Murray River Escapes

Murray River Escapes are small group houseboat holidays on Australia’s greatest river, self-catered with customised itineraries. We will guide you each day to the best locations so that you can experience the meandering bends in the river, relax and enjoy the scenery. If you love your mooring so much, we can leave you there for an extra day or more.

If you wish, we will help you to customise your itinerary by organising several on-river and off-river activities including a brandy, wine and spirits tour or a chef coming aboard to prepare a three course meal paired with local wines. We will also provide an experienced guide for all transfers on and off the river, to and from your activities.

Murray River Escapes are perfect for private groups ranging from 4 to 10 people.

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Dates March-November 2021

Duration 3, 4, 5, 7 Night Customised Journeys

Accommodation Houseboat

Meals Self-Catered

Experienced local guide Up to 4 hours/day

From $270 pp per day

I would like to thank the team at Murray River Trails for their attention to detail piecing together a remarkable journey and a wonderful experience of wilderness, food, wine/brandy, and history of the Riverland. We loved it.

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Itinerary

Option 1 - Escape to the river

Houseboat holidays are an iconic holiday experience on the Murray River. Favoured by families and groups of friends, they are the perfect way for private groups to Escape To The River, slow down, and spend time connecting with one another and nature.

Our Murray River Escapes journeys have been designed to help you easily experience the best of the river & the Riverland by including the following.

An experienced local guide who will help you find the perfect nightly mooring site is our way of sharing our immense knowledge of this river system.
A complimentary Riverland Wine Pack and Riverland Gourmet Produce Pack is included in your tour package and will be waiting for you on arrival.
Your modern houseboat accommodation is purpose fitted for groups and features 5 double rooms, 2 bathrooms, large lounge and dining areas, fully equipped kitchen, top deck spa and swim deck for enjoying the afternoon sunset.
We also include the cost of all fuel to operate the houseboat engine and generator, together with free secure car parking for the duration of your journey.
At your request, we can also include up to 2 double canoes (with paddles and personal flotation devices) on the houseboat.

This is a self-catered experience and you will need to arrange all food and beverages, although we can assist you with this upon request. You will also need to arrange all recreational equipment (fishing rods, tackle).

How you decide to spend each day of your holiday is completely up to you and you can view a full list of experiences in the download list on your right ‘Option 1 – Daily Ideas’

Option 2 - Escape on and off the river

In addition to cruising peacefully along the river each day with your experienced local guide, our Escape On and Off the River experience allows you to tailor an itinerary of daily activities to suit the group’s interests.

We will work with you to customise an itinerary of guided and hosted activities on and off the river. We will collect you from the houseboat and return you each day. If you wish, you can choose to spend some days on the river relaxing, and on other days we can take you off the houseboat to explore our fabulous region. Final pricing will depend on the agreed group itinerary.

Suggested itineraries include:

Nature based experiences, such as a 2 to 4 hour guided canoe tour, a 5km guided bush walk, an inland lakes birdwatching safari, or a cruise through the Chowilla Environmental Weir to learn about environmental watering in the Murray Darling Basin.

Food experiences, such as a native food masterclass on board, a brandy, wine and spirit tour or a tour and lunch at a local award-winning microbrewery are all available.

If you are celebrating a milestone or just feeling like a break from cooking, we can arrange for a chef to come aboard and cook you a superb 3 course meal, or for a local winemaker to come on board to help you discover the innovative world of Riverland wine.

Inclusions: As per option 1.

Exclusions: As per option 1.

You can view a full list of experiences in the download list on your right ‘Option 2 – Activity Modules’

Downloads

What's Included

Option 1 Daily Ideas

Option 2 Activity Modules

Lodge Style Accommodation

Your accommodation is a houseboat that sleeps up to 10 guests.

Houseboats provide spectacular views of the river from every angle.

More information about your houseboat accommodation

Your houseboat is equipped with a modern kitchen, comfortable dining and lounge areas, 2 bathrooms with hot showers, a swim deck and a top deck area with hot spa.

All linen is provided.

This is a self-catered experience and you will need to organise your food & beverages for the journey. Please let us know if you’d like some suggestions on how to plan for this. You can decide whether you’d like the houseboat to cruise to a new destination each day. The houseboat has a generous fridge/freezer and an additional chest freezer on board.

Ready to book?

Escape to the river: $270 pp / day

Escape on & off the river: From $270 pp / day

Call us to plan your itinerary & a custom quote

Private tour departures available November 2020

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the experienced local guide do?

The experienced local guide will assist you moor the houseboat in the best locations, interpret the landscape, and share knowledge of the river system. They can also deliver any food items you may have run out of or forgotten (within reason).

What if we have an emergency on Board?

If there is health related emergency we are contactable 24/7. Prior to departure we will discuss an Emergency Response Plan with you.

Can I drive the houseboat?

Yes, under the supervision of our experience local guide.

Can you arrange canoe hire?

We can provide up to 2 double canoes included in the package price at your request. We would also encourage you to consider our guided canoeing activity where the whole group can explore the scenic Woolenook Bend backwaters.

Can we hire powered boats as well?

Please discuss your requirements with us.

For Escapes On and Off the River, do we have to schedule activities for every day?

No, it is your holiday and you can choose how much activity you’d like to include. A day spent simply relaxing on the houseboat is a day well spent.

If we like our nightly mooring location do we need to move the next day?

No, you don’t have to. We love that you’ve found your little piece of paradise, but don’t forget, there are more magical places to admire.