Murray River Boat Cruise Holiday

The Murray River is one of 15 rivers that are part of the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia. The Murray-Darling basin covers approximately 14% of Australia stretching from Charleville and Darwin in Queensland in the north, and Toowomba and Sydney on the east coast down to Melbourne in the south and Adelaide on the western edge of the Murrary-Darling basin.

Of the 15 rivers, three are significant. The Darling stretches for 2,740 kilometers, the Murray River for 2,530 km and the Murrumbidgee for 1,690.

The Murray river begins its journey about 100 km south west of Brisbane in Queensland and completes its journey 100 km south of Adelaide.

The River Murray provides water to many agricultural activities along its journey, and the following figures show the percentage contribution to Australian total production.

• Rice 97%
• Cotton 84%
• Grapes for dried fruit 97%
• Grapes for wing 33%
• Fruit 63%
• Wool 40%

The Proud Mary was build in Berri, South Australia in 1982, fashioned on the original riverboats that were the lifeblood of the river during settlement days. However, Proud Mary was designed with a special flat bottom to navigate shallow areas of the river.

Cruises are offered from 2 to 5 days, operating between Murray Bridge and Blanchtown in South Australia.

Because Proud Mary has a shallow bottom, the tours can still operate even during the drought that has severely reduced river flows down the Murray River.

Cruises include three meals a day with morning and afternoon tea. They pride themselves on offering a truly superb Australian cuisine consisting of Emu, Kangaroo and special delicacies such as wattle seed sauce, wild tomato relish and local fruits such as prickly pear.

Throughout the cruise, shore excursions are offered free of additional charge with a focus on environmental education.

One "shore" excursion involves small groups in a smaller boat exploring billabongs and lagoons.

Another tour is to the Nguat Nguat Aboriginal reserve where the local custodians of the land will explain their heritage including ancient sites where Australia's first archeological dig was carried out.

The nocturnal tour includes sights such as kangaroos and wombats in their natural environment.

Another feature is an evening barbecue on the river bank with traditional Australian music and barbecue food.

The amazing Murray-Darling basin is one of the wonders of South Australia. A leisurely cruise along the River Murray should be on your list of things to do before you die. You may choose a Proud Mary cruise, hire a houseboat with a group of friends or rent a shack and boat for waterskiing. One thing is certain, the River Murray, part of the great Murray-Darling basin has something for everyone to enjoy.