The Murray River has caused struggles but it still has charm

Resilient beauty of our troubled waters
Journalist: Cara Jenkin, The Advertiser 17.2.2007

The drought may be causing the River Murray to struggle but the river has not lost its charm.

From sunrise to sunset, the picturesque scenery of the golden cliffs is almost surpassed by it wildlife.

As the The Advertiser's regional reporter, together with photographer Sarah Reed, we have spent the past week cruising the River Murray on a 10m houseboat, River Wren 5, supplied by Riverglen Marina.

Pelican's, corellas, galahs, and eagles hovered over the river's surface, then soared into tree tops and cliff crevices. Four swallows darted around the River Wren 5 for three days from Blanchetown to Berri, resting occasionally on the houseboats rails. Thirsty kangaroos, cows, goats, and sheep spent the day at the water's edge to get relief from heat and sipped from one of the last water sources in their area.

The river's reeds, their lower halves exposed as the water levels dropped, still managed to provide some greenery. At night, stars provided a sparkling backdrop to the calm water held between the river's locks.

The human impact on the Murray was not all bad, either. History's paddle steamers, now rebuilt, floated in isolated pockets on the river, old shacks dotted the banks and colourful houseboats moored along the edge.