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Berri is the Aboriginal word for "Bend in the River"To me, it means delicious food and gorgeous sceneryBy Madelyn MillerOn a recent trip to South Australia, I had a chance to visit the places where the fabulous Australian food is grown and produced. And it looks as good as it tastes.
The town takes its name from the Aboriginal words ‘bery bery’ meaning bend in the river. Berri was originally part of the Cobdogla Station and served as a mooring place for paddlesteamers during the early days of European occupation. The landscaped lawned area, which runs for a kilometre along the riverfront at Berri is a popular picnic area and has a children’s playground. The multi award-winning Berri Resort Hotel overlooks the river and offers a tranquil setting for business, conferences, or holidays. Berri has a variety of good accommodation, from four and a half star to budget including bed and breakfast properties, an excellent caravan park close to the river, a backpacker hostel, and a motel on the golf course. There are also two fleets of houseboats, which use the town as a base.
There’s a popular walking trail which follows the riverfront for about two kilometres from the bridge to Martin’s Bend Reserve, a camping area which is ideal for picnics, fishing, or skiing, and the location for many social events and competitions. Take time to inspect the large mural under the bridge depicting the region’s Aboriginal cultural heritage, and a black granite monument to the famous black tracker Jimmy James located on the riverbank opposite the caravan park. Berri also offers a wide range of sporting opportunities and boasts some of the State’s best facilities. There’s a fine bowling green, excellent golf course and a large number of playing fields at Glassey Park including an international standard hockey pitch. The Big Orange provides an unusual sight for motorists passing by near Berri as it stands high above the Mallee scrub and orange groves. The four-storey structure houses a coffee shop, kiosk and souvenir sales, and a lookout on top provides a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Just up the road is Wilabalangaloo, a 100-hectare National Trust property with a kilometre of river frontage. Originally part of Cobdogla Station, Wilabalangaloo is from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of the red, yellow and brown stones.’ These are the colors exposed in the cliff face along the river. The homestead, made of local stone, displays many historic items, and there are more than 60 varieties of plants and a number of native animals on the property.
Lyrup and 12 other village settlements were established by the SA Government in 1894 to establish a communal land system. It was proposed that the residents would work the land and share the profits. Lyrup is now the only surviving village still run by a village association. The town of Glossop, on the road to Barmera, was named after vice Admiral Glossop, commander of the HMAS Sydney, which sank the German raider Emden during World War I. It has a small shopping centre, pottery gallery and motel, and the huge Berri Estates winery and distillery is nearby. You will also find the Winmante Cultural Tourism Centre at Glossop which houses a range of authentic Aboriginal art and craft. Monash just 12km from Berri, was proclaimed in 1921 and named after General Sir John Monash, a World War I army commander. Today, the small town is best known for its amazing Monash Adventure Park. Since it opened in 1996, the park has become a huge Riverland tourist attraction offering fun for all ages. It has free entry and is open almost every day of the year. It offers a kiosk, giant maze, leaning climbing towers, flying foxes, a tree house, Burmese rope bridge, wave bridge, basketball courts and many unusual pieces of play equipment for the children. There are plenty of lawned areas and free barbecue facilities. A landscaped lake, waterfall, running streams and fountain makes Monash Adventure Park an ideal family picnic spot. You’ll also find award-winning Norman’s Lone Gum Winery on Nixon Road on the way to Monash where you can sample award winning wines at the cellar door. FOR MORE INFORMATION Berri Visitor Information Centre WEBSITES
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Berri is the business and administrative centre of the Riverland. It’s a major shopping centre with town shopping and a modern Plaza complex and home to the largest winery and distillery complex in the Southern Hemisphere, Berri Estates.
The town offers a number of quality restaurants with a wide variety of cuisines, many featuring local produce. For an unusual eating experience, try the Mallee Fowl Restaurant’s ‘Shed’ or on warm summer evenings, sit outside in the old converted quarry. The restaurant is located on the Monash Bypass Road near Berri. 
Manufacturer of the famous Berri fruit juices, Berri Ltd, incorporates an orchard sales kiosk complete with theatrette which screens an audio-visual history of the Riverland telling the story of how local fruit is processed from tree to supermarket shelf.