Murray River still open for holidays in South Australia

The Murray River is flowing and open for holiday business in South Australia, but the travel and tourism  operators in the SA Riverland and Lower Murray region are being hit by constant publicity about the desperate drought conditions  of the Murray Darling Basin and  low water in the rivers.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Adelaide-based Proud Australia Holidays, Ben Mead, said yesterday, “An ABC television news report on Sunday night saying there was less water now than at this time last year truly showed the desperate plight of the rivers.”

“But that was also having an impact in tourism in South Australia because many holidaymakers thought that the Murray had stopped flowing and were unaware that there was still  plenty of water in the lower Murray for cruising, boating, houseboats and usual river activities.”

“The company operates the 40-passenger river cruise boat Murray Expedition out of Murray Bridge on five-night and  two-night weekend cruises and Mr Mead said that it had not missed a departure although the vessel’s operations team at River of Australia Expeditions had to work hard to keep the travel industry aware that holiday business on the Murray in  South Australia had not dried up.”  

“Publicity about the Murray no longer flowing in some parts has sent the wrong ideas to people about the whole river system and South Australia must get the message through that the river here is still ideal for holidaying.”

“That is important for the economy of the river towns and the travel and tourism businesses which rely heavily on the holiday spending  which the river brings,” Mr Mead said.

“Proud Australia Holidays has been cruising the river boat with the name Proud Mary for almost 25 years but last week she was officially renamed Murray Expedition in what Mr Mead said was part of a company move to improve awareness of what the lower Murray region offers as a holiday destination.”

He said the cruise style on the vessel was changing to make holidaymakers more aware of the lesser  known history, environmental,  ecological and seasonal changes as well as the unique aboriginal heritage of the river to all blend with the relaxation of being aboard.

“We changed  the vessel’s familiar old name because the drought has brought changes to the whole river system and Australians now have to look at the River Murray in a new perspective.  We also have changed the way we take people onto the river and its environs”, Mr Mead said.

“Proud Mary was  an old riverboat name but in the  21st century it has nothing to do with our river.”  “Now we want the time that people spend with us on the Murray to be more an expedition-style  trip so they see and learn what the river is all about, rather than just play bingo or sit in deck chairs to watch the scenery glide by.”

“We enhanced  the detail of our cruises by including more to see and do in short off-vessel trips for an expanded picture of what the river means.”  “So, the Murray Expedition is the vessel’s new name for a new era of better understanding the Murray.”

Mr Mead said the Proud Australia Group believed that Australians did not know enough about the attractions, history and diversity of what the River Murray offered in South Australia and that even in SA the Murray was taken for granted.

“Our State is fortunate to have such  a world class wine industry and the tourism it attracts and it deserves the government support it gets.”  “Yet the Lower Murray has spectacular scenery such as the brilliant colored and shaped cliffs at Nildottie and the fascinating  ancient aboriginal sites along the river at Ngaut Ngaut which are hardly known outside South Australia.”

“More should be made of them in a concerted plan to publicise the Murray as a major attraction and holiday destination rather than have people believe the river is  in total decline.”

Mr Mead said it was interesting to note that of tourism grants awarded last month the only benefit for the  Murray was finance for the upgrade of a discharge facility for waste from houseboats upstream from Mannum.

“This is important, but the Murray is important to South Australia’s tourism industry and while the staff involved with the Murray Expedition will do their best to make people aware of the river, the State also should be helping more to tell Australia that our stretch of the Murray is still open for holidays and sightseeing,” Mr Mead said.

The Murray Expedition’s summer programme would include a family holiday deal of $1500 based on a four-star river view cabin for the parents and free cabin for children along with free meals, excursions and activities.  The regular price was $2630.

Report by The Mole