MURRAY RIVER

It’s 7am and I am out in 
the exceedingly crisp air, canoeing on what appears to be a carpet. It’s a festively coloured pile that looks so inviting, I am entertaining thoughts of curling up on it and taking a nap. Only occasionally 
does my oar disturb the plush layer 
of red and green enough to reveal 
what’s underneath: the waters of the mighty Murray River.

Our canoe guide, Bob West, reveals that what we are floating through is, in fact, duckweed. It has well and truly infiltrated this lake just off the main drag in which we are taking our early-morning paddle. The weed may be a menace to boaters and fishermen, and a temptation for more insidious weeds to join its ranks, but it makes for a remarkable sight out here on Australia’s longest river.

We push on into the milky expanse, which has a decidedly gothic feel thanks to the drowned trees dotted about. West tells us that there are hundreds of kilometres of back creeks, lakes, wetlands and billabongs to explore in this area of South Australia known as the Riverland. Accessible only to those with small craft such as canoes and dinghies, this maze of tranquil waterways that twist and turn and meet up later – teeming with bird life and lined by reeds and majestic river red gums – is the ultimate escape.

The meandering Murray is the heart and soul of this Riverland region – which lies 250 kilometres to Adelaide’s northeast and begins where the river crosses the South Australian border – not to mention a resource of huge economic importance to agriculture and industry.

It’s also a mecca for houseboats. We are introduced to our floating accommodation, the Aqua Dreaming, a four-bedroom, two-bathroom marvel with all the modern trimmings, including a spa on the top deck. Despite my protestations, I am informed that I must take a turn at the helm, and I soon find myself gingerly edging the vessel down the river towards our mooring point, about a two-hour trip from the town of Renmark. I’m feeling pretty confident until we come upon a dramatic bend and I quickly have to learn more about the nuances of houseboat handling than I ever wanted to know. Thank goodness we didn’t decide to take the popular 10-day journey to Mildura.

There are a remarkable number of these lavish dwellings on the river, and it’s easy to see why. The surroundings 
are incredibly peaceful, you can explore at your own pace, and you never have 
to fight for parking. Plus, you may even get to wake up to a truly spectacular sunrise or two.

The river may be the region’s lifeblood, but the area itself runs deep. Not only is the Riverland known as the ‘fruit bowl’ of South Australia, it is also the country's biggest – and possibly least heralded – wine-producing region, home to Berri Estates, the largest winery and distillery 
in the Southern Hemisphere.

We are learning all this over a vibrant lunch of Kolophon caper-crusted mulloway and a glass of pinot grigio at Banrock Station (Kolophon is a local producer of delicious, organically grown capers). Banrock is an important wine name in the area; however, the company is also a major force for environmental revitalisation, and since 1994 has been working to restore mallee, woodland and wetland areas damaged by farming.

A centrepiece of the Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre, which was in 2002 recognised by the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for its work, is the eight-kilometre network of boardwalk trails that allow an insider’s view of the wetlands. We go for a gambol under the guidance of Kate Thorn, a conservation and wetland manager at Banrock. As we weave our way through otherworldly fields of waist-high reeds and stroll across shallow waterways, Thorn talks with passion about these lowland parcels, the importance of a dry period and the sensitive nature of water management in the area. Her words betray a powerful connection to the region and the river, a bond that’s evident in many of the people we meet. It seems the Murray has a way of pulling you in.

Banrock may be one of the bigger wine producers, but the region’s boutique outfits are nipping at its heels. Notably 919 Wines, whose convivial owners Eric and Jenny Semmler have the stuff running through their veins; they tell us how the Riverland is starting to make its mark in vino circles for more than just the bulk of its output. Likewise, Burk Salter Wines, which opened the area’s first cellar door, is helping the Riverland rise above its cask-wine reputation.

Oddly enough, it’s a young microbrewery that seems to best tap into the spirit of the Murray. After a stunning but arduous back-creek dinghy tour, which gives us our first look at the river’s distinctive amber-coloured cliffs but leaves us chilled to the bone, we are dropped off at the Woolshed Brewery on a stretch called Dix’s Cutting. Perched high above the river, the brewery, located in lovingly renovated, century-old shearing sheds, affords great views and the opportunity to pull up alongside in your houseboat and sample some award-winning (and very tasty) Amazon Ale.

The enterprise is just one of a number of ways this is area is pulling itself out of the muck after years of devastating drought. When the floods swept through here in January (there goes the duckweed), the Murray reached its highest levels in 20 years, perhaps sparking a new era of renewal for 
the Riverland.

View our full gallery of images from South Australia, including many from the picturesque Murray River.

