The Joy of Houseboating in South AustraliaBy Suna Kanga
Silver Mist is no country gal -- she is all sophistication. We were expecting a rustic houseboat with timbered bunks for a two-night putter on South Australia’s Murray River. Instead, this sleek craft with a stylish sundeck is floating luxury!
“If you can drive a car, you can pilot this boat,” says the affable man who moved here from the Barossa Valley “for a bit of a lifestyle and people business.” We are a bit awed by the prospect of sailing away in this broad-beamed (21ft x 51ft or 6.8m x 15.6m) charmer. He shows us the ropes of houseboating while his wife briefs us on the gadgetry. After an hour of in-depth instruction, they wave us away with wine, good wishes and reminders: Follow the international boating rules. Keep to the right. Toot when you turn and avoid the snags near the shore. Silver Mist reverses smoothly and we are on our own. From the captain’s corner in the lounge, my husband gives his undivided attention to the river. He twiddles dials and switches and obviously enjoys playing Mark Twain. The two-way radio ensures ‘ship and shore’ contact and the Murray River Pilot is a handy manual of maps and instructions. Picture windows and the open-plan layout of the lounge, dining and kitchen afford a wonderful feeling of space. Amenities include a television, CD player, gas heater and books. Both bedrooms offer delightful views and the bathroom is spacious. Although Silver Mist can sleep six persons, this beautiful boat is perfect for honeymooners. (Ships are called ‘she,’ we are told, because it costs so much to keep her in paint and powder!)
Finding a suitable slot for Silver Mist is a challenge.We look hard for a clearing with sturdy trees in the right position to tie four ropes. To please me, the place has to be romantic yet not too lonely. It is almost five o’clock and we cannot agree on where to stop. The sun applauds our mariner skills with flamboyant hues. From the sundeck, we watch the Australian bush burst into flames then soften to pink and dusky gold. With darkness, a hush falls on the river broken by birdcalls. We are strangers to such stillness. Nearby, the twinkling lights of a farmhouse are reassuring. It was time to pop the chicken into the oven and savour South Australia’s sensational red wine with the glorious view.
Silver Mist is entrenched on the bank and needs coaxing to move. As instructed, a swinging technique is employed and it works. Lunch is delayed as the gas barbecue’s flame blows out on the moving boat and the fire alarm screeches when meat sizzles in the kitchen broiler. We wish we have pre-ordered chicken platters for lunch. (Meals can be provided and celebratory dinners served on board by uniformed staff, at a price).
After The Boat CruiseDRIVE AROUND SOUTH AUSTRALIA
ROBE: South of the Coorong is historic Robe, a fishing port and holiday centre. During the Victorian Gold Rush, from 1865, some 16,500 Chinese landed here and walked to the gold fields in the adjoining state to avoid Victoria’s poll tax! Bush walking and water sports are popular. PENOLA: Inland, near the wine district of Connawarra, is Penola home of poets and founder of the Josephite Order, Mary MacKillop. Try the superb Coonawarra wines, a magical marriage of red terra rossa soil, limestone, underground water and cool weather. NARACOORTE: Kids love going into the ancient limestone Naracoorte Caves, a World Heritage site. At a high-tech bat viewing centre, you can spy on Bent-Wing Bats from outside the cave. The Wonambi Fossil Centre has giant, robotic exhibits of long-extinct creatures.
Photographs by Suna and Rusi Kanga, Kanga Concepts, Singapore |
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TM
Birds, water, cliffs and seclusion…these are the joys of taking a trip on a slow houseboat down the Murray River in South Australia…
A friendly couple, the boat managers, welcome us at Temptation Marina, Mannun, about 90 minutes by road from Adelaide. May is a nippy, slow month on the river and several houseboats are tied up between the willows. Together, we unload baggage and groceries and climb aboard. 
Tie her up securely by 5pm, before dark. 
“Don’t hesitate to call anytime,” we had been told. 
The mighty Murray River (3,212 miles) is almost as long as the Nile (4,000 miles) and the Amazon (3,600 miles). Carving down from the north, it flows past vineyards, orchards and red cliffs. The waterway was a major trade route for farmers until the turn of the century when roads and railways arrived. Now it is primarily a playground for man at leisure. 
Chugging along the peaceful river, not too wide at this point, we head towards Walker Flat, passing a small settlement at Younghusband and several holiday shacks. Ahead is a scenic highlight: a wall of ochre cliffs formed from the seabed eons ago. The spectacular cliffs, aglow with sunset hues, dwarf a passing houseboat. Soon, the gnarled, white bark trees shimmer with dusky shadows. Flocks of birds head for home. Several houseboats are snuggled for the night between giant willows. We need to tie up soon!
Eventually, we call upon Mama Cabrini -- recommended as the patron saint for easing (parking) problems – and we soon tie down for the night ! 
Day two is devoted to the river’s glorious bird life. At breakfast, we have ringside seats for a thrilling pelican show. The big birds work the river in teams -- swooping, gliding, flapping their wings and skimming the water over long distances before touching down to trap fish in enormous bills with pouches. One bird ventures so close we can see the yellow rims of his eyes. Red-breasted pigeons, pied cormorants, egrets and herons flash out from the tough Mallee scrub. Black cormorants pose on shore with outstretched wings. 
We pass several boats -- Shangrila, Memories, Shore to Please and Galaxy -- one decked with balloons for a party, another with a water-skiier zooming nearby. Taking turns at the wheel, we cruise at about seven km per hour, averaging four to five hours of daily travel. At a ferry crossing, where underground cables are used, a strict drill requires boats to blast the horn from afar and await a green signal. 
A beautiful mooring between twisting trees and tall grass is our final night’s reward. After a successful dinner, we climb to the top deck to feel the silence of the night and ruminate on the joys of houseboating on a magical river. Never before have I looked downward to view the stars! Never will I forget the sight of a million brilliant stars dancing on the velvet darkness of the Murray River.
Boating logistics: Fly to Adelaide and drive to Mannum, 90 minutes away. To drive a boat, a current car driving licence is sufficient, and you must be 21 years old. The charge for a two-berth boat, (Meander is the cheapest), for a minimum three-night hire (off peak), is Australian $340 while the most pricey is the 12-berther (Truly Unforgettable), at A$ 3,150. Silver Mist has been renamed B Tempted. Websites: 
MONARTO ZOOLOGICAL PARK: Near Murray Bridge, about 70km east of Adelaide, is the wilderness sanctuary Monarto, home to native Australian animals and free-roaming herds from African and Asian. An excellent tour introduces visitors to wildlife such as cheetah and bison and some endangered species (Mongolian horse and Scimitar oryx). The pumpkin soup at the Visitor Centre’s bistro is delicious.
THE COORONG: If you enjoy nature wet, wild and uninhabited, drive through the truly magnificent Coorong inland sea, stretching from the Murray River’s mouth to Kingston. Go with award-winning guide David Dadd of Coorong Nature Tours (contact?), who recounts wonderful stories of the region’s pioneers and shows you incredible nests of Mallee fowls and other sights as he drives you through this wetland, the world’s largest breeding colony of Australian pelicans.
ADELAIDE: Tips for the start or exit point of your cruise: do a walking tour of this gracious town with energetic, well-informed Sandy Pugsley of Tourabout Adelaide (