Murray River Safari

Day 1: River Cruising, Cliff Walk & Nocturnal Walk

Guests will be met by the guide team in the town of Paringa, where after a brief introduction, the group will board a roomy pontoon cruiser to commence an exploration of the Murray River's fascinating natural, indigenous and pioneer history. There are abundant opportunities to spot Australian Pelicans, Australasian Darters, Black Swans, Yellow-billed Spoonbills and a colony of wild Koalas on this private cruise. 

Upon being welcomed at the houseboat, the group will enjoy a specially curated lunch before departing on a guided cliff walk to witness the spectacular landscapes and contrasting colours of the riverine habitat. There may be opportunities to spot Wedge-tailed Eagles, Red-capped Robins, Gilbert's Whistlers, honeyeaters, Migratory Rainbow Bee-eaters, Emus and Mulga, Red-rumped, Mallee Ringneck and Blue Bonnet Parrots.

Returning back to the houseboat, guests can enjoy a hot spa on the top deck overlooking the river at sunset, enjoying the harmonious calls of Whistling Kites soaring above. After a delicious two-course meal showcasing local produce paired with local wines, guides will take guests on a nocturnal walk, stargazing at constellations in the night sky, spotting Brush-tailed Possums for an important citizen science project and occasionally Tawny Frogmouths.

Accommodation: Houseboat

Day 2: Guided Morning Clifftop Walk & Ephemeral Lakes Nature Drive

After a nourishing breakfast, guests will be led by expert guides on a mini-bus tour exploring some of the region’s spectacular ephemeral lakes and the Australian Landscape Trust’s Calperum Station, where spectacular birdwatching can include Black swans and their cygnets, Pied Stilts, Red-necked Avocets, Yellow-billed Spoonbills, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Blue-billed and Musk ducks as well as other migratory waders. White-winged Fairy-wrens, White-winged Trillers, Swamp Harriers and Whistling Kites may also be spotted in this area and an occasional Wedge-tailed and White-bellied Eagles may visit.

A packed lunch is enjoyed overlooking these vast waterbodies. Swamp harriers and Whistling Kites will be busy in this area and an occasional Wedge-tailed Eagle, or a White-bellied Sea Eagle may visit.

Following nature drives through this spectacular conservation area, guests can take in the sunset from the top deck spa with sundowners. Pre-dark, guides play the calls of the Bush-stone Curlew to assess their response and their conservation status on the Murray River floodplains, before a locally-focused three-course meal completes this epic day.

Accommodation: Houseboat

Day 3: Red Gum Creek Cruise

Awake to the glorious dawn chorus and aromas of fresh coffee to awaken you from a restful sleep on the river. Guests will enjoy a hearty breakfast whilst peering out at the sunlight radiating on the cliffs and spectacular reflections across the mighty Murray.

After breakfast, take a guided canoe adventure, through incredibly picturesque meandering creeks and serene backwaters that make up the Riverland Ramsar Wetland of International Significance. This provides a perfect opportunity to silently approach wildlife on the river's edge, with Western Grey Kangaroos, Lace Monitors, cormorants, darters, ducks, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Yellow Rosellas and Mallee Ringnecks all sighting opportunities.

Shortly after returning to the houseboat, you enjoy a leisurely cruise passing spectacular red-ochre cliffs as a delicious lunch prepared by your guides is served on the top deck of the houseboat, providing a final opportunity to savour the spectacular river vistas, before guests arrive at the final destination at Paringa for transfers further afield.

Lodge-style Houseboat Accommodation

The houseboat is your lodge-based accommodation, moored in spectacular locations. Your bedroom room offers stunning views of the river and you can watch from your bed as pelicans fly by. In the evenings, relax in the houseboat lounge and share stories with your fellow travellers as your guides prepare a superb nightly meals.

Murray River Safari tours operate on our new luxury houseboat High River and feature ensuite bedrooms.

Houseboats are the perfect option for ecologically-minded travellers, maintaining a low impact activity on the river system. Groups abide by a ‘leave no trace’ policy and all waste is taken onshore to be composted, recycled or disposed of appropriately.

Tour details

Shared Group Size: Maximum of 10 guests, with two guides accompanying guests on the Safari.
Pick-up and Drop Off Point: Safari journeys depart from Paringa (5 minutes from Renmark).
Pick-up and Drop-off Time: Approximately 10:00am on Day 1 and 2:00pm on Day 3.

Recent Awards

WINNER Hall of Fame & Winner South Australian Tourism Award Ecotourism 2022 • 2019
WINNER South Australian Tourism Award Ecotourism 2022 • 2021 • 2018 • 2017
SILVER Australian Tourism Award Ecotourism 2021 • 2017

How you'll be making a positive impact

Citizen Science with Murray River Trails

Murray River Trails contributes observations of flora & fauna via iNaturalist, the world’s leading global social biodiversity network.

This platform allows our team to create research-quality citizen science data that enables a more detailed picture of our national biodiversity, and assists bodies such as the CSIRO, ecologists and other decision makers to deliver better outcomes for the environment and our species.

Our guides record observations with iNaturalist Australia by using the iNaturalist app on mobile phones or desktop computers. An observation records an encounter with an individual organism at a particular time and location in the Riverland. We require photos to be attached to observations for them to become research grade and added to the Atlas of Living Australia.

This is where you can greatly assist us in capturing images out in the field! Although we make broader observations that we think are valuable to the local scientific community, we have identified the following species to track when we are exploring the Riverland by houseboat, kayak, vehicle or on foot.

Key species we're looking out for include:

• Brush-tailed Possum
• Short-beaked Echidna
• Regent Parrot
• Red-capped Robin
• Bush Stone-curlew
• Rakali

Championing Environmental Flows for the Murray River

Murray River Trails have established the Murray River Trails Fund, to raise money for organisations at the forefront of improving the region’s biodiversity, river floodplain health and status of threatened species in the region.

Up until the 1920s, the rivers flowing in the Murray-Darling Basin, made up of Australia’s most famous two rivers, were unregulated. Ninety percent of the water flowed out to sea covering floodplains and filling wetlands and creeks along the 2,500km plus journey. The river system naturally flooded and dried almost every year, but today we have reversed the way the system works, by keeping floodplains dry most of the time and allowing only 10 percent of the water to flow out to the sea.

Unfortunately, the lack of overbank flow (small floods that feed forests and fill shallow lakes) due to this reversal, has decreased the regeneration of phytoplankton and zooplankton, which in turn initiates the breeding cycle in insects, frogs, fish and water birds and recharges groundwater systems.

Murray River Trails founder and owner, Tony Sharley, is a leading advocate for the Murray River, and speaks regularly at forums about environmental flows and establishing new conservation-focused industries, such as eco-tourism, that do not extract water from Australia’s precious rivers. The organisation has recently established the Murray River Trails Fund, to raise money for organisations at the forefront of improving the region’s biodiversity, river floodplain health and status of threatened species in the region.

Solar-powered Houseboat

Murray River Trails launched their new ‘High River’ vessel in 2022. Measuring 24 metres long, 8.5 metres wide, the vessel is fixed with 52 solar panels generating an impressive 20 kilowatts, with no need for diesel motors as found on standard commercial houseboats.

Red-filtered Flashlights for our Nocturnal Beauties

White torches or spotlights can significantly disturb our marsupials, due to the greater sensitivity of their pupils to light compared with humans. Murray River Trails use and share with guests the importance of using red-filtered spotlights.

Although spotlighting is a fantastic means of revealing some of Australia’s most endearing creatures, white torches or spotlights can significantly disturb our marsupials, due to the greater sensitivity of their pupils to light compared with humans. High-powered spotlights effect the ability for pupils to function properly for extended periods of time, leaving them blinded temporarily.

For this reason, we share with guests the importance of using red-filtered spotlights along with prohibiting flash photography.