Life in the Riverland, South Australia

When our friends from Adelaide first found out that we were relocating to the Riverland, South Australia, their immediate response were, “Riverland? Where is that?” 

We would then have to patiently explain to them that the Riverland is a region in country South Australia and that it is a place well-known for its charming wineries and abundance of fresh fruits. In fact, Riverland is also known as South Australia’s fruit bowl. Once you’ve eaten Riverland fruits, you won’t want to eat fruits from elsewhere. They are absolutely delicious! 

I would have to admit that my first journey to the Riverland was a rather daunting experience. When we first considered moving to the Riverland, my husband and I took a bus from Adelaide to the Riverland to have a look at the place. 

Being a fairly new migrant at that time, I feared moving to the country town because I have heard so many stories from our local friends in Adelaide about the horrors of living in a country town in rural South Australia. 

The stories I heard varied – from having hardly any neighbours, just one or two shops in the entire town to living in the outback (ie. desertland) with no grass and trees in sight. They even told us that we will not have any friends in the country town and that we will be very lonely once we get there. 

While sitting in the bus on my way to the Riverland, we passed by a lot of dry and opened empty land with hardly any trees around. There were also hardly any cars on the road at that time. At that instance, I thought that maybe what my Adelaide friends had told me about the country town were all true. Fear crept into my mind. 

However, when I arrived at the Riverland, everything changed. I found the Riverland a very pleasant place to be with good weather conditions, friendly people and plenty of green pastures and fruit trees. The towns located in the Riverland region have really serene views as they are mostly set upon the magnificent Murray River. 

After living in the Riverland, South Australia for almost two years, I can confidently say that there are plenty of things to do in the Riverland and that Riverland is not a bad place to live in after all. Our friends from the Riverland introduced us to so many local favourite activities like fishing, boating, barbecuing by the riverside, jet skiing and having huge bonfires at the end of their farming harvest. My husband and I experienced walking through beautiful vineyards, fruit orchards, wild bird sanctuaries and managed to dine the local country cuisine prepared at bonfire events. We also had the opportunity to mingle with farmers and harvesters, and learnt about what country life is really all about. 

If I had not moved to the Riverland, I would not have experienced all these enriching things. Living in a country town can be fun if you learn to tap into the beauty of it. The tranquillity of unspoilt mother nature, laid-back lifestyle and the healthy lifestyle of eating fresh fruits and vegetables are the things that the city folks have really been missing when it comes to living in the country town. I learnt through my experience in the Riverland that there is more to life than shopping malls, huge carnival events, restaurants and movie tickets. I also learnt how to appreciate the hard work that farmers and harvesters have to endure just to produce the fruits and vegetables that we see readily available at our local grocers and supermarkets. 

As we are planning to move out of the Riverland next year to pursue our careers to the next level, my head feels heavy to leave this lovely region. There has been so many things that I learnt from our friends here and memories for us to keep. I will never forget the delicious taste of the fresh fruits straight off the fruit trees, wonderful adventures we experienced through participating in favourite local outdoor activities and valuable friendships we have gained along the way. I will always remember the Riverland, South Australia wherever I go. 

Here are some of the activities we did in the Riverland: 

Barbecuing along Murray River, Riverland, South Australia

Jet skiing at Lake Bonney, Barmera, South Australia

Fishing at Kingston on Murray, Riverland, South Australia

Riverland is a really nice place to visit and unwind. I would encourage you to visit the Riverland, South Australia to discover the beauty that this region has to offer. Your trip will not be wasted! 

Cheers,

Caroline Poh

Houseboats in Riverland,South Australia

Have you ever been on a houseboat?

When my husband and I first moved to the Riverland, South Australia, we were brought by a friend to see the houseboats at Kingston on Murray, Riverland, South Australia. According to her, houseboats in Riverland, South Australia are one of the attractions of the Riverland. That was the first time I had ever seen houseboats.

During our trip to see the houseboats at Kingston on Murray, I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the houseboats because I was so fascinated by their unique structures and superior exterior. Back then, my husband and I were not able to view the interior of the houseboats because we were told that we had to hire a houseboat to be able to do so. Since that day, I always had a deep curiosity on what it would feel like living on a houseboat.

After a few months living in the Riverland, our friend from church invited us to her house for lunch one day. Her house was situated in Lyrup, Riverland, South Australia. It was quite a long drive (about 20 minutes) from our place at Barmera, Riverland, South Australia.

Her house was situated amidst bushlands near the Lyrup Forest. When we pulled over the car at her house compound, we got out of the car wondering where her house was. All we could see were some wild bushes and nice pot plants around her compound. Our friend happily greeted us upon our arrival and showed us to her house. When she showed us to her place, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she actually lives on a houseboat! I was so excited.

The interior of her houseboat looked like a normal two bedroom unit. It was fully equipped with a small wood fire heater, an air conditioner, a fairly big flat screen television, a modern kitchen and a deck at the back of her houseboat.

During our visit, we enjoyed our lunch at the deck overlooking the magnificent Murray River. While having our lunch, our friend shared with us about her experience living on a houseboat. According to her, she gets her electricity supply from her solar power system, collects rain water for her water supply and uses the generator if she does not get enough electricity supply from her solar power system. As she is unable to have a landline, uses the mobile broadband for her internet and she subscribes to a mobile telephone provider. She also has to pay special rates to the government to park her houseboat by the river as it is of public property.

On a separate occasion, when my sister came down to the Riverland for holiday, our friend invited my sister, my husband and I for dinner at her houseboat. This time, she took us along a cruise on her boat along the Murray River.

It was a very relaxing outing as we enjoyed looking at the tranquil water and natural surroundings. Seeing the sunset, watching the wild birds and ducks go by was very therapeutic for me. Combined with the light and easy music, lovely Aussie barbecue dinner prepared by our friend and beautiful ambience, I was able to relax and unwind easily during the river cruise. I would have to say that the river cruise was a really amazing and memorable experience for me.

Houseboats at Kingston on Murray, Riverland, South Australia

From left: Me, my sister, our friend and my husband outside our friend's houseboat

The spectacular view from our friend’s houseboat during our river cruise

With my wonderful experience at the houseboat, I would highly recommend anyone to view the houseboats in Riverland, South Australia. You can hire a houseboat for your next holiday vacation at Riverland, South Australia. It costs quite a lot but it is worth the experience if you have the money. If not, you can just take a picture outside the houseboats, like what I did when I went to Kingston on Murray, Riverland, South Australia.

Whatever the case, you will surely enjoy viewing the houseboats in Riverland, South Australia.

Cheers,

Caroline Poh