Travelbeat Editorial Review River of Life - Highway of Trade Murray River, South Australia Story and photos by Kerry Hennigan The health of the Murraylands environment is of paramount importance to the people who operate Proud Australia Nature Cruises. South Australia's Murray River is the highway on which they ply their trade; it is also the lifeblood of the driest state on the Australian continent. The Murray flows from the southern end of Australia's Great Dividing Range, across half the continent, to the Southern Ocean via Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert, south of Adelaide. Along its banks and in its waters live some 250 bird and 28 fish species, which are dependent on the river. The eco-oriented cruises conducted aboard Proud Australia's MV Proud Mary, a modern river boat powered by twin diesel engines but having the appearance of a Mississippi paddle steamer, are designed to impress on its passengers the importance of a healthy Murray River ecosystem. With cabins that all face the river and come complete with en suite bathrooms and tea and coffee making facilities, the Proud Mary is a luxurious way to explore the Murray environment - while enjoying the first class hospitality, food, shore and water excursions provided by her crew. The fate of the Murray, whose waters have been used by generations of pastoralists and industries, as well as for domestic water supplies, is vital to South Australia. As more of its waters are diverted between its source and the Murray Mouth near Goolwa in South Australia's southeast, the saline levels of the river have risen dramatically and dredging is required to maintain a passage between shifting sand dunes and the sea. The Murray has been fished, explored, navigated and traded on for centuries, firstly by the Meru and Ngarrindjeri peoples who had a healthy respect for the ways of the life-providing river. Ngurundjeri, the Dreaming Ancestor, created the Murray and travelled down it in a bark canoe. River Red Gums still bearing the scars where bark was removed from the living trees to construct such canoes can be seen along the banks throughout the Murraylands (as pictured at left). With the coming of European explorers and settlers, the Murray became a highway of trade and gave rise to the era of the Murray-Darling paddle steamers. Near the town of Mannum, first port of call for the Proud Mary as she travels upriver from her home port of Murray Bridge, Captain William Randall built the first paddle boat that plied the river - the Mary Ann. Today, Proud Mary moors alongside the reserve named in honour of the Mary Ann on Mannum's riverfront and cruises past Noah No Landing where she was first launched in 1853. The Mary Ann was succeeded by many others of her kind - steam powered paddle wheelers that ferried goods and people up and down the Murray and Darling River systems linking South Australia with Victoria and New South Wales. Today, descendants of the Mary Ann, some vintage, some modern, still operate cruises and day trips out of key towns from the river's history - towns like Mildura and Echuca (Vic) Mannum, Murray Bridge and Goolwa (SA). Passengers on the Proud Mary and her kin, in addition to spotting the profuse native birdlife of the region (pictured below), can observe the remains of paddle boats on slips, in museums, or hauled up in the willows and bulrushes along the banks of the river. Cruise notes and the helpful commentary of the captain and crew point out these vessels to the passengers, providing fascinating insights into the people who lived and worked on the river in the past, and those who still do. For the paddleboats, however, today's trade is primarily in tourism and personal pleasure. While some old timers, like the Colonel (1895) of which only the aged timber hull remains, sit high and dry awaiting restoration funds, others, like the Cato (named for the 1883 vessel she replicates) are newly constructed along traditional lines. In Mannum, the lovingly restored Marion (above right) operates day trips and special heritage-style cruises literally under her own steam, from her base at the river front museum. At other times she is open for exploration by visitors to the Mannum Dock Museum, which is a must for any paddle boat enthusiast. With the Murray River's survival in doubt, there is reason for concern that the pleasures of the river system might at some stage no longer be available to us. Worse still, the environment may not be capable of sustaining the life that is vital to a healthy eco-system. If the native flora, fish and birdlife all succumbed to human greed we would be much the poorer - and we would certainly all suffer. The legacy of nature-based river cruises like those undertaken by Proud Mary is the awareness gained by passengers of the importance of the River Murray to South Australia and the nation. One's enjoyment of the experience makes the message all the more potent - and urgent. For more information on the Murray River environment visit: www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au The history of the river and its paddleboats can be accessed at: www.murrayriver.com.au/history/default.htm Travelscene International cruised the Murray on the Proud Mary compliments of Proud Australia Nature Cruises: www.proudmary.com.au See related feature Rollin' on the River - MV Proud Mary Resources: · "Welcome Aboard" booklet provided to MV Proud Mary passengers. Proud Australia Nature Cruises. · Adelaide & South Australia. 3rd Edition. Lonely Planet · Murray Darling Paddleboats. Peter Plowman. Available September 2005 from Rosenberg Publishing: www.rosenbergpub.com.au Back to Front Page