s stout with cold drip coffee from local roastery Arrosto Coffee. Brewery tours are also available, and you can create your own cheese platter from the local produce section, or use the free barbecue facilities.
Fishing is one of the Murray River’s biggest drawcards, with Murray cod, yellowbelly, redfin and European carp all on the list of possible catches.
Keep in mind that while carp might be fun to pull in, they’re an invasive species that degrade waterways and compete with native fish for food. By law, anglers must kill and dispose of carp away from the waterway.
Also, it’s important to take the time to learn how to handle and release Murray cod as fines apply if you don’t adhere to the restrictions.
In South Australia, fishing for Murray cod is closed from August 1 to December 31 to protect the fish during breeding season, while catch and release is permitted for the rest of the year. In New South Wales and Victoria, the closed season is September 1 to November 30. A tip: in the cod closed season, use smaller lures to target yellowbelly.
You don’t need a fishing licence to fish the Murray in SA, but you do need one for reservoirs and dams. In Mildura, just 150km away, you’ll need a NSW fishing licence even if you’re on the Victorian riverbank as the river falls under NSW jurisdiction.
Fishing is one of the Murray River's biggest drawcards
Once your houseboating adventures come to an end, spend a few days exploring Renmark and the Riverland region.
You’ll find various riverfront holiday parks offering great facilities, such as the expansive waterfront Echo Holiday Parks Renmark where we stayed. From our accommodation, it was fun to watch the river traffic and the Paringa Bridge’s lights, just a stone’s throw away.
Head into town and wander along the Renmark Riverfront Town Heritage Walk, and take a cruise on the PS Industry paddle steamer before popping across to the historic Renmark Hotel for a meal.
The Twenty Third Street Distillery is a very popular establishment in town, so it’s best to time your visit. If you prefer more personalised service, drop into the family-owned and run Mallee Estate winery.
Just 30 minutes by car from Renmark, the Overland Corner Hotel was built in 1860 to provide a staging point for the coach route from Broken Hill to Adelaide. The hotel is registered with the National Trust and open Wednesday to Sunday.
The surrounding towns of Berri, Loxton and Waikerie are known for their outstanding local produce, wineries and country hospitality, and well worth visiting. Upcoming events include the Riverland Rose and Garden Festival from October
9 to 18, and the Riverland Food and Wine Festival in March next year.
Visitors also flock to the Riverland Dinghy Derby held in the first week of February out of Renmark. Teams of two navigate their overpowered dinghies on a 100km course along the river and its narrow winding creeks in a race to the finish. Book a houseboat, claim the best vantage point for the dinghy race, and enjoy the action from your deck.
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