Murray River - Introduction

The Murray rises in NSW in the Snowy Mountains and flows over 2500 km through Victoria and out to the Southern Ocean at Goolwa in South Australia. In SA the Murray scenery is varied, often with beautiful golden river cliffs. Charles Sturt named the Murray River and it became a major through route for trade and passengers and in the 1880s there were several hundred paddle steamers and other vessels sailing along the river. Unpredictable floods and droughts often made navigation hazardous and in 1918 NSW, Victoria and South Australia and the Federal Government collaborated to form the River Murray Commission. This led to the creation of 14 locks from Blanchetown in SA to Yarrawonga in Victoria to regulate river levels and these locks still function today and add to the pleasures of river cruising . By the time that these locks were finished, other trade routes were opening up leading to the decline of river traffic and so no further locks were built.
CRUISING ON THE MURRAY
The Murray is navigable for its entire length in SA and river cruising is popular with locals and visitors. In spite of its popularity, it is surprisingly tranquil and deserted away from the main centres and the scenery is often spectacular - such as 'The Big Bend', pictured.
Hiring a houseboat is a great way to spend a few days and it is easy to pull into the bank for lunch or overnight mooring in an unspoiled, country setting.
A number of companies also offer cruises ranging from small groups of 6-8 through to large cruise ship style paddle steamers. Typically, 3 and 4 night cruises are offered and for those at leisure, the weekday options may be preferable.Goolwa, Mannum and Renmark are main departure points for tours and hired craft.

Murray River SA - Riverland

The northern part of the Murray River in South Australia is promoted as 'Riverland' and is roughly the Blanchetown to Renmark and the Victorian border section. Blanchetown, Morgan, Waikerie, Barmera, Berri and Renmark are the main towns. Berri is home to one of Australia’s largest wineries, Berri Estates.
Renmark is famous for its brandy and other spirits and table wines and also for its beautifully situated and well appointed hotel on the banks of the river (pictured).
In Riverland the sunny SA climate and water from the Murray have combined to make the area richly productive with vines, citrus, stone fruits and almonds the main crops. Vineyards around the Murray in SA produce around 30% of Australia’s total wine grape crop and between Blanchetown and Renmark there are a number of large wineries. Cellar doors (wineries open to the public for sales and often with restaurant facilities) include:

Burk Salter Wines	Banrock Station	Berri Estates
Torambre Nissen Hut Wines	McGuigan Simeon Wines	Tandou Wines
Kahlon Estate Wines	Angove’s Pty Ltd	Mallee Estate Wines
Renmano Wines

In Riverland, the Murray flows through mainly undeveloped countryside and a number of the huge sheep stations along the way welcome guests, offering personalised 4WD excursions to see their land and learn about the wildlife and natural vegetation. These visits are a fascinating glimpse into living in a truly remote area, a lifestyle that few of us now experience. A good example is Chowilla Station not far from Renmark (pictured).
The main national parks around the Murray are:

Northern section (Riverland)	Murray River National Park
Danggali Conservation Park	Chowilla Game Reserve

Murray River SA - Murraylands

The area roughly from Murray Bridge to Swan Reach is promoted as Murraylands. The main towns are Murray Bridge, Mannum (pictured), Swan Reach, Karoonda and Pinnaroo.Mannum is an important departure point for river cruises and most of the operators make arrangements for road transport for passengers from central Adelaide hotels. Houseboats and other craft are also for hire at Mannum.
National parks in this area include:

Ngarkat Conservation Park

Karte Conservation Park

Murray River SA - Mouth of the river 

The Murray finally enters the Southern Ocean at Goolwa, a charming river town with good bed and breakfasts and self catering cottages. It is the departure point for day cruises exploring the lower Murray, the Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert, and also for longer cruises exploring the Murray as far as Mildura in Victoria.
The Coorong itself is a huge lagoon with prolific birdlife and lovely, wild scenery set in the Coorong National Park (the film Storm Boy was shot here).
Goolwa is an easy day trip from Melbourne and is on the edge of the Fleurieu Peninsula, an unspoiled area with good beaches, perfect for driving, walking and exploring and it is also adjacent to the wine area Langhorne Creek.