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Try a Houseboat in South AustraliaBy Madelyn Miller
If you’ve traveled across the Sturt Highway from Mildura, you’ll reach the small settlement of Yamba soon after the border. An excellent service centre provides all the fuel and refreshment you’ll need. But don’t forget to eat all your fresh fruit before you reach the fruit fly checkpoint. The future of South Australia’s multi-million dollar fruit industry depends on keeping the pest out of the State. Paringa is a rapidly growing small settlement with panoramic views of the river’s flood plain. A stunning view can be captured at Headings Cliff’s lookout.
Visitors can discover the early history of the region at Olivewood Historic Homestead, original home of the Chaffey brothers, or on board the PS Industry the floating museum and paddlesteamer which has been fully restored and regularly steams on the Murray. Located on the Renmark riverfront, access to the paddlesteamer can be gained seven days a week from the town’s visitor information centre. Renmark is a great place to visit at any time of the year, with its year-round sunshine even during winter, when the mornings are crisp and clear. There are art galleries, craft stores, fruit stalls, dried fruit outlets and an excellent shopping centre. The Renmark Hotel was the first community-owned hotel in Australia, and offers first class accommodation and dining. South Australia’s multi-million-dollar houseboat industry had its origins here and the town has an excellent selection of motels, caravan parks, bed and breakfast properties and restaurants.
Here the river is wide, ideal for boating and skiing. Talk to the locals about good fishing spots and where you can net a feed of yabbies. Explore many of the secluded creeks and billabongs by canoe or even by taking a backwater dinghy cruise. One of the most relaxing ways to experience the majesty of the river is aboard the Big River Rambler. A two-hour afternoon cruise departs from the Renmark wharf seven days a week to take a leisurely cruise upstream to the spectacular cliffs at Whirlpool Corner. The Rambler is air-conditioned with wide windows providing an unrestricted view, or you can watch the soaring pelicans from the shaded upper deck. The captain provides an informative commentary about Renmark, the river system and its wildlife.
The Old Customs House, 30km east of Paringa, is one of the oldest buildings in the Riverland and well worth a visit. It is where the SA Government established a collection point to obtain revenue from the rapidly growing river trade late last century. Renmark is also a great stepping-off point to the outback and thousands of hectares of internationally significant conservation parks, including the Bookmark Biosphere. The Biosphere Reserve provides an area for ecological and environmental research by conserving the habitat of the region’s plants and animals. In flood, the Calperum wetlands are an important breeding centre for water birds. There are a number of tours available including four-wheel drive, adventures into the billabongs and creeks by dinghy, star gazing, wildflower and bird watching tours. VISITOR INFORMATIONRenmark Paringa Visitor Centre WEBSITES
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After the river sluggishly weaves its way across the vast flat open country of North West Victoria, it crosses the border near Lindsay Point and twists and turns its way into the small settlement of Paringa. This is where a large part of the South Australia region of Riverland’s houseboat industry is based near Lock Five. Here visitors can see boats navigating the lock system and see how the weir provides a stable water level for the area’s irrigation pumps.
Renmark is the oldest town in the Riverland region. It was here that Canadian brothers George and William Chaffey established Australia’s first irrigation settlement. Today, the town, which is situated on a picturesque bend of the river, is a sundrenched oasis with vineyards, citrus groves, flower growing properties, orchards, and lush parks and gardens.
There are plenty of ideal picnic spots on the riverfront, or at Dix Park across the old suspension bridge at Paringa. It’s worth taking a trip up the Murtho road to the lookout tower, which gives a panoramic view over the cliffs and river plains. A photographers delight, capture a beautiful sunset.
Renmark is known for the quality of its fruit, nuts and wine. Award winning wineries Renmano and Angoves offer tastings. And don’t miss Ruston’s spectacular rose garden. With 50,000 rose bushes and several thousand varieties, it’s the largest in the Southern Hemisphere (closed for pruning July to September). Renmark’s annual rose festival in October is a highlight of the region’s events calendar with many thousands of visitors flocking into the town for the weeklong festivities.