KANGAROO ISLAND

Nothing inspires the imagination quite so much as a big view, and they don’t come much more exhilarating than the one from Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge. Overlooking the island’s wild 
south-west coastline, the lodge’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows expose a breathtaking vista of limestone cliffs and ocean, and the eerie knowledge that nothing lies between you and Antarctica. If a spectacle of this magnitude doesn’t fire a few big ideas, I don’t know what will.

The best place to enjoy this view in mid-winter is by the Great Room’s open fire. The mostly white decor of the communal room means there is little to distract you from what lies beyond, and it is here you can select a book from the library shelves or help yourself to a drink from the room’s long bar and soak in the scenery. This open bar, together with encouragement to leave your room unlocked and the inclusion of all meals in the daily rates, conspire to create the sense of being at home – albeit a highly luxurious version. The dining room, patio (with small hot tub) and a selection of lounge areas are also on this reception level, with plenty of space to preserve a little peace and privacy for everyone.

Up a wooden path lies the Southern Spa, which offers ‘Dreamtime-inspired’ treatments and products, also using natural beauty ingredients found on the island such as mineral salts, eucalyptus, lavender and honey.

James and Hayley Baillie established the Lodge in early 2008, having secured Australian architect Max Pritchard to design site-sensitive accommodation. Perched above Hanson Bay, between the Flinders Chase and Kelly Hill National Parks, its impact on the natural environment has been limited, with only 2.5 acres of land cleared for the development and the remaining 99 per cent protected.

The lodge’s 21 suites run along the cliff top, each one with an unimpeded outlook – even from the bathroom – and no possibility of anyone but a friendly wallaby seeing you in a state of undress. The interiors are elegant yet simple, featuring a sunken lounge room and outdoor terraces and subtle luxuries such as underfloor heating. Each night as you dine, the ‘angels’ will turn your bed down, light a scented candle and leave soothing music playing.

Be warned; the trek downhill along the wood-lined corridor can be arduous if you are booked into one of the farthest rooms – worth keeping in mind, depending on your fitness levels. At the very end of the long, sunlit corridor is the premium Osprey Pavilion, with private plunge spa, terrace with day beds, king bedroom and curved floor plan to maximise the view.

One of the highlights of a stay at the lodge is the dining, overseen by chef Jed Archdeacon, who sources all the ingredients and beverages seasonally and locally – either from Kangaroo Island’s farmers and artisan producers or the South Australian mainland.

Ingredients sourced from the island include marron, abalone, lobster and oysters; lamb, free-range chicken and ‘rare breed’ pork; sheep-milk dairy products; and samphire, saffron, wild olive oil, salt and honey from Ligurian bees – the only surviving pure colonies in the world, fiercely protected by quarantine regulations. As well as promoting ‘locavore’ dining, Archdeacon is keen to highlight a sense of place for guests, using the food and wine to subtly reinforce the feeling of being somewhere unique.

Fortified by the healthful meals, we venture forward to investigate the other major attraction of the island: its wildlife and natural beauty. Guests can book for a coastal walk with the lodge’s nature officers, who will point out the indigenous flora, ancient rock formations and local fauna or venture just a few kilometres’ drive away to the national parks and conservation areas.

Travelling east along the coast, just beyond Vivonne Bay, is the Seal Bay Conservation Park and the unexpected phenomenon of Little Sahara. At Seal Bay, rangers conduct guided tours along the specially constructed boardwalks and onto the beach to see the Australian sea lions up close, a fascinating society of nurturing mothers, clumsy pups and grumpy, territorial males. As the name suggests, nearby Little Sahara is a range of spectacular white sand dunes; the second higher than the first, which – once summitted – reveals yet more dunes rolling towards the coast. Their size is awe-inspiring and the sight itself is its own reward, but we can’t resist giving in to our inner child and running downhill at full tilt.

Sandboarding is also permitted and boards can be hired at the nearby Vivonne Bay general store.

Closer to the lodge, and an easy half-day sightseeing experience, is the Flinders Chase National Park, which includes Remarkable Rocks – like so many sculptures artfully curated atop a granite outcrop – the Cape de Couedic Lighthouse and Admiral’s Arch. A boardwalk, stairs and viewing platforms at Admiral’s Arch allow visitors to get close to the stirring force of the Southern Ocean as it pounds against the limestone rock platforms, which are also home to large colonies of New Zealand fur seals.

Nearby stands the lighthouse, completed in 1909, one of three on the island, including others at Cape Borda (1858) and Cape Willoughby (1852). In spite of the vigilance of those early keepers, more than 50 ships are known to have been wrecked off the island. As the lights are no longer manned, the cottages have been converted into a wonderful source of budget accommodation for visitors to the island – a particular novelty for children and those who believe in ghosts, if the charming visitors’ books in each 
of the cottages are anything to go by.

For more information, visit 
southaustralia.com

View our full gallery of images from South Australia, including many from picturesque Kangaroo island.