Murray River Houseboat Safari - Wildlife Adventure on Water

River Cruise & Cliff Walk

After meeting your guide at Bert Dix Memorial Park, your guide will provide a brief introduction to the landscape before you board your pontoon cruiser and begin cruising along the Murray River. You’ll start familiarising yourself with river country, scanning the tree-line for Koalas and waterbirds.

You’ll be welcomed to your houseboat accommodation where you’ll enjoy lunch and settle into your room before setting off on a guided cliff walk with possibilities of spotting Wedge-tailed Eagles, honeyeaters and migratory Rainbow Bee-eaters. Keen eyes will also be on the lookout for fairy-wrens, kangaroos and Emus. Marvel at the vast river floodplains from the rim of the valley.

An inspiring afternoon walk with Erawirung elder, Eric Cook, will reveal stories of an ancient culture evident along the banks of an old stretch of river.

The evening is spent on the houseboat admiring the sunset from the top deck spa or swim deck before your guides prepare a gourmet dinner paired with local wines to complete the day. 

Nocturnal walking and stargazing await after dinner and your guides help you spot Brush-tailed Possums for an important citizen-science project. End the day in your comfortable bed, which delights with starry reflections in the river.

Accommodation: Houseboat. Lunch and dinner provided

Day 2: Birdwatching on Ephemeral Lakes

After a nourishing breakfast we enjoy a driving tour to the great ephemeral lake system on the outer floodplain where spectacular birdwatching can include thousands of ducks, Black Swans and their cygnets, Pied Stilts, Red-necked Avocets, Yellow-billed Spoonbills, migratory waders and rarer Blue-billed Ducks. Expect to see Blue-bonnets and magnificent Red Kangaroos and perhaps a spectacular White-winged Fairy-wren as we drive across country between the lakes on recovering station country. 

A packed lunch is enjoyed looking over 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.

We return to the houseboat in time to admire the sunset on the cliffs. Pre-dark we will play the calls of the Bush-stone Curlew to assess their response and their conservation status on the Murray River floodplains.

Your guides will prepare and serve a delicious three-course dinner on the houseboat featuring the iconic Murray Cod, which is farmed locally. The campfire and stars are a great reward for a big day out, and post-dinner nocturnal adventures are optional.

Accommodation: Houseboat. Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.

Day 3: Cruising & Walking the Backwaters

Enjoy a pre-breakfast walk into the box woodlands where we’ll sit and listen for red-capped robins, fairy-wrens and honeyeaters.

After breakfast we cruise to the Chowilla environmental regulator, built in 2012 to protect and rejuvenate this iconic wetland. We’ll see the benefits of regular environmental flows in red gum forests creating a superb breeding environment for water birds, frogs and fish.

During our cruise we will venture on short walks into the floodplain to sit quietly in search of regent parrots, kingfishers, and fairy-wrens, before drifting past the sandy cliff faces looking for rainbow-bee eaters, fairy martins and peregrine falcons.

Our day winds down with a relaxing houseboat cruise to our mooring opposite glowing red ochre-coloured cliffs at sunset. A special dinner follows.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.

Day 4: Kayaking and Houseboat Cruising

Following a relaxed breakfast, you will meet your canoe guide for a morning paddle through peaceful creeks and billabongs lined by mighty red gums, rafting up occasionally to drift and listen to a special place you’ve become more familiar with.

Arriving back at the houseboat, we start a leisurely houseboat cruise on the way to our lunch site on the river. This is the perfect time to gather your thoughts and record all your sightings and inspirations. Relax in your river surroundings savouring lunch prepared by your guides and served on the top deck of the houseboat.

After another short cruise on the houseboat, we farewell you as you depart by minibus to your vehicles by 2pm.

Lodge-style Houseboat Accommodation

Dine and relax each night aboard a luxury houseboat configured with five bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms including hot showers, handbasin and toilet. Other features include a spacious lounge, modern kitchen and top deck area with spa and spectacular views. All linen is provided. Unpack once and leave your belongings in your room. Rooms can be configured with a king bed or two king single beds. Please let us know your preference on booking.

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.

Terms & Conditions
_{*Price per person, quoted in AUD, based on double occupancy. $4,965 for Single. Price includes lodge style accommodation for 3 nights on a modern houseboat, experienced guide to lead your tour, secure car parking at Paringa marina, luggage transfer to your room on the houseboat, all meals showcasing local produce and all beverages including premium riverland wines and beer, juice and coffee, 1 litre water bottle and 34L daypack, optional walking poles, access to a library of wildlife field guides, personal Flotation Device for canoeing sections.}