Your holiday destination awaits on the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong
News reports might have you thinking twice about your holiday plans, but locals want you to know that the Murraylands is still a great – and safe – place to visit.
This sponsored post is brought to you by the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong.
If you’re thinking of taking a holiday along the Murray River in the next few weeks, Tom Hines has a message for you.
Come on down.
Audiences may have been inundated with pictures of floods on distant parts of the Murray River, but things are still perfectly safe in South Australia’s Murraylands at the moment.
At the Hines family’s White Sands Caravan Park, just south of Murray Bridge, water levels are only a few centimetres higher than usual, and the river is smooth and inviting.
“For skiing and stuff, we have residents who ski and they’ve been skiing all the way through,” Tom says.
“The flows today are about 0.5 kilometres per hour – that’s less than (the high flows) in 2016, and people skied all the way through that.”
Drive a few hours north, to the Riverland, and things might be different, he says.
But in the Murraylands the river is wide and slow.
Wakeboard shop owner Adam Bruce’s phone has been ringing off the hook in recent weeks, with would-be visitors asking: is it still safe?
He understands people’s concerns, but – as he said in a widely shared Facebook post a fortnight ago – says there’s nothing to worry about right now.
In fact, he sees this summer’s high flows as an opportunity for the Murraylands.
“Places like Tailem Bend and Wellington should be the go-to places, because they’re going to be the least affected of anywhere,” he says.
“People are so used to having a river that doesn’t flood and doesn’t have movement, but I’ve been to rivers around the world … where you’ll have this amount of flow in and out every day.
“I’ve got a five-year-old boy who I’ve taken out on a knee board last weekend.
“You just need to take the usual caution.”
Will things change during the Christmas holidays?
Possibly, Tom says – that will depend how much water flows over the South Australian border in the weeks to come.
If you’re staying on the riverfront, it might pay to call your accommodation provider or check their Facebook page before you arrive.
But there will still be plenty for holidaymakers to do around the Murraylands, no matter how high the river gets:
- Leap into the land of the lemurs at Monarto Safari Park
- Take your tastebuds on a journey of discovery at Kimbolton Wines
- Experience the thrill of motor racing at the Bend Motorsport Park
- Go stargazing with Juggle House Experiences
You can find plenty more memorable ideas on the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong website.
For now, though, your river holiday awaits.
In fact, if you know anyone who might benefit from a few days on the river, give ‘em a call and invite them along.
Plan your great escape in the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong:
- More information about high river flows: www.sa.gov.au.
